Tigers and Goats (Bagh-Chal) rules on ComCom Games
ComCom Games, the online gaming platform for players in Bangladesh, plays Tigers and Goats right inside the platform as a friendly: the South Asian hunting game also called Bagh-Chal, with 4 tigers against 20 goats, against ComCom, our computer player, or a friend. Every rule below is enforced automatically by the server.
- Players
- 2: tigers and goats
- Pieces
- 4 tigers, 20 goats
- Clock
- 5 min each
- Win
- 5 goats, or trap the tigers
How does a game of Tigers and Goats start?
- Open Friendlies in your portal and pick Tigers and Goats.
- Choose your side, tigers or goats. Your opponent plays the other.
- Play ComCom on Easy, Medium or Hard, and the game starts straight away. Or get an invite link for a friend, and play once you are both ready.
- Goats always move first.
What does the board look like?
The board is a 5 by 5 grid of 25 points joined by lines across and down. Every other point, starting from the corners and the centre, also has diagonal lines through it. Pieces only ever move along these lines. The 4 tigers start on the four corners; the 20 goats start off the board.
How do the goats move?
- While any goats are left to place, a goat turn puts one goat on any empty point. The goats already on the board cannot move until all 20 are placed.
- Once all 20 are on the board, a goat turn moves one goat one step along a line to the empty point next to it.
- Goats never capture.
How do the tigers move?
- A tiger turn moves one tiger one step along a line to the empty point next to it.
- Or, if a goat is right next to a tiger along a line and the point just beyond it on the same line is empty, the tiger can jump over it to that point. The goat is captured and leaves the board.
- A tiger jumps only one goat per turn, and can never jump another tiger.
- Tigers can move and jump from the first turn, while goats are still being placed. Capturing is never forced.
How do you win?
- The tigers win as soon as they have captured 5 goats.
- The goats win when it is the tigers' turn and no tiger can move or jump.
- If the same position, with the same side to move, comes up for the third time, the game is a draw.
For tips on playing each side, see How to play Tigers and Goats.
How does the clock work?
Each player has 5 minutes for the whole game, and only your own thinking time counts down. Your clock keeps running if you close the tab or lose your connection, and reconnecting puts you straight back into the game. If your clock reaches zero, you lose on time.
What happens if a player resigns or leaves?
- Resigning ends the game as a loss for the player who resigns.
- Pressing Exit during a game also ends it as a loss. Both ask you to confirm first.
- Closing the tab is not a forfeit: your clock just keeps running until you come back or run out of time.
Does it pay ComCom Coins?
Yes. A win as either side earns ComCom Coins, up to a daily limit, like every friendly, and counts on the Friendlies tab of the Leaderboard. Tigers and Goats is a friendly only, with no tournaments for now.
Frequently asked questions
- Who moves first in Tigers and Goats?
- The goats, always. Whoever starts the game chooses which side to play.
- Can a tiger jump more than one goat in a turn?
- No. A tiger jumps one goat per turn, to the empty point just beyond it on the same line.
- How many goats do the tigers need to win?
- Five. The goats win instead if the tigers are left with no move on their turn.
- Can goats move before they are all on the board?
- No. Until all 20 goats are placed, every goat turn puts a new goat on an empty point.
Ready to play Tigers and Goats?
Play Tigers and Goats as a friendly, any time.