Togyzkumalak World Championship in Aktobe Shines Light on Ancient Kazakh Board Game Where Intelligence and Tradition at Play

ASTANA – The sixth Togyzkumalak (9 pellets) World Championship began in Aktobe on Nov. 21 showcasing the standard Kazakh board recreation also called the “chess of the steppes” or the “algebra of the shepherds.”

The sixth Togyzkumalak (9 pellets) World Championship began in Aktobe on Nov. 21. Picture credit score: Aktobe Area press service Telegram.

Spanning over per week till Nov. 27, the championship gathered 80 skilled gamers from 20 international locations, together with the US, Germany, Afghanistan, Colombia, India, Nice Britain, the Czech Republic, and Bangladesh. Kazakhstan is represented by 12 gamers.

Launched in 2010, the championship is carried out each two years, celebrating the frequent historical past and cultural heritage of the Turkic world by means of a recreation that requires mastery of fast counting and technique.

Togyzkumalak board belonging to approximatley XIX-XX centuries. Picture credit score: yvision.kz

“Togyzkumalak is among the nationwide video games of the Kazakh folks, which has a historical past of 4 millennia,” stated Eraly Tugzhanov, akim (mayor) of the Aktobe Area.

He emphasised the rising recognition of the game all around the world.

“Togyzkumalak is growing quickly as knowledgeable sport in our area and over 20,000 folks from Aktobe are engaged in it. Lately we now have been among the many prime three within the regional rating. All obligatory situations shall be created for its additional growth,” added Tugzhanov.

A newbie’s information to the standard board recreation

From absolute newbies to these with an expertise in related video games, togyzkumalak fosters math and strategic ability growth for everybody.

An instance of the primary transfer in togyzkumalak. Picture credit score: iggamecenter.com.

One of many oldest Kazakh board video games, togyzkumalak options two gamers every having 81 pellets equally unfold throughout 9 holes on both sides (9*9=81). The board additionally has two bigger rows on every participant’s facet referred to as kazan (kettle).

The participant who attracts the primary transfer takes all however one of many pellets out of any gap in his or her row and strikes them from left to proper, dropping one into every subsequent gap in order that the final pellet lands on the facet of the rival. If the variety of pellets within the opponent’s gap is even, they’re all handled because the participant’s “prey” and moved to his or her kettle.

The principle job of the sport is to place pellets within the recreation holes in such a means that collects as many pellets as attainable into your kazan. The winner is the primary participant to gather 81 pellets for his or her kazan.

Togyzkumalak is a recreation of wit and logic that promotes the expansion of mathematical reasoning primarily based on technique. As a result of it makes use of all 4 basic mathematical operations, this recreation was often referred to as the “algebra of shepherds.”

Prior to now, the gamers might play it with no board by digging holes within the floor, whereas knowledgeable recreation can last as long as 4 or 5 hours.

The sport’s rising recognition amongst different nations and the youth

There are numerous variants of togyzkumalak. One can see them in Kyrgyz households as toguz korgool and within the espresso outlets of Türkiye as mangala. It’s referred to as mere köçdü in Azerbaijan and chaqpelek among the many Uyghur folks. It can be performed among the many Kazakh diaspora in China and Mongolia.

The togyzkumalak recreation gaining recognition amongst Kazakh youth. Picture credit score: gov.kz

In 2020, togyzkumalak was included within the UNESCO (The United Nations Academic, Scientific and Cultural Group) Checklist of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on a joint proposal by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Türkiye.

Since then, the sport has additionally began to realize recognition amongst European international locations. Lithuania established its first togyzkumalak federation in Vilnius in 2021.

The Togyzkumalak World Federation and the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Lithuania have been selling the sport, together with by means of grasp courses for Lithuanian college students and children.

Togyzkumalak is succeeding in getting the eye of the youth as properly. Younger Kazakhs who grew up taking part in laptop video games are more and more drawn to the video games the place they could have interaction in technique and mathematical competitors.

The nationwide video games are overtaking laptop video games, in response to Bauyrzhan Shurin, a coach on the Taldykorgan-based togyzkumalak sports activities college.

“It’s gratifying that the community of togyzkumalak spartakiades has change into conventional within the Nazarbayev Mental Faculties (NIS). Folks video games are a treasured a part of our tradition, any sort of them is targeted on fostering a love for nationwide historical past, tradition, patriotic emotions, and braveness, in addition to good sports activities coaching,” stated Shurin, as quoted within the Kazakhstanskaya Pravda newspaper.