Description

Tâb is a traditional Egyptian abstract game played in a number of Arabic-speaking countries. It is classified by the game historian R. C. Bell as a "running fight" game and by the game historian David Parlett as a "linear war" game. Games in these categories are relatively rare (Tablan, Puluc, and Daldos being virtually the only other known examples).

The game is played on a board with 4 rows and anywhere from 7 to 15 columns. One player fills the bottom row with playing pieces; the other player fills the top row with his or her pieces. Four casting sticks are used to randomly generate moves for the pieces. The two center rows of the board are treated as a looping track along which pieces move linearly in a counter-clockwise direction once leaving their home row. It is primarily on these two central rows that the battles take place, with a piece capturing an opponent piece by landing on its square. A few special movement rules add complexity and strategy to the game. A player wins by capturing all of the opponent's pieces.

There is some speculation among game historians that Tâb may be a descendent of the ancient Egyptian game of Senet (similarities include linear movement and the use of casting sticks).