American Bagh-chal a division of World Bagh-chal P & P Gurung Commissioners

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2024, at 1pm, the American Bagh-chal Championship will take place in New Cumberland, PA. Flyer below.

American Bagh-chal a division of World Bagh-chal P & P Gurung Commissioners

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2024, at 1pm, the American Bagh-chal Championship will take place in New Cumberland, PA. Flyer below.

About American Bagh-chal

ABC Championship Registration

Saturday, October 5, 2024 will be our very informal trial run (see flyer). If you want to compete in the American Bagh-chal Championship, please register on the Contact Us portion of this site. There will be 16 spots and a waiting list available, so get your name in early. The newly crowned Champion will receive a crystal trophy, and a rookie card published in the 2025 RRParks The Greatest, Great, and Not So Much card set.

Our Mission

At American Bagh-chal, we strive to crown a Champion yearly, also having Regional and State competitions. Our mission is to bring people together and create lasting memories through the power of play. Bagh-chal means Tiger Moving Game and is a strategic, two-player board game that originated in Nepal. It has been played for over a thousand years. That makes "Bagh-chal the Grandfather of International Chess(tm)."

American Bagh-chal Rules

Tiger Moving Game

Overview:

Pieces are positioned at the intersection of the lines. Directions of valid movement between these points are connected by lines. The game play takes place in two phases. In the first phase, the goats are placed on the board while the tigers are moved. In the second phase, both the goats and the tigers are moved. For the tigers, the objective is to "capture" five goats to win, by jumping over the goats. The goats win by blocking all the tigers' legal moves.

Rules:

Single-elimination versus double-elimination tournament will be at discretion of Commissioners. Coin flip to determine tigers or goats (younger flips, elder calls).

At the start of the game, all four tigers are placed on the four corners of the grid, facing the center. No goats are placed on the board during the initial setup.

The player controlling the goats moves first, by placing a goat onto a free intersection on the board. The player controlling the tigers moves next and may move a tiger along the lines from one intersection to another. Moves alternate between players. The goats enter the board one per turn. Once all 20 of the goats have been placed on the board, goats must move in the same fashion as the tigers, one intersection to another.

Tigers capture goats by jumping over them to an adjacent free position (as in checkers, although capturing is not obligatory in bagh-chal).

Rules for tigers:

They can move to an adjacent free position along the lines.

They can capture goats during any move, and do not need to wait until all goats are placed.

They can capture only one goat at a time.

They can jump over a goat in any direction, as long as there is an open space for the tiger to complete its turn.

A tiger cannot jump over another tiger.

The goats must move according to these rules:

Goats cannot move until all goats have been positioned on the board.

They must leave the board when “captured.”

They cannot jump over tigers or other goats.

The game is over when either the tigers capture five goats, or the goats have blocked the tigers from being able to move.

Sometimes the game can fall into a repetitive cycle of positions. Goats especially may use this resort to defend themselves against being captured. To avoid this situation, an additional rule has been established: When all the goats have been placed, no move may return the board to a situation that has already occurred during the game.

American Bagh-chal a division of World Bagh-chal P & P Gurung Commissioners

American Bagh-chal a division of World Bagh-chal P & P Gurung Commissioners

Photo Gallery

About American Bagh-chal

ABC Championship Registration

Our Mission

American Bagh-chal Rules

Tiger Moving Game

Rules for tigers:

The goats must move according to these rules:

Contact Us

Drop us a line!

Better yet, see us in person!

American Bagh-chal

American Bagh-chal a division of World Bagh-chal P & P Gurung Commissioners

American Bagh-chal a division of World Bagh-chal P & P Gurung Commissioners

Photo Gallery

About American Bagh-chal

ABC Championship Registration

Our Mission

American Bagh-chal Rules

Tiger Moving Game

Rules for tigers:

The goats must move according to these rules:

Contact Us

Drop us a line!

Better yet, see us in person!

American Bagh-chal

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