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 man’s idea in a card game is war—cruel, devastating and pitiless. A lady’s idea of it is a combination of larceny, embezzlement and burglary.”
—Finley Peter Dunne (1867–1936)
“Johnny Clay: You like money. You got a great big dollar sign there where most women have a heart. So play it smart. Stay in character and you’ll have money. Plenty of it. George’ll have it and he’ll blow it on you. Probably buy himself a five-cent cigar.
Sherry Peatty: You don’t know me very well, Johnny. I wouldn’t think of letting George throw his money away on cigars.”
—Stanley Kubrick (b. 1928)
“An illustration is no argument,—nor do I maintain the wiping of a looking-glass clean, to be a syllogism;Mbut you all, may it please your worships, see the better for it.”
—Laurence Sterne (1713–1768)