Bagh-Chal: Rules and How to Play
Bagh-Chal is a 15-minute classic from Nepal for 2. Four tigers hunt, twenty goats surround: each side wins a completely different way. Free in your browser, no sign-up.
Setup
- 2 players. On your own, play against the computer.
- The board is 25 points joined by lines. Four tigers start in the corners; twenty goats wait off the board.
- Goats move first. Play again swaps the tiger and goat roles.
How to play
- While goats remain to be placed, a goat turn is only putting one goat on an empty point. Placed goats cannot move yet.
- Once all twenty goats are placed, goats may also step along a line to an adjacent empty point.
- A tiger either steps along a line to an adjacent empty point, or jumps a single adjacent goat and lands on the empty point directly beyond it, capturing that goat.
- Jumps cannot be chained: at most one goat is captured per turn.
- Capturing is never compulsory: a tiger may take an ordinary step instead of a jump.
- Diagonal moves are only possible at points where a diagonal line is drawn. There is no move along a line that is not there.
Winning and scoring
- Tigers win by capturing five goats.
- Goats win by leaving all four tigers with no legal move.
- If it is the goats' turn and no goat can move, the tigers win. A player may also resign.
- Once every goat has been placed, a move that returns the game to a position already seen is not allowed (default). A setting offers a draw on the third repetition instead.
Defaults on this site
| Item | Default on this site |
|---|---|
| Players | 2 players (set automatically by the party size) |
| Turn time limit | None by default (the host can set 30 or 60 seconds) |
| If someone drops mid-game | Reopening on the same device returns you to your seat. If you do not return, the CPU plays in your place. |
| Draws | In ranked play, a draw counts as halfway between a win and a loss for your rating. |
| Source of the rules | Based on the standard reference rules |
Rules supervised by Qdan, Inc. (based on the standard reference rules)
House rules
Defaults follow the standard reference rules. The party can change these.
| Name | Description | Default | Changeable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swap roles on rematch | Play again switches who plays the tigers. | On | Can be changed |
| Repeated positions | How repeats are handled once every goat is placed. Forbidden is the worldwide standard: a move that returns to a position already seen cannot be played. Draw on the third gives the shogi and chess style count instead. | Forbidden | Can be changed |
Terms
- Point
- Where lines meet. Pieces sit on points, not in squares.
- Diagonal line
- Drawn only at some points. Without the line there is no diagonal move.
- Placement phase
- Until all twenty goats are on the board. Goats cannot move.
- Movement phase
- After the twentieth goat. Goats may step one point at a time.
- Jump
- A tiger crossing an adjacent goat to the empty point beyond, capturing it.
- Forbidden move
- In the movement phase, a move that recreates a position already seen. It cannot be played by default.
FAQ
Can goats move from the start?
No. They may only move once all twenty have been placed.
Can a tiger capture twice in one turn?
No. At most one goat per turn.
Can I move diagonally anywhere?
Only where a diagonal line is drawn. Read the lines on the board.
May I repeat a position?
Not once every goat has been placed: a move back to a position already seen is not allowed. A setting offers a draw on the third repetition instead.
Play now with these rules
Last updated 2026-09-21 · Run by Qdan, Inc.