Game Play and Illustration
The normal game is between two players and played with three heaps of any number of objects. The two players alternate taking any number of objects from any single one of the heaps. The goal is to be the last to take an object. In misère play, the goal is instead to ensure that the opponent is forced to take the last remaining object.
The following example game is played between fictional players Alice and Bob who start with heaps of three, four and five objects. The winning strategy is for a player to leave always an even total number of 1's, 2's, and 4's. In the example, Alice implements this strategy.
Sizes of heaps Moves A B C 3 4 5 Alice takes 2 from A 1 4 5 Bob takes 3 from C 1 4 2 Alice takes 1 from B 1 3 2 Bob takes 1 from B 1 2 2 Alice takes entire A heap, leaving two 2s. 0 2 2 Bob takes 1 from B 0 1 2 Alice takes 1 from C leaving two 1s. (In misère play she would take 2 from C leaving (0, 1, 0).) 0 1 1 Bob takes 1 from B 0 0 1 Alice takes entire C heap and wins.Read more about this topic: Nim
Famous quotes containing the words game, play and/or illustration:
“A Stander-by is often a better judge of the game than those that play.”
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“I will play the swan,
And die in music.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“Each truth that a writer acquires is a lantern, which he turns full on what facts and thoughts lay already in his mind, and behold, all the mats and rubbish which had littered his garret become precious. Every trivial fact in his private biography becomes an illustration of this new principle, revisits the day, and delights all men by its piquancy and new charm.”
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