ultimate_tictactoe
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kennycason
Rule variant
The Orlin Gambit destroys this fine game -- to salvage, there is a rule variant where sending a player to an already won board is a free play..
Player 1 can play the center eight times.
ABC
DEF
GHI
So Player 1 plays EE, AE, BE, CE ... whatever order Player 2 plays the E board. The last one Player 1 plays "double", so if Player 2 finishes on EI, Player 1 continues with II. Player 1 has two goals here: win the opposite, in this case A square and play I. So player 1 plays AI, BI, CI... unless player 2 plays IE (it eventually needs to). IE is a free play to Player 1 -- it will place an A stone whenever given the chance. So Player 1 will be sent from I to A twice, once by Player 2 playing IE, once by IA, first it will put down AI (keeping Player 2 in the I board) then AA. At this point player 1 wins the A board. After this win, Player 2 will have a chance to put stones in the A board as well as the I board -- but both are already won so it doesn't matter for Player 2.
Aside from the A win, while Player 2 is pinned in I and A it needs send Player 1 to B, C, D, F, G and H twice. Player 1 wins before that finishes. The longest Player 2 can hold out is if it sends Player 1 to B, D, F, H twice and C and G once -- 20 rounds (8 rounds where player 2 played E stones, then the special IE, IA rounds and then IB,ID,IF,IH,AB,AD,AF,AH,AC,AG for example in any order). There are variants of this pattern but the number of rouns is the same.
There is no difference if Player 2 finishes the "center round" on a side one, say EF. Player 1 will strive for the opposite, the D board, with the same tactic: Player 2 needs to play FD and FE which gives two chances to play on D, so Player 1 plays DF and then DD for the win.
That's interesting, I'll have to play a few games out that way and see how it plays out. I was definitely a bit dishearted by the overwhelming advantage resulting from the Orlin gambit!
Yes it's quite cruel how forcing Player 2 to win two boards leads to victory...