Overview

Bagh-Chal (meaning “tiger moving”) is a traditional asymmetric strategy game from Nepal. One player controls 4 tigers and the other controls 20 goats. The tiger player tries to capture goats by jumping over them, while the goat player tries to block the tigers so they cannot move. It is played on a 5x5 grid with diagonal lines connecting certain intersections, creating paths along which pieces move.

Components

• 1 game board (5x5 grid with diagonal lines, 25 intersection points)
• 4 tiger pawns
• 20 goat pawns

Setup

1. Place the 4 tiger pawns on the 4 corner intersections of the board.
2. The 20 goat pawns are kept off the board (they will be placed during play).
3. The goat player takes the first turn.

Turn Structure

Players alternate turns. The goat player always goes first.

Goat Player’s Turn

Phase 1 (Placement): While goat pawns remain off the board, the goat player must place 1 goat pawn on any empty intersection point.

Phase 2 (Movement): Once all 20 goats have been placed on the board, the goat player moves 1 goat pawn to an adjacent empty intersection along a line.

• Goats cannot jump over any piece.
• Goats move only to adjacent connected intersections (along the lines on the board).

Tiger Player’s Turn

On each turn, the tiger player either:

1. Moves 1 tiger to an adjacent empty intersection along a line, OR
2. Captures a goat by jumping over it to the empty intersection directly beyond it (along a straight line). The jumped goat is removed from the game.

• Tigers may only jump over a single adjacent goat.
• The landing space must be empty and directly in line with the tiger and the goat.
• Tigers cannot jump over other tigers.
• Multiple captures in a single turn are not allowed.

Actions

Goat Placement

• During the placement phase, the goat player places one goat per turn from their reserve onto any empty point.
• The goat player may choose any empty intersection, not just those adjacent to existing goats.

Movement

• Both tigers and goats move along the lines of the board to adjacent intersections.
• Diagonal movement is only allowed along the diagonal lines printed on the board.
• Pieces move one intersection per turn (except tiger captures).

Tiger Capture

• A tiger captures by jumping over an adjacent goat in a straight line to the empty point beyond.
• The captured goat is removed from the game permanently.
• The jump must follow a line on the board.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Player	Win Condition
Tigers	Capture 5 goats (removing them from the game)
Goats	Block all 4 tigers so that none can move (neither move nor capture)

The game can also end in a draw if both players agree that neither can achieve their objective.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Placement before movement: The goat player must place all 20 goats before any goat can be moved. During the placement phase, goats already on the board cannot be moved.
• Diagonal lines: Not all intersections are connected diagonally. Pieces can only move along lines actually drawn on the board.
• No multiple captures: Unlike checkers, tigers capture only one goat per turn.
• Tiger cannot be captured: Goats never capture or remove tigers.
• Forced captures: Tigers are not obligated to capture even if a capture is available.
• Board geometry: The 25 intersection points are connected by horizontal, vertical, and diagonal lines. The centre point and corner points have the most connections.

Player Reference

Goats: 20 pieces, placed 1 per turn then moved 1 per turn. Cannot jump. Win by trapping all tigers.

Tigers: 4 pieces, start on corners. Move 1 space or capture by jumping. Win by capturing 5 goats.

Board: 5x5 grid, 25 intersections, movement along printed lines only.

Turn order: Goats first, then alternate.