Ahh… the familiar remarks exchanged during congkak ‘competition’ with my brother. Many afternoons were spent playing the congkak, one of the Malay traditional games. Many quarrels often resulted from our competitiveness in wanting to win the game. Sometimes my mother banned us from going near the congkak board saying “Jangan-jangan congkak ni berhantu, asyik gaduh saja!” (Maybe this congkak board is haunted, you two often quarrelled!)*
Congkak
Congkak is a mancala game played by the Malays. In Indonesia, it is called "Congklak" meaning cowrie shells, which are often used as seeds or pieces. In Java, it is called "Dakon" and little red seeds are used as pieces. The word ‘congak’ means count.
The congkak
Photo credit: http://kampongntss.wordpress.com
This game is usually played by 2 players sitting face to face on the ground, with the congkak board in between them. As the congkak board is shaped like a boat, it is believed that a fisherman who was unable to go to the sea during rainy season created this game.
The congkak board has 14 holes in two sets of 7, plus an additional store (called “Rumah” or Home) for each player. Each player controls the 7 holes on his side of the board, and his score is the number of seeds in his left-hand Home. The objective of the game is to capture more seeds than the opponent.
How to play the Congkak
To start the game, player chooses to take all the seeds from one pit and places one at a time into another pit including the player’s Home, moving clockwise. Seeds are not to be put in the opponent’s Home. If the last seed is placed in the player’s Home, he will be granted another turn. If the last seed is placed in an empty pit on his side of the board, he will capture the seeds in the opposite pit and place in his own Home. The game will carry on until all the pits on one side are empty. The winner is the player who captured the most seeds.
Batu seremban
I remember bringing batu seremban whenever I travel. Playing or showing how to play batu seremban never fails to start off a conversation.
Batu seremban or Five stones is played by 2 or more players, using 5 small triangular cloth bags filled with rice, sand or saga seeds. The objective is to complete a set of eight steps. The winner is the one completing a set first.
Throw all 5 stones. Whilst throwing a stone, pick up 1 stone and catch the stone in the air before it falls to the ground. Do this for each of the stones on the ground.
Step 2:
Repeat step 1 but pick up 2 stones at a time.
Step 3:
Repeat step 1 but pick up a combination of 3 stones and 1.
Step 4:
Throw all 5 stones. Pick up 4 stones whilst 1 stone is in the air and catch the later before it falls to the ground.
Step 5:
Whilst throwing 1 stone, place the 4 on the ground. Throw 1 stone up again and catch it whilst picking all 4 stones on the ground.
Step 6:
Throw all 5 stones on the ground. Pick 2 stones. Throw 1 in the air and exchange the other with 1 on the ground. Do the same with the remaining stones on the ground.
Step 7:
Throw the 2 stones held at the end of Step 6. Pick up 1 stone and then catch the 2 falling stones separately in each hand. Do this until there are 3 stones in one hand and 2 in the other. Throw the 2 stones and catch it separately. Throw the remaining stone and catch it with the hand that has all the stones.
Step 8:
Throw all 5 stones on the ground. The opponent selects a stone to be thrown in the air. The player has to pick this stone without moving any others. The player throws the stone in the air and picks the remaining on the ground in one clean sweep.
If at any point of time the player fails to complete this set of eight steps, he will have to forfeit his turn to his opponent. Upon his opponent's failure to complete, he will return to the incomplete step, starting from the very beginning of that step.
How to play Batu seremban
Happy Playing!
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