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बाघचाल वर्ल्ड · Baghchal World
Play Bagh-Chal, Nepal’s game of tigers and goats
Four tigers hunt. Twenty goats close in. Learn the rules in minutes, play the computer or a friend for free, then test yourself at our in-person tournaments.
- Android, iOS and web
- Free, no ads
- English & नेपाली
Every way to play Bagh-Chal
Practise alone, play the person next to you, or take on someone across the country. Every game in the app is free.
Pass and play
Share one phone with a friend or family member: one of you takes the tigers, the other the goats.
Friendly rooms
Create a room and send the invite link. Your friend opens it and joins your game.
Quick match
Get paired with another online player. Every move is checked by our servers, so no one can cheat the rules.
Interactive tutorial
Learn both sides by making real moves on a real board, no rulebook needed.
Spectate and replay
Watch live games, replay finished ones move by move, and check the leaderboard.
How to play Bagh-Chal
Bagh-Chal (बाघचाल, “tiger moves”) is a traditional two-player strategy game from Nepal. One player has four tigers, the other has twenty goats, on a board of 25 points joined by lines.
Set up
The four tigers start on the corners. The goats start off the board, and the goat player moves first.
Place the goats
On each turn the goat player puts one goat on any empty point, until all twenty have been placed. Tigers may move and capture during this phase too.
Move the goats
Once all twenty goats have been placed, a goat moves one step along a line to a neighbouring empty point.
Hunt with the tigers
A tiger moves one step along a line, or jumps over one adjacent goat in a straight line to the empty point behind it, capturing that goat. One capture per turn, and capturing is optional.
Win the game
Tigers win by capturing five goats, or if the goats have no legal move. Goats win by trapping all four tigers so none of them can move. Under the classic rules the same position a third time is a draw, and so is any game still going after 250 moves.
In-person leagues and tournaments
Practise in the app, then play for real across the board. Baghchal World hosts in-person leagues and tournaments at venues in Nepal, such as the Nepal Baghchal League, and the app takes care of everything around the games.
Pick a tournament
The venue, date, entry fee, format and ruleset of every event are listed in the app.
Register and pay
Pay the entry fee at the venue, or online with eSewa, Khalti or ConnectIPS.
Check in and follow along
Check in at the venue on the day, then follow brackets, standings and results in the app.
A game of skill, not a betting app. The app has no wallet, no in-app currency and no betting, and it never holds your money. The only payment is the entry fee for an in-person tournament. Read the terms.
Frequently asked questions
Is Baghchal World free?
Yes. Everything in the app (games against the computer, pass and play, friendly rooms, quick matches and the tutorial) is free, with no ads. The only payment is the entry fee for an in-person tournament, if you choose to enter one.
How do tigers and goats win in Bagh-Chal?
Tigers win by capturing five goats, or if the goats have no legal move. Goats win by trapping all four tigers so that none of them can move.
Who moves first in Bagh-Chal?
Goats. The goat player places the first goat, then the players take turns.
Can tigers capture while goats are still being placed?
Yes. Tigers may move or jump from their very first turn, so every goat placement matters.
Is Bagh-Chal a draw?
With perfect play from both sides, yes: computer analysis of every reachable position has shown the game is a draw. In practice most games are decided by mistakes. Under our classic rules a game is drawn when the same position appears a third time, or when it is still going after 250 moves.
How do I pay a tournament entry fee?
At the venue, where the tournament allows it, or online through eSewa, Khalti or ConnectIPS. You enter your wallet or bank login on the provider’s own page; we never see it.
Can I play in Nepali?
Yes. The app is available in Nepali (नेपाली) and English.
Which devices can I play on?
Android, iOS and any modern web browser. On the web there is nothing to download.
Ready for your first move?
The goats go first. Play a free game now, no download needed.