Bagh Chal Game Online Free
Four tigers against twenty goats. Tigers capture by jumping; goats win by surrounding every tiger so none can move.
Goats: tap a point to place a goat, then later tap a goat and a highlighted point. Tigers: tap a tiger, then a point.
What is Bagh Chal?
Bagh Chal, which means “move the tigers”, is a traditional two-player game from Nepal, also called Tigers and Goats. One player has four tigers that start in the corners of a 5 × 5 grid of points; the other has twenty goats that come onto the board one at a time. The tigers win by capturing five goats. The goats win by trapping every tiger so none of them can move.
It is an uneven battle, like Hnefatafl: the tigers are strong but few, and the goats are weak but many. Computer analysis has shown that with perfect play neither side can force a win, so the game is a draw, but in practice the goats need great care.
How to play Bagh Chal Game
- Goats move first. While goats are still to place, the goat player places one goat on any empty point each turn.
- Tigers move one step along a line to an empty point, or capture a goat by jumping over it in a straight line to the empty point behind. Diagonal lines only run through some points.
- Once all 20 goats are on the board, goats also move one step along a line. Goats can’t jump or capture.
- Tigers win when they have captured 5 goats. Goats win when no tiger can move. After 200 moves the game is a draw. Play against the computer at Easy, Medium or Hard, or choose 2 Players to take turns on one device. Undo takes back your last move, and an unfinished game is saved if you leave the page.
Bagh Chal Game skills
- Teamwork between pieces
- Thinking from both sides
- Spotting threats
Level: Ages 7 and up
Tips for Bagh Chal
Goats: fill the edges and corners first. A goat on the edge can’t be jumped from outside the board.
Goats: never leave an empty point behind a goat that a tiger is next to. Keep goats in solid groups.
Tigers: spread out. Tigers that stay apart are much harder to trap than tigers close together.
Tigers: threaten two goats at once. The goats can only block one jump per turn.
Bagh Chal Game questions and answers
How do you play Bagh Chal?
Four tigers start in the corners, and twenty goats are placed one per turn. Tigers move along the lines and capture goats by jumping over them. When all goats are placed, goats move too. Tigers win with five captures; goats win by trapping all four tigers.
Who usually wins Bagh Chal?
Perfect play gives a draw, but in normal games the tigers win more often, because one goat out of place can be jumped. Good goat players win by building a solid wall and slowly squeezing the tigers.
Is Bagh Chal the same as Tigers and Goats?
Yes. Bagh Chal is the Nepali name, meaning “move the tigers”, and it is called Tigers and Goats in English. Similar hunt games are played across South Asia.
Which side should I play first?
Try the tigers first to learn how jumps work, then play the goats. Playing goats well against the computer on Hard is a real challenge.