Hex Strategy is the first book to offer a comprehensive look at the game of Hex, from its history and mathematical underpinnings to discussions of advanced playing techniques. This is first and foremost a book on strategy aimed at providing sufficient knowledge to play the game at any level desired. Numerous examples illustrate an algorithmic approach to the game. Hex Strategy is a book for board game enthusiasts, recreational mathematicians and programmers, or simply those who enjoy games and puzzles.
Author(s): Cameron Browne (Author)
Edition: 1
Publisher: A K Peters/CRC Press
Year: 2000
Language: English
Commentary: OCR done with tessaract. And converted to Djvu
City: New York
Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication Page
Table of Contents
Preface
1 Introduction
1.1 The Game of Hex
1.2 Rules of Play
1.3 History
1.4 Nature of the Game
1.5 The Shannon Switching Game
1.6 Current Literature
1.7 Board Representations
Summary
2 Adjacency and Connectivity
2.1 Coordinate Systems and Adjacency
2.2 Chains
2.3 Connectivity
Summary
3 Strategy I: Basic
3.1 Structural Development
3.2 Positional Play
3.3 General Strategies
3.4 Applying Basic Strategy
Summary
4 Groups, Steps, and Paths
4.1 Groups ,
4.2 Steps
4.3 Paths
4.4 Groups from Paths
Summary
5 Templates
5.1 Connection Templates
5.2 Template Intrusions
5.3 Multi-Piece Edge Templates
Summary
6 Strategy II: Intermediate
6.1 Expand With Templates
6.2 Momentum
6.3 Forcing Moves
6.4 Home Area
6.5 Edge Awareness
6.6 Loose Connections
6.7 Reduce the Opponent's Alternatives
6.8 Edge Defense
6.9 Stages of Play
Summary
7 Ladders
7.1 Ladder Basics ,
7.2 Ladder Formation
7.3 Ladder Escapes
7.4 Ladder Escape Forks
7.5 Ladder Escape Foils
7.6 Getting Off Ladders
7.7 Partial Ladder Escapes
Summary
8 Algorithmic Board Evaluation
8.1 The Algorithm
8.2 An Example
8.3 The Need for Groups
8.4 Optimizations
8.5 Features of the Algorithm
Summary
9 Opening Play
9.1 Opening and Swapping
9.2 Common Opening Strategies
9.3 Adapt to the Situation
9.4 Even-Sided Boards
Summary
10 Strategy III: Advanced
10.1 Multiple Threats Per Move
10.2 Don't Provide Forcing Moves
10.3 Ladder Handling
10.4 Looking Ahead
10.5 Overall Game Plan
Summary
11 Annotated Sample Games
11.1 Notation
11.2 Ladder Escapes Denied
11.3 Premature Resignation
11.4 HowNottoPlay
11.5 Another Point of View
12 Strategy IV: Essential
12.1 Opening Play
12.2 Start Blocking at a Distance
12.3 Bridges
12.4 Play Defensively
12.5 Edge Templates
12.6 Forcing Moves
12.7 Ladders
12.8 Spanning Paths
12.9 Multiple Threats Per Move
12.10 Looking Ahead
13 Hex Puzzles
13.1 Previously Published
13.2 Original
14 Conclusion
15 References
15.1 Publications
15.2 Online Resources
Appendices
A Solutions to Puzzles
B Some Notes on Berge's Hex Problem
C Sample Games
D Proofs
D.l One Player Must Win
D.2 First Player to Win
D.3 Acute Corner is a Losing Opening
D.4 First Player Loses on n*(n + 1) Board Playing Wide
D.5 No Simultaneously Opposed 0-Connected Spanning Paths
E Hex Variants
E.l Variants on the Hex Board
E.2 Other Hexagonal Connectivity Games
E.3 Non-Hexagonal Connectivity Games
E.4 Tile-Based Connectivity Games
E.5 Mobile Pieces
E.6 Three-Dimensional Connectivity Games
F Blank Hex Boards
G Polyhexes
H Hex Programs
I Glossary
1.1 Terms
1.2 Symbols
1.3 Path Algebra
1.4 Move Notation
Index
