On 9qum you can play bestemshe online for free, in your browser on a phone or a computer. Bestemshe is a small Kazakh game of holes and stones, a younger sibling of togyz kumalak: five holes per side instead of nine, and 50 stones instead of 162. Games are short, so it is a good first step for children and beginners.
The computer has four levels: Novice, Amateur, Strong and Master. Start low, learn how captures work, then move up.
Play rated games online against real people; bestemshe ratings use Glicko-2, and the game has its own tournaments. To play a friend, send an invite link. Two players can also share one phone. A free one-minute sign-up is all you need, and every game is saved in your history with replay.
In Play with a coach mode, a coach character plays against you and rates every move: best, excellent, good, inaccuracy, mistake or blunder. The coach gives hints, offers a take-back after a bad move and speaks its comments aloud. It is an easy way to learn the game with a child.
Bestemshe teaches the same ideas as togyz kumalak on a smaller board: counting stones, thinking where your last stone will land and protecting your holes from even captures. A game takes only a few minutes, so children keep their attention, and adults can pick it up in one evening. Once bestemshe feels easy, togyz kumalak is the natural next step.
1. Setup: each player has five holes, and every hole starts with five stones, 50 in total.
2. Move: take all the stones from one of your holes, leave one in that hole and sow the rest one by one into the following holes.
3. Capture: if your last stone lands in an opponent's hole and makes the number of stones there even, you take them.
4. Atsyrau: if a player runs out of moves, the opponent takes the remaining stones.
5. Goal: collect 26 of the 50 stones to win.
To learn bestemshe from scratch, open the Learn section: a 14-step course on a live board covers the rules, the first tactics and how to win. To train your calculation there are Puzzles: 42 positions where you look for the best move and the board checks your answer at once.
Game analysis lets you play moves for both sides, set up your own position and ask the AI for advice. Games against the computer are saved in your history.
Yes, bestemshe on 9qum is free in every mode: computer, people, friend by link and coach.
Yes, a free sign-up that takes a minute. Your account keeps your rating and history.
You need 26 of the 50 stones.
Bestemshe has five holes per side and 50 stones, while togyz kumalak has nine holes and 162 stones. Bestemshe games are shorter and easier to learn.
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