Tichu
PARTNERSHIP CLIMBING CARD GAME (1991) by URS HOSTETTLER, published by ABACUSSPIELE. 4 players in 2v2 partnerships use a 56-CARD DECK (standard 52 + 4 SPECIAL CARDS: Mahjong, Dog, Phoenix, Dragon). Players play SINGLES/PAIRS/TRIPLES/STAIRS/FULL HOUSES/STRAIGHTS/BOMBS in ascending rank. Signature: BEFORE each hand players may CALL TICHU (double points if they go out first) or GRAND TICHU. Score to 1000 to win a match. Legendary partnership card game beloved by hobbyists. BGG Top 100 card games.
Quick facts
Category
Card Games
Type
Team sport
Players
4–4
Duration
~60 min
Where played
indoor
Country of origin
🇨🇭 Switzerland
Estimated origin
1991 Urs Hostettler; based on East Asian climbing games (Zheng Fen)
Olympic
No
Popularity
regional
How it works
Objective
First partnership to 1000 points via winning tricks + Tichu calls + special card captures.
Rules
Basic rules
Deal 14 cards each; pass 3 cards secretly before play
Standard 4-player deal.
Play combinations in ascending order (singles/pairs/triples/full houses/straights)
Climbing mechanic.
Call TICHU before play = double stakes if you go out first
Signature bidding-lite.
Grand Tichu = triple stakes; call before seeing all cards
Higher risk/reward.
Special cards: Mahjong = must-start + lets you request rank; Dog = pass to partner; Phoenix = 0.5 above; Dragon = highest single + gives trick to opponent
Signature special-card mechanics.
First 2 out = double-team-win + opponents get 0
Endgame trigger.
Scoring
Partnership scoring; first to 1000 wins. Tichu calls double/triple stakes.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Kings + 10s in tricks | 10 each |
| 5s in tricks | 5 each |
| Phoenix captured | -25 |
| Dragon captured | 25 |
| Tichu call succeeded | +100 (double: 200 if grand) |
| Tichu call failed | -100 (or -200 grand) |
| Double-team-win (both partners out first 2) | 200 (opponents get 0) |
Win condition · First partnership to 1000 points after complete hand.
Equipment
Tichu 56-card deck (52 standard + Mahjong, Dog, Phoenix, Dragon)
Custom Tichu deck
Score pad
Partnership score to 1000
Terminology
- Tichu
- Bid to go out first this hand; +/-100 points.
- Grand Tichu
- Called before seeing cards; +/-200 points.
- Dog
- Special card — cannot be beaten, passes lead to partner.
- Mahjong (1)
- Lowest single; must be played to start; can request a rank.
- Phoenix
- Wild card; 0.5 above played card.
- Dragon
- Highest single; but gives trick to opponent.
- Bomb
- 4-of-a-kind or straight-flush; unbeatable except by higher bomb.
Where it is played
Frequently asked
Why is Tichu a hobbyist cult favorite?+
TICHU combines EAST ASIAN CLIMBING game structure with signature BIDDING (Tichu calls) + special-card interactions (Mahjong request, Dog pass, Phoenix wild, Dragon punt). Every hand has DECISION MOMENTS + partnership signaling. Games swing 400 points per hand. Rewarding for experienced card players; steep learning curve. BGG top-100 card games for 20+ years.
Sources & provenance
- Wikipedia — Tichu— Wikipedia
- BoardGameGeek — Tichu— BGG