Congkak is a game played in the island of Borneo, Singapore, and Peninsular Malaysia.
Congkak is believed to originate from the word ‘congak’ which in old Malay Language means count. It is believed that the game originated in Malacca Kingdom where it became very popular and spread to the South East Asia region. This spread was due to the many travelers who visited the kingdom because it was a trading city. In the early days it is thought that this game was for the king and family and the palace residents, however later it spread to the general population of the kingdom. As the congkak board is shaped like a boat it is believed that it is based on the legend of a fisherman unable to go to the sea during rainy season who lost his income during this time. To prevent boredom he created this game which is similar to his boat.
Today, it has been refined to a board game. It consists of a wooden board with two rows of five, seven, or nine holes and two large holes at both ends called "home". Congkak, played with shells, pebbles or tamarind seeds, requires two players.
The game comprises a congkak board which is a block of wood carved with two large holes called the homes at both ends. Each congkak has two parallel rows of 8 or 10 holes, each recess containing 8 or 10 seeds or marbles. The end of the carved board has a receptacle referred to as 'rumah' or house.
The aim is to get rid of all the seeds on your side by moving them across over your 'enemy' while placing each seed or marble into your own house as you pass. The last seed to be deposited continues by scooping up the remaining seeds in the hole until it lands in an empty one whereby the other player starts his turn. The game ends with the winner either the one with the most seeds in his house or the first to empty his row of holes.
Two players are needed in this game in which they fill up the holes with either pebbles, marbles or rubber seeds. All winnings are placed in the homes and the player who collects the most seeds becomes the winner.
The game involves skill and mental alertness and in cases where the players are both skillful, the game would take several hours to finish.
