Togyz Kumalak
The national intellectual game of Kazakhstan with 2×9 holes, 9 stones each, and tuzdyks.
Board and Sowing
The board has two rows of 9 holes (otau) with 9 stones (kumalaks) each (162 stones total), plus two kazans (stores).
- Sowing is counter-clockwise. Sowing starts from the origin hole (1 stone remains in the hole, unless it only held 1 stone, which moves to the next hole).
- Even Capture: If the last stone lands in an opponent's hole making its count even, all stones in that hole are captured into your kazan.
- Tuzdyk (Sacred Place): Making exactly 3 stones in an opponent's hole turns it into a tuzdyk for that player. All future stones falling into a tuzdyk go to its owner. Restrictions: at most 1 tuzdyk per player, never on the 9th hole, and never on the hole mirroring the opponent's tuzdyk.
Winning
Collecting 82 or more stones wins immediately. 81–81 is a draw. If a player has no stones on their side on their turn (atsyz qalu), the opponent collects the remaining stones.