Re: magic-toyshop: catharine's dots & boxes strategy [spoilers]


13 Nov 1995 19:00:30 GMT

Magic Toyshop spoilers

Richard Barnett <richard@wg.icl.co.uk> wrote (edited slightly):
> I noticed that Catharine was using a symmetry-based strategy until the
> endgame; on paper, I had the following idea for winning: [i.e. tempt
> Catharine into the following situation and then play at 7]
>
> +-6-+-2-+
> 4
> + + +
> 3 7
> +-1-+-5-+
>
> However, she doesn't allow the game to get in this state; what happens
> instead is:
>
> + +-2-+
> 4
> + + +
> 3 6
> +-1-+-5-+
>
> Why does Catharine break the symmetry strategy?

Because otherwise she would lose! Why else?

> So I played around some more, and won using
>
> +-3-+ +
> 5 1
> +-7-+ +
> 2 6
> + +-4-+
>
> Why doesn't she break the strategy and play 6 in the diagram below?
>
> +-3-+ +
> 5 1
> + + +
> 2
> +-6-+-4-+

Because you can respond with 7:

> +-3-+ +
> 5 1
> + +-7-+
> 2
> +-6-+-4-+

whereupon every move loses by 0-4 (Catharine's choice at move 6 only
loses by 1-3).

-- 
Gareth Rees