TZAAR
Officially TZAAR (Project GIPF)
6th game in KRIS BURM'S 'PROJECT GIPF' series of ABSTRACT STRATEGY games — 2-player game on a HEXAGONAL BOARD (32 spaces) with 3 PIECE TYPES per side: TZAARS (6), TZARRAS (9), TOTTS (15). Each turn = 2 MOVES: (1) CAPTURE opponent's piece by JUMPING onto stack ≥ your stack size; (2) either CAPTURE AGAIN or STACK your own pieces to build a taller stack. LOSE if you have NO PIECES OF ANY ONE TYPE, or if you CANNOT CAPTURE on turn. Elegant + praised in mind-sports community.
Quick facts
Category
Mind Sports
Type
Individual
Players
2–2
Duration
~40 min
Where played
indoor
Country of origin
🇧🇪 Belgium
Estimated origin
Designed 2007 by Belgian designer Kris Burm as 6th game in GIPF Project (started 1997 with GIPF); published by Don & Co (Belgium); widely praised by MindGames community + featured at MindZine + Spielfrieks conventions.
Olympic
No
Popularity
niche
How it works
Objective
OPPONENT LOSES if: (1) they have NO PIECES OF ANY ONE TYPE (Tzaars, Tzarras, or Totts), OR (2) they CANNOT CAPTURE on their first move of turn.
Rules
Basic rules
SETUP: pieces placed alternating around the hex board — each player 6 Tzaars + 9 Tzarras + 15 Totts (30 pieces per side)
Signature 30-piece asymmetric-type setup.
TURN = 2 MOVES: (1) FIRST MOVE MUST BE A CAPTURE — jump one of your pieces (or stack) onto an opponent piece; your stack must be ≥ their stack's height + follow ANY straight line, unobstructed
Signature mandatory 1st-move capture.
(2) SECOND MOVE: EITHER (a) SECOND CAPTURE, OR (b) STACK — jump your piece onto another OF YOUR pieces (any height) to build taller stack (harder to capture)
Signature 2nd-move choice: capture or stack.
STACK HEIGHT = TAP + TOP piece TYPE — capture requires ≥ opponent stack height; taller stacks harder to capture
Signature stack-height mechanics.
LOSE if you have ZERO PIECES OF ONE TYPE (Tzaars, Tzarras, OR Totts) at end of opponent's turn
Signature all-of-one-type-eliminated loss.
LOSE if you CANNOT MAKE the mandatory 1st-move CAPTURE on your turn (all opponent stacks too tall for you)
Signature no-capture-possible loss.
KEY TENSION: 1st player has choice — capture then capture (aggressive, thin type-count) OR capture then stack (defensive, taller pieces)
Signature aggressive-vs-defensive strategic tension.
Scoring
Binary win/loss — no scoring during play.
Win condition · Opponent has no pieces of one type OR cannot make mandatory capture on turn.
Equipment
HEXAGONAL BOARD with 32 SPACES arranged in a HEXAGONAL grid (Central 6-6-6-6-6-2 pattern)
Signature 32-space hex board.
PIECES per player (30 TOTAL per side): 6 TZAARS (tallest, most valuable), 9 TZARRAS, 15 TOTTS (smallest)
Signature 3-tier piece hierarchy.
PIECES can STACK — height of stack matters for capture
Signature stacking mechanic.
Terminology
- Tzaar / Tzarra / Tott
- 3 piece types in decreasing value/height.
- Stack
- Multiple pieces occupying one space — taller = harder to capture.
- GIPF Project
- Series of 6 abstract strategy games by Kris Burm (1997-2007).
- Type elimination
- Losing all pieces of any one type = automatic loss.
- Second-move stack
- Defensive option — stack own piece to make bigger, harder-to-capture pile.
Major competitions
MindZine + abstract-strategy community online tournaments (BoardGameArena)
continuous · Global online · since 2008
Project GIPF tournaments at Spiel Essen convention (Germany)
annual · Germany · since 2000
Where it is played
Governing bodies
Kris Burm / Don & Co (publisher of Project GIPF)
Founded 1997 · Belgium
Smart Games (current publisher)
Founded 1997 · Belgium
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- Kris Burm (BE, designer of Project GIPF)
- Various abstract-gaming community champions at Spiel Essen + MindZine forums
Sources & provenance
- Wikipedia — TZAAR— Wikipedia
- GIPF Project official— GIPF