Mathematicians are in the battle: University students won Togyzkumalak championship

“Togyzkumalak” is one of the oldest Kazakh national games, a board game for logic and ingenuity, designed to develop logical mathematical thinking and endurance. It was in Republican Championship in the given game that Satbayev University students Aruzhan Salman and Beksayir Aitmakhanov won.

The guys participated in Championship, which was held on March 18 – 28 in Taraz. Athletes from all over the country took part in Championship: there were involved 410 athletes from 17 regions of our republic. Within the framework of the event, two tournaments were held based on different rules: a blitz tournament (5 minutes for each player) and a rapid tournament (20 minutes for each player).

Future programmer Aruzhan Salman won silver in the rapid tournament and became the gold winner in the blitz tournament. And the future cartographer Beksayir Aitmakhanov ranked 3^rd place in both tournaments.

Such high results are not accidental. At Satbayev University, the togyzkumalak section has been in existence for more than 30 years. Now 75 first-year students are engaged in the section, and the national team of senior students consists of 15 people and is among the top three in Almaty. The section is led by Yermek Dzhuashev, a coach with thirty years of experience. At the same time, a strong mathematical school, which Polytech is traditionally famous for, helps as well.

Togyzkumalak history dates back more than one millennium, since ancient times this game has been spread among other Turkic-speaking peoples. This is a rather complicated game, the Kazakhs called it "shepherd algebra", here you need to count very quickly in your mind and have strategic thinking. Hundreds of thousands of Kazakhstanis are interested in this sport, 9 thousand of them are at a professional level, and most of them are young people.

The game was difficult and exhausting, but Satbayev University’s students won!

Congratulations and we are proud of you! You are the best!