Description

Russian card game of attacking and getting rid of all cards. Originally a game for two, three or four players, it's mostly known today in an adapted version for two players brought into England by the Mathematics professor A.S. Besikovitch, and later included in David Parlett's Oxford Guide to Card Games. This version is played with exposed cards and symmetrical hands, giving it a strong strategic flavour.

At the beginning of the (Besikovitch) game each player chooses two sets without overlapping with the other player, typically in a 32-card deck, out of which one is their own trump. Cards are dealt for the first player, who keeps the cards of their both sets; the second player gets exactly the same cards in the other sets and both their hands are filled up with the rest of the cards. As an example: a player who's chosen spades and clubs with spades as trumps keeps the cards in both sets and gives all their red cards together with the undealt cards to the other player, who then selects the analog cards to the first player's in the red sets with hearts as trumps, gives the rest of the red cards back to the first player and finally keeps all the remaining black cards. Both hands are symmetrical, and play can start.

From now on each turn a player lays a card in a pile between both players; before the next player can play out a card of their choice they must throw one that is superior in value to the top card in the pile or a trump. If the player can't or doesn't want to do so they must take the whole pile and forfeit the turn. So, each player throws two cards in a row: one following the previous card, and one to be followed by the opponent. The first player to get rid of all cards in their hand is the winner.