Togyzqumalaq, Toguz Korgool, Mangala/Göçürme is a strategy game that is played on special boards or improvised ones, such as ground pits. It can be played with pellets made of stone, wood, metal, bone, nuts, or seeds which are distributed across the pits; the player who gathers the most pellets wins the game.
The game can be played in several different variations. For example, the board can have two, three, four, or six pits based on the number of players. In the submitting States, these elements are also linked to other traditional crafts, including wood and stone carving and jewelry making.
The game is similar to Toguz Korgool played in Kyrgyzstan, Mangala played in Turkey, Mere Köçdü played in Azerbaijan and Chaqpele. Craftsmen make intricately decorated boards and pellets, in addition to practical ones, and reflect traditional worldviews and artistic creativity.
Togyzkumalak is popular around the world. According to Togyzkumalak Master Ainur Jakapbaeva, in 2018 there were approximately 190,000 professional players and 300 trainers in Kazakhstan. Outside of the country, it is popular in Germany, the Czech Republic, and Lithuania.
The Lithuanian Togyzkumalak Federation has been around since 2021. Every two years since 2010, the World Togyzkumalak Championship has been held. It is estimated that there are about 10,000 organized players and more than 200 trainers. It is a game of intelligence and strategy, which contributes to one's personal development.
In Ankara and Istanbul, in particular, concerned groups and communities with the element are composed of heritage bearers and practitioners who play the game, as well as groups and communities that gather to play the game at universities and school clubs. They are also comprised of concerned non-government organizations of the element.
In addition to improving players' cognitive and motor skills, the game teaches patience, strategic and creative thinking, and teaches patience and consideration. This is transmitted both informally and through formal education.
In recent years, mobile applications have been developed for learning and/or playing the game, enabling communities to further transmit related skills and increase awareness of the practice among younger generations. Mukhtar Auezov and Kalibek Kuanishbayev codified the rules of togyzkumalak in 1949, which became the basis for tournaments to this day.