Play Bagh Chal Online Free
How to Play Bagh Chal
Four tigers start on the corners. Twenty goats wait in hand. Goats place on empty points first; after each placement a tiger may step or jump. Once every goat is on the board both sides move along the lines. Tigers win by taking five goats; goats win by trapping every tiger. Pick an AI level and a seat, then start.
What Bagh Chal Is
Bagh Chal is a Nepali hunt game. The board is 25 intersection points on an Alquerque graph: orthogonal lines always exist, and diagonals exist only on points whose row and column sum is even.
The four tigers already occupy the corners. Goats enter one by one on empty points. After each placement a tiger may step to a neighbouring empty point or jump an adjacent goat to the empty point beyond it. Captured goats leave the board at once. After all twenty goats are placed, goats may only step to an adjacent empty point; they never capture.
It looks like black and white stones on kaya wood. In play it is about closing jump landings, keeping a tiger from walking out of a corner, and when to keep a goat in hand. The rules page covers the fine print; if you want the feel of the hunt, start with the AI board above.
Twenty-Five Points
Do not hunt for square centres. Bagh Chal is played on intersections. Orthogonal neighbours are always linked; diagonals appear only on even-sum points. From move one, practise asking whether a tiger already has a jump.
Tigers Jump, Goats Surround
A tiger may jump an adjacent goat onto the empty point beyond and take that goat. Five goats captured wins for the tigers. Goats cannot capture; they win by leaving every tiger with no legal move. A jump is optional: a tiger may step instead.
Hints Follow Your AI Level
Choose from multiple AI levels, then play as goats to place first or as tigers to reply. Hints use the same level, and undo rewinds both your move and the AI response. After the game, replay the turn when a jump landing was left open. All AI calculation stays in your browser.
25intersection points
4tigers on the corners
20goats to place
5captures to win as tigers
Common questions
How do you win or lose on this board?
Tigers win by capturing five goats. Goats never capture tigers; they win when all four tigers have no legal move. The four tigers start on the corners and twenty goats begin in hand. Goats place on empty points first, and after each placement a tiger may step or jump-capture. Once every goat is on the board, both sides move along the lines.
Why can some points connect diagonally and others cannot?
The board has twenty-five intersection points wired like an Alquerque graph. Orthogonal neighbours are always linked. Diagonals exist only where the row and column numbers add to an even sum. Before you tap, follow the lines on the board, not the squares between them, and do not assume every diagonal is open.
A goat is right beside a tiger, so why is jump-capture illegal?
A jump needs an adjacent goat in between, with the first empty point on the far side of that goat. The jumped goat is removed. If the landing point is occupied, or the piece in between is not a goat you can jump, the tiger may only step one point. Diagonal jumps need a diagonal line on both sides of the goat as well.
When a jump is available, must the tiger take it?
No. On this board capture is not compulsory. A tiger may step instead, or leave a jump for later. Goat players often use that: leave a landing open to tempt a jump, then close the route behind the tiger. The rules page has diagrams; the AI board above is a good place to try both choices.
How should I use hints, undo, and replay without just copying the answer?
Decide first whether your move is closing a jump, pinning a corner tiger, or keeping a goat in hand, then open the hint and compare. The hint follows your current AI level; it is not a stronger engine behind the button. Undo rewinds your move and the AI reply together, so you can retry from the fork. Replay is for finding the turn when a jump landing was left open or a corner tiger escaped, not only for seeing who won.
Can I play without an account or an app?
Yes. Open the page on a phone or computer and place a move. There is no account, email, or password. Adding the site to your home screen is optional, and a full game works without installing anything.
Can I choose to play as goats or as tigers against the AI?
Yes. As goats you place first. As tigers the AI replies first. Switching sides mid-game starts a new game, and the pieces already on the board do not stay. In an online room you pick your side when you create it. Two players on one device do not choose sides: goats always open, and you take turns.
If I refresh or close the page, is my game against the AI still there?
Games against the AI, and games on one shared device, are stored in this browser on this device. Refreshing usually lets you continue. Clearing site data or switching devices usually removes the saved position. Online rooms follow the server; after a short disconnect, opening the page again usually returns you to the same room.
If I invite a friend online, can I undo and use hints the way I can here?
No. Once an online room accepts a move, it is sent to the other player. There is no hint and no undo. You can resign, or the host can close the room so the link stops working. After both players leave, the room usually stays for about twenty minutes so you can rejoin. For teaching with takebacks, use two players on one device instead.
How is two players on one device different from playing the AI?
Two people share one device and take turns face to face. You do not need a network connection, and neither side gets a hint. Undo and replay are still there, so you can stop and talk through a jump or a corner trap. Against the AI you can pick from multiple strength levels, hints follow that level, and it suits solo practice at blocking jumps and corners.
