Chaupar (Pachisi): rules and how to play online

Chaupar is the old race game on a cross-shaped cloth board, played across India for generations, long before Ludo came along. You throw cowrie shells, count how many land mouth-up, and race your gotis around the board and back home, with your partner sitting across from you.

Chaupar and Pachisi are close cousins played on the same cross. The name Pachisi comes from pachees, 25, the biggest throw. Families play it with different counts, so here is exactly how Mandli plays it.

If you want to play Chaupar online with friends, Mandli throws the cowries, shows every legal move and keeps a voice chat open for the "maar diya!" moments.

Kya chahiye: Just phones. The app throws the six cowries and keeps count.

Rules: kaise khelte hain

The board and the path

The board is a cross: four arms around a central square called the charkoni. Each arm has 3 columns of 8 squares. The colours are Peela, Hara, Kaala and Laal, 4 gotis each, and every goti starts in the charkoni.

A goti comes down the middle column of its own arm, travels anticlockwise all the way round the outer columns of the board, then goes back up its own middle column into the charkoni. Home is back where you started.

Throwing the cowries

Six cowries are thrown and you count how many land mouth-up:

• 0 mouth-up = 25 (pachees)
• 1 = 10
• 2 = 2
• 3 = 3
• 4 = 4
• 5 = 5
• 6 = 6

25, 10 and 6 are grace throws (daan). A daan lets you throw again, up to 3 in a row, and then you play all your values.

Bringing a goti out

A goti can only leave the charkoni with a daan. Each daan lets one goti come out onto the first square of its path. For new players the host can switch on Aasaan shuru, where any throw can bring one goti out.

Using your throws

You use each thrown value on one goti, in any order you like. You can split them across gotis or give them all to one. A value that no goti can use is dropped. You get 10 seconds to throw and 15 seconds per value to decide; after that the app moves for you.

Maarna: capturing

Land on a single opponent goti on a normal square and it goes back to the charkoni. You also get one extra throw. If two or more opponent gotis are on that square, you can land there but you capture nothing. Partners' gotis can share any square.

Kila: the safe squares

There are 12 kila squares, 3 on each arm, marked with an X. A goti on a kila can't be captured, and an opponent can't land on a kila you are holding.

Going home and winning

A goti needs the exact count to enter the charkoni. Since no throw is ever 1, a goti may not stop on the square just before home. The first side to bring all its gotis home wins. In quick mode (Do goti), the first side with 2 gotis home wins.

Teams and player counts

• 4 players: 2v2 by default, partners opposite (Peela and Kaala against Hara and Laal). The host can make it everyone for themselves.
• 3 players: one colour each, the fourth arm stays empty.
• 2 players: each plays two opposite colours, the traditional way.

Points kaise milte hain

A win is worth 20 points for each partner, or for the solo winner. In an everyone-for-themselves game, 2nd place gets 10. Each capture is worth 2 points, up to 10 per round, and you keep them even if you lose. Points carry across games in the same room. Mandli is points-only: no money, no bets, no coins.

Jeetne ke tips

• Hop from kila to kila when an opponent is close behind. It is the only place you are fully safe.
• A 25 or a 10 is a big jump. Before using it, look at where it lands and who is behind that square.
• Two gotis of your side on one normal square can't be captured. In 2v2, share a square with your partner when danger is close.
• Don't rush all your gotis out. One goti deep in the path and others waiting on daan is often safer.
• Talk it out with your partner on voice before splitting a big throw.

Ghar wale rules aur variants

Chaupar online kaise khelein

Make a room in Mandli, share the link on WhatsApp or show the QR code, and pick Chaupar. Friends without the app join from the browser link. Up to 4 sit at the board, and everyone else watches and taps reactions; the winning side stays for the next game. The host can choose jodi or everyone for themselves, the quick Do goti mode and Aasaan shuru. In Saath mode you are in one room and talk out loud; in Door mode the voice chat inside the game keeps the table together. If your net drops, your seat is held for 60 seconds and the app plays for you until you are back.

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