Tal Gach carrom: break the tower
Tal Gach – Bangla for “palm tree” – is the carrom game loved across Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. Every piece starts stacked in one tall tower in the centre of the board, and the first stroke knocks it down. From then on, any piece you pot scores for you, whatever its colour.
How Tal Gach is played
- All 19 pieces start in one tower at the centre: white and black alternating, the red queen on top.
- Break the tower with your first stroke. A full, straight hit scatters it; a softer one topples it whole.
- Any piece you pot scores for you: white 20 points, black 10, and the queen 50 the moment it drops – no cover needed.
- Pot anything to keep your turn. A stroke that pots nothing passes it to the next player.
- A foul – the striker off the board, or touching nothing – ends your turn and puts that stroke’s pieces back, with no points lost.
- The first player to 170 points wins. If the board is cleared first, the highest score wins.
Play Tal Gach your way
- Online with friends: send a challenge link and they join your table in one tap.
- 1 v 1, 3 players each for themselves, or 2 v 2 with a partner opposite you.
- Against bots from Easy to Expert, each with its own style.
- Pass and play on one phone or tablet.
Questions
What does Tal Gach mean?
Tal gach (তালগাছ) is Bangla for palm tree: the tall tower of pieces at the start looks like one.
How many points win a game of Tal Gach?
170. There are 320 points on the board (9 whites at 20, 9 blacks at 10, the queen at 50), so 170 is always more than half.
Can 3 people play Tal Gach?
Yes. With 3 players each plays for themselves, from the bottom, right and top of the board. With 4, partners sit opposite and share a score.