HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: 2119737@hydra.maths.unsw.EDU.AU ()
Subject: Re: What???
Organization: school of Mathematics UNSW
Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1992 03:49:55 GMT

jwp@chem.ucsd.edu (John Pierce) writes:
> 1.  Elephant & Castle
James.Cone@comp.vuw.ac.nz (James Cone) writes:
> 2.  Crown and Mouse
mbrockma@bank.ecn.purdue.edu (Matt Brockman) writes:
> 3.  Cheese & Jewel
jwp@chem.ucsd.edu (John Pierce) writes:
> 4.  Mine and Kine

  5.  Grass & Rocks

Malcolm Ryan - u2119737@csdvax.csd.unsw.edu.au
"We have got the world divided into boxes."
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
Subject: Re: PENTE: rules
From: yingst@milori.ccit.arizona.edu (JIM YINGST)
Date: 18 Nov 1992 16:36 MST  
Distribution: world,local
Organization: University of Arizona
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    

In article <1992Nov18.154257.6664@news.vanderbilt.edu>, LIPSCOJA@ctrvax.vanderbilt.edu (Andy Lipscomb) writes...
>> 	Pente is played on a 19x19 grid (a go board) with players taking black
> 
>Actually, I have read that a Pente board is only 15x15.

No, it's definitely 19x19 (I have one).  There are some graphic designs 
around the edges which seem to cut into the playing space, but according 
to the rules it is legal to play on top of these designs as though they 
weren't there.  Thus all 361 points are available to play.  In practice 
I've never played or seen a game that got anywhere near those outer 
boundaries, as play gravitates naturally around the first stone played, 
which is required to be in the center.  The board might as well be 
infinite, IMO.

Jim Yingst	yingst@ccit.arizona.edu
From: wilkied@dcs.glasgow.ac.uk (David Wilkie)
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
Subject: 3d Chess Game for Mac
Date: 16 Nov 92 18:12:14 GMT
Organization: Glasgow University Computing Science Dept.


Does anybody know if there is a 3D chess game available for the Mac.

If so, where can I get it.

Thanks in advance,

Dave...
From: djoyce@black.clarku.edu (Dave Joyce)
Subject: Re: Gale's Game
Organization: Clark University (Worcester, MA)
Date: 22 Nov 92 21:47:36 GMT


So far as I know, Gale first wrote about Chomp in 1974.  It's isomorphic 
(as Westerink pointed out in 1975) to Schuh's Game of Divisors described
in 1952.  Gardner publicized it in 1973.  There's also a chapter on it in
Beasley's 1989 book and a paragraph in _Winning_Ways_.  I've never seen the
articles by Schuh and Westerink.


Frederik Schuh.  Spel van Delers [Game of divisors]. 
_Nieuw_Tijdschrift_voor_Wiskunde_ 39 (1952), 299-304.  

David Gale.  A curious nim-type game.  _American_Mathematical_Monthly_ 81
(1974), 876-879. 
    
G. J. Westerink.  Schuh's 'Spel van Delers' en Gale's 'Chomp'.
_Nieuw_Tijdschrift_voor_Wiskunde_ 63 (1975), 18-27. 

E. R. Berlekamp, J. H. Conway, and R. K. Guy. 
_Winning_Ways_for_your_Mathematical_Plays_.  Two volumes.  Academic Press,
London-New York, 1982. 

Martin Gardner.  Mathematical games: Sim, Chomp and Race Track.  
_Scientific_American_ 228 #1 (Jan. 1973), 108-115, #2 (Feb.), 109. 
Mathematical games: encores for Race Track, Sim, and Chomp.  Sci. Amer. 228 #5
(May 1973), 105-107.  Reprinted in Martin Gardner's 
_Knotted_Doughnuts_and_Other_Mathematical_Entertainments_. Freeman, New York,
1986. 

John D. Beasley.  _The_Mathematics_of_Games_.  Recreations in Mathematics 5.  
Clarendon Press, Oxford Univ. Press, New York, 1989.


-- 
David E. Joyce				Dept. Math. & Comp. Sci.
Internet:  djoyce@black.clarku.edu	Clark University
BITnet:    djoyce@clarku		Worcester, MA 01610-1477
From: warwick@cs.uq.oz.au (Warwick Allison)
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
Subject: Re: What???
Date: 16 Nov 92 03:49:25 GMT
Reply-To: warwick@cs.uq.oz.au

mbrockma@bank.ecn.purdue.edu (Matt Brockman) writes:

>In article <BxMF76.H4@comp.vuw.ac.nz> James.Cone@comp.vuw.ac.nz (James Cone) writes:
>>
>>In article <1dpa4fINN2dv@network.ucsd.edu>, jwp@chem.ucsd.edu (John Pierce) writes:
>>|> scottie@sequent.com (Scott Thurston) writes:
>>|> 
>>|>  > And then, we could form rec.games.surreal, ....
>>|> 
>>|> 1.  Elephant & Castle
>>
>>2.  Crown and Mouse

>3.  Cheese & Jewel

4.  Sapphire and Blue  -  almost a win there!


--
Warwick
--
  _-_|\      warwick@cs.uq.oz.au            /Disclaimer:
 /     * <-- Computer Science Department,  /  
 \_.-._/     University of Queensland,    /   C references are NULL && void*
      v      Brisbane, Australia.        /  
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
From: herbert@mips.complang.tuwien.ac.at (Herbert Pohlai E185/1 +43158801/4464)
Subject: Re: Abalone.
Organization: Technical University Vienna
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 10:09:28 GMT

In article <1992Nov13.175349.29494@panix.com>, rpowers@panix.com (Richard Powers) writes:
|> In <andre.721644107@galaxy> andre@ph.tn.tudelft.nl (Andre Verweij) writes:
|> 
|> >The goal of abalone is to push 6 of your opponents marbles from the board,
|> >leaving him with 8 marbles. Why is the victory condition chosen like this?
|> >Because with 8 marbles you can't make a 3x3 square anymore?
|> 
|> Why 6 was chosen I don't know.  But a 3x3 square isn't relevant since it
|> is played on a hexagonal board.
|> 
|> >And another question, are draws possible? What if someone can't move?
|> >Does he loose as in checkers, or is it a draw as in Chess. Or isn't this
|> >possible?
|> 
|> A draw is possible in the sense that two good players can get into a
|> situation where both have strong positions and neither will give up
|> ground.  But usually if this happens the players get bored and play more
|> aggressively, until an opening is made somewhere.
|> 
|> There is no way a player cannot make a move.
            ================================== 

You start with 14 marbles. 5 are captured on each side.
Position:

        o o o o o
       o x x x x x
      o x . . . . .
     o x . . . . . .
    o x . . . . . . .
     x . . . . . . .
      . . . . . . .
       . . . . . .
        . . . . .

   o to move; no move possible! (Silly play; but possible :-)

The question remains: draw or loss for o ???


-- 
Herbert Pohlai     herbert@mips.complang.tuwien.ac.at
From: wft@math.canterbury.ac.nz (Bill Taylor)
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
Subject: Thanks to Neil Bowers
Date: 16 Nov 92 00:07:15 GMT
Article-I.D.: cantua.Bxs8C4.Mxs
Organization: Department of Mathematics, University of Canterbury

Just before we get started on abstract games, I would like to propose a big 
vote of thanks to Neil Bowers for his excellent work in getting this newsgroup
going. After some fairly casual suggestions in rec.games.go by myself and
others, a ground-swell built up for such a group; and it was Neil who picked
up the ball and ran with it, and did all the hard work of getting the thing
going, writing charters, calling for votes, and so forth.

So; WELL DONE NEIL ! We all owe you a lot.  Thanks.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              Bill Taylor              wft@math.canterbury.ac.nz
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Of course I'm not cheating my employer by spending 3 hours a day on the net.
  I'm just using the time I would have spent fiddling about with weird games !
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: jpk2581@hertz.njit.edu (joseph p kisenwether apmt stnt)
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
Subject: Re: Icehouse
Date: 23 Nov 92 14:51:56 GMT
Organization: New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, N.J.

Icehouse, great game!!!!

Anybody wanna play by email? I just need a little time to
figure how to represent the moves. :)
From: warwick@cs.uq.oz.au (Warwick Allison)
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
Subject: Re: Eleusis, and _New Rules for Classic Games_
Date: 16 Nov 92 03:46:12 GMT
Reply-To: warwick@cs.uq.oz.au

flee@cs.psu.edu (Felix Lee) writes:

>	New Rules for Classic Games / R. Wayne Schmittberger, 1992

>Table of Contents
> ...
>13. Beyond Chess
>       Pre-Chess; Shatranj; Dice Chess; Checkless Chess; Screen
>       Chess; Giveaway Chess; Double Move Chess; Refusal Chess;
>       Compromise Chess; Pocket Knight Chess; Kinglet; Sputnik Chess;
>       Grasshopper Chess; Avalanche Chess; Emperor King Chess; Knight
>       Relay Chess; Rettah; Alice Chess; Double King Chess; Double
>       Bughouse; Missile Chess; Teleportation Chess; Exotic Chess;
>       Grand Chess; Wildebeest Chess; Chu Shogi.
                     ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
                     ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
                     ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Wow!  GNU Chess!


--
Warwick
--
  _-_|\      warwick@cs.uq.oz.au            /Disclaimer:
 /     * <-- Computer Science Department,  /  
 \_.-._/     University of Queensland,    /   C references are NULL && void*
      v      Brisbane, Australia.        /
From: trodrigu@spock.ecs.umass.edu (Tao R or Stephen L)
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
Subject: Re: Mornington Crescent
Date: 15 Nov 92 23:59:06 GMT
Organization: University of Massachusetts, Amherst

-- 
Tao or Stephen at trodrigu@zonker.ecs.umass.edu
From: mock@madrone.eecs.ucdavis.edu (Kenrick Mock)
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
Subject: Re: PENTE:
Keywords: pente
Date: 23 Nov 92 23:19:04 GMT
Distribution: world,local
Organization: U.C. Davis - Department of Electrical Engineering

Speaking of Pente, I (and a couple other fellows) wrote a program to
play Pente last year for an AI class.  We had a class competition,
where the winner got some extra credit...anyways, our tied for first
place - if anyone is interested in seeing this program or talking
about heuristics and such, I'd be glad to gab for a while...just send
some email on over :)


-- 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GEnie : K.MOCK     			Net : mock@madrone.eecs.ucdavis.edu
"Don't worry about the world ending today, it's already tomorrow in
 Australia..."  					      - CMS
From: dong@umiacs.umd.edu (Dong Chen)
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
Subject: Re: Othello - Windows Reversi
Date: 22 Nov 92 03:24:45 GMT
Organization: UMIACS, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742

Why don't you post your algorithm or put the program in some ftp site.
I am sure many people will appreciate you effort.
From: talvola@qin.Berkeley.EDU (Erik Talvola)
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
Subject: Re: Looking for 3 player games and rules to use with dominoes.
Date: 23 Nov 92 20:26:06
Organization: /usr/users/talvola/.organization
NNTP-Posting-Host: qin.berkeley.edu
In-reply-to: umsmigi0@ccu.umanitoba.ca's message of Mon, 23 Nov 1992 10:26:17 GMT

In article <By5znu.1v5@ccu.umanitoba.ca> umsmigi0@ccu.umanitoba.ca (Trevor Allan Smigiel) writes:


	Subject says it all.  I am looking for rules to any three player
   game or variations on games to play with three players.  Also, any
   rules to use with dominoes.  I have a set with no rules and would
   like to learn some games with them.

   Thanks,
   Trevor

Well, a good book with a lot of Domino Games is _The World's Best Indoor
Games_ by Gyles Brandreth (Pantheon Books, 1981.  ISBN 0-394-71001-0).  I
got it for $4.98 at a used book store - the cover price is $9.95.

The following domino games are included:

Fours			French Draw		Fives and Threes
Ends			Draw or Pass		Forty-two
Blind Hughie		Bergen			Bingo
Round the Clock		Matador
Maltese Cross		Fives
Block			Threes
Partnership Block	Sniff
Tiddly-wink		Muggins
Sebastopol		Five Up
Cyprus			All Fives

The book also includes chapters on Parlour Games, Word Games, Paper and
Pencil Games, Card Games, Board Games, Dice Games, Matchstick Games, Games
of Chance, Allsorts (miscellaneous games), Solo Games, Children's Party
Games and Children's Card Games.  Each chapter has about as many games
as the domino games listed above.  I haven't looked at it much (only bought
it a couple days ago), but it has a nice variety of games - many of them
abstract.


--
+----------------------------+
! Erik Talvola               | "It's just what we need... a colossal negative 
! talvola@qin.berkeley.edu   | space wedgie of great power coming right at us
! ...!ucbvax!qin!talvola     | at warp speed." -- Star Drek
From: gjm11@cus.cam.ac.uk (G.J. McCaughan)
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
Subject: Re: Think Small: Game 1 Results
Date: 16 Nov 92 03:11:21 GMT
Organization: U of Cambridge, England

In article <1992Nov14.152417@aifh.ed.ac.uk>, julianr@aifh.ed.ac.uk (Julian Richardson) writes:
> In article <1992Nov13.203016.12189@u.washington.edu>,
> mkkuhner@phylo.genetics.washington.edu (Mary K. Kuhner) writes:
> # named the lowest number), no one would win.  This reminds me of a game
> # in Metamagical Themas or Computer Recreations (I forget which) in
> # SciAmer in which the prize was a small amount of money divided by the
> # sum of the entries sent in, and your chance of winning was proportional
> # to the size of your entry.
> # 
> Actually, I think the winner was the person who sent in the LARGEST
> number, and their prize was a rather large amount of money ($1,000,000?)
> divided by their number (or maybe as you say by the total of all entries?).

No; the original poster is correct.

-- 
Gareth McCaughan     Dept. of Pure Mathematics & Mathematical Statistics,
gjm11@cus.cam.ac.uk  Cambridge University, England.    [Research student]
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
From: sillke@math25.mathematik.uni-bielefeld.de (Torsten Sillke)
Subject: TWiXT for experts
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 1992 13:30:25 GMT
Organization: Math MadHouse Bielefeld, Germany
Keywords: twixt, Twixt, tournament, books, addesses

There exists two booklets about TWiXT.

- Andreas Kleinhans
   TWiXT (Ein Klassiker von Alex Randolph)
   Kleines Twixt-Expertenheft  (a small booklet for the experts of twixt)
   pp 35, Mai 1990, KLEE-SPIELE GmbH
   (you can get it for nothing)

- Vierzig Twixt-Aufgaben   (40 Twixt problems)
  Fuer Spieler, die ihre Taktik auf schnelle Weise verbessern wollen
  pp 83, KLEE-SPIELE GmbH, (T. Nr. 165999)
  (yuo can try to get it for nothing, it comes with the game,
   which is distributed by KLEE.)

KLEE-SPIELE GmbH
Postfach 1961
W 8510 Fuerth/Bayern
Germany
Telefax: +49-911-746607
Telefon: +49-911-747881
Telex:    623365 klee

There exists a program for ATARI: TWIXTEUS.
It helps you to archive and analyse games.
author: Hartmut Thordsen

The strongest Twixt players come from Germany. Every year they
play a Twixt tournament by mail. They plan to write a book 
about Twixt. The 'Kleines Twixt Expertenheft' is a preliminary 
version. Every year (Oct. or Nov.) there is a Twixt tournament 
sponsored by KLEE at the fair 'SPIEL' in Essen (Germany). There
you can meet the strongest Twixt players. If you are interested
in Twixt by mail contact: Klaus Hussmanns.

Addresses you can contact: (from 'Kleines Twixt Expertenheft')
 Christoph Brueggenthies
 Hoehenweg 26
 W 4200 Oberhausen 11

 Klaus-Dieter Hoffmann
 Maistr. 4
 W 8000 Muenchen 2

 Klaus Hussmanns
 Hirschgasse 7
 W 4120 Krefeld
 +49-2151-22217

 Andreas Kleinhans
 Reinbeckstr. 25
 W 7000 Stuttgart 80
 +49-711-747576

 Hartmut Thordsen
 Im Werth 41              (I think he moved)
 W 4270 Dorsten 1
 +49-2362-22785

Noone of this list has a e-mail address.

Someone told me, that it is NP-Complete to decide, if one can lay the 
bridges to connect your two sides for Twixt played on the n*n board.
(searching for not selfintersecting paths is difficult.) Who can
give a proof?

Torsten Sillke
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
From: engp2063@nusunix1.nus.sg (NG CHEE MUN SIDNEY)
Subject: Asian Xiangqi Championships
Organization: National University of Singapore
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 04:49:05 GMT

The Asian Xiangqi Championships is held in Penang, West Malaysia
starting from 16 November 1992.

Looks like China would win both the men's team and women's individual
titles for yet another time. Taiwan and Hong Kong would most likely
fight for second placing.

I would keep interested people informed of the outcome as soon as I get
any.

 
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
From: boll@CS.ColoState.EDU (dave boll)
Subject: Sprouts
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 14:25:40 GMT
Organization: Colorado State University, Computer Science Department


  Re: Sprouts

  Someone posted an article requesting strategy for the topological game
  sprouts. Here's *my* strategy - it may not be all that great, but it's
  at least maybe sort of a bit on the right track.

  Say you're playing sprouts with 7 dots and you're moving first. Well, 
  you know that a sprouts game can last at most 3n-1 moves (n=number of
  starting dots), or 20 moves in this case. Since you're moving first,
  you want the game to last an odd number of moves. So, you make a 
  table of numbers of possible moves for the game: 20, 19, 18, 17, 16,
  etc. (I believe the minimum # of moves in sprouts is 2n or 2n+1).
  Now, each time a new 'stranded dot' is created, cross off the highest
  number on the list. New stranded dots are created every time you
  chop the playing field up into 2 areas that are each guarenteed to
  contain a dot that is not totally used up by the game's end.

  Try to get to the part of the game where no more dots can be
  stranded with an odd number at the head of the list.

  Beware of creating semi-stranded dots that give your opponant the
  option of actually stranding a dot or not (Ex: picture a circle with
  4 dots on the perimeter, and with other stuff outside the circle.)
  There are cases when you'd want to do this, but be careful.

  This isn't so much a strategy as it is a way of deciding what type of
  move to make: a non-stranded-dot move (ex: connect 2 points), a
  stranded dot move (ex: encircle an open point), or a semi-stranded
  dot move (ex: connect a point to itself, now your opponant has the
  option of connecting the 2 dots on the inside or outside of the
  circle).
-- 
     ------------------------------------------------------------
     Dave Boll  boll@handel.cs.colostate.edu
                "The speed of time is 1 second per second"
     ------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
From: motto@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (mary.rita.otto)
Subject: Re: Okay, Folks, Here is the FAQ
Organization: AT&T
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 19:56:09 GMT

In article <16NOV199202392367@pavo.concordia.ca> m_rheau@pavo.concordia.ca writes:
>
okAy, everyone, sorry for the deLay, but at Last,
 here is hopefully the ANSWER to all your queStions.

this includes the fAq and puRpose of this usErgroup.

thIs iNformation will be in several segments. 
this first one is Just to givE you...an abStract oUtline
for thiS uSergroup. 

knowledge acquISiTion.  logic.  fun!  usER-input.

next post to follow soon! a capital idea!

Mary Otto
(HAd to counter-act tHe nAstiness of tHe cited mAterial)
From: blom@husc15.harvard.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
Subject: I forgot the r.g.a. archive site
Date: 23 Nov 92 04:35:58 GMT
Organization: Harvard University Science Center

Hi, I accidentally overwrote the text file I had extracted that advertised a
an r.g.a. archive site.  Unfortunately, I can't remember the site.  Could
anyone repost the site, or mail it to me?  Has anyone undertook the task of
compiling a list of archive sites related to abstract games?  I noticed the
advertised archive site was for games not represented elsewhere, in effect.

--Eric Blom
  blom@husc.harvard.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
From: eadengle@watcgl.uwaterloo.ca (Ed "Cynwrig" Dengler)
Subject: Re: Othello: static board evaluation
Organization: University of Waterloo
Distribution: rec.games.abstract
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 16:15:38 GMT

In article <1992Nov17.131442.14679@odin.diku.dk> torbenm@diku.dk (Torben AEgidius Mogensen) writes:
>
>>This seems reasonable to me, but in reality doesn't play very good.
>
>This is the method used by most "beginners" trying to make an
>evaluation function, and as you said it isn't very good. In my program
>I use these factors:
>
>  1) How many legal moves does the opponent have. A small number is
>     good.
>
Be careful of this one! Remember, a good way of minimizing your opponent's
moves is to let him wipe you out (ie. he has 0 moves left). You should
try to also maximize your moves. This measure can be a difference
(ie. my moves - his moves) or a ratio (such as if I have more moves, the
score is (my moves + 1) / (his moves + 1), else if he has more moves, then
the score is -(his moves + 1) / (my moves + 1), else it is 0).

The second ratio method has the advantage that you having 2 moves and him
having 1 move is better than you having 4 moves and him having 3.

Ed
From: kleber@husc11.harvard.edu (Gwydden)
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
Subject: Re: Duell
Date: 24 Nov 92 04:05:57 GMT
Article-I.D.: husc11.kleber.722577957
 <DUBACH1.92Nov21220828@husc10.harvard.edu> <By3y9E.Byz@ccu.umanitoba.ca>

Quoth Trevor Allan Smigiel:

>      Duell was played on an 8x9 board.  With each die starting in a specific
> orientation.

Were all the dice the same?  I know someone posted that opposite sides have
to add to 7, but there are actually *two* ways to pip a die like this,
mirror-images of each other.  My aesthetics would have the two players
with mirror-image dice, though that would require special manufacturing,
since commercially available dice are standardized...

--Michael Kleber                 I don't have an overactive imagination...
  kleber@husc.harvard.edu        I have an underactive reality...   --EG
From: nelson@reed.edu (Nelson Minar)
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
Subject: Re: Think 2nd Small
Date: 24 Nov 92 04:26:23 GMT
Article-I.D.: reed.1992Nov24.042623.8229
Reply-To: nelson@reed.edu (Nelson Minar)
Organization: Reed College, Portland, OR

In article <23NOV199218014053@zeus.tamu.edu> dwr2560@zeus.tamu.edu (RING, DAVID WAYNE) writes:
>This time I sent the number 5

I did not send 5.

I sent a number larger than 5, and smaller than 15.
                __
nelson@reed.edu \/              Death needs time for what it kills to grow in
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
From: jhoffer@lonestar.utsa.edu (John M. Hoffer)
Subject: Re: Pente
Organization: University of Texas at San Antonio
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 00:29:22 GMT

I have played a Macintosh version of Pente.  The Computer is tough.  I am not a 
great player but I can beat another low to average player half the time.  
Playing the computer at expert level is, for me, an impossible task.
								Jhoffer
							@lonestar.utsa.edu
From: hship@sw.stratus.com (Howard Ship)
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
Subject: REQUEST: Eleusis
Date: 16 Nov 92 15:13:58 GMT
Organization: Stratus Computer, Inc.
NNTP-Posting-Host: teton.sw.stratus.com

Please post the rules for this game.

-- 
"I can't believe I had the Anti!"
Howard_Ship@vos.stratus.com
From: dubach1@husc10.harvard.edu (joev dubach)
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
Subject: Re: Gale's Game
Date: 21 Nov 92 06:34:20 GMT
Article-I.D.: husc10.DUBACH1.92Nov20223420
Organization: Harvard Arts and Sciences Computer Services, Cambridge, MA
In-reply-to: peter@techbook.com's message of 20 Nov 92 08:13:50 GMT

Well, here's my idea: if m=n>1, play (2,2), leaving
oxx.x
.....
oxx.x
oxx.x
ooo.o for your opponent.

Then you can always play symmetrically to your opponent until he has
to make the last move.

Now, suppose m=2, n>m.  Play (2,n); then, if your
opponent plays (1,n), repeat the same strategy; if he plays (2,x),
play (1,x-1) so as to repeat the same variety of position.

Hmmm.  I thought this was easier than it really is.  I think I could
win this game playing first, but it's hard to verbalize the winning
strategy.  However, it is pretty easy to prove that the first player
wins:  Suppose the move (m,n) for the first player does not win.
Then there must be some refuting move (i,j); but the play of (m,n)
followed by (i,j) must result in the same position as (m,n) alone;
thus, the move (i,j) wins for the first player.

Anyhow, back to work.
Joev
--
_____________________________________________________
DDDDDDDDD   JJJJJJ      | Joev Dubach
     D      J     J     | dubach1@husc.harvard.edu
     D      J     J     | 249 North Mail Center
D    D      J     J     | Harvard University
DDDDD    *  JJJJJJ  *   | Cambridge, MA 02138
From: jake@melmac.umd.edu (Rob Borsari)
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
Subject: Icehouse
Date: 19 Nov 92 01:42:23 GMT
Organization: University of Maryland, Computer Science Center


 Hi, I am looking for anyone in the tucson or phoenix area that plays
 Icehouse.  -R-

-- 
jake@melmac.umd.edu   Rob Borsari     "Bourne to be wild"