User:Mason
Relative Coordinates
This is a coordinate system adapted from Go that allows us to talk about important moves in the same way, regardless of board size. We use YX instead of XY because row is more important in Hex, and because we're taking the bottom red edge as our perspective, as is customary. This also most closely resembles how people talk about certain moves already. 4-4 ("four four") is the same: 44 ("four four"). 5-4 ("five four") becomes 54' ("five four prime"). Hyphens can be optionally included, and necessarily included when a number is more than 1 digit.
- A: 44
- B: 54'
- C: 5'4
- D: 4'4'
- 1: 2'3
- 2: 5'2
3 requires some more explaining. On it's own, 3 would be 62. However, if stones 1 and 2 were the previous two moves, it can be better to refer to it as 8'2. This is because the sequence 2'3, 5'2, 8'2 is a common opening sequence, and referring to it as 8'2 means it won't change with board size. It also communicates the fact that 3's row is based on the placement of 1 and 2, and not distance from the red edge.
Edges
Relative coordinates naturally give rise to a very simple way of referring to the edges: red, red', blue, blue'.
Symmetrical Switchback Templates
Templates
This is actually 3 templates. Each blue-shaded cell represents a place you can put a blue stone and still have a template.
Ladder Escapes
Switchbacks
3-5 Switchbacks
4-6 Switchbacks
5-7 Switchbacks
6-8 Switchbacks
Only works if there's a second row foldback threat.
Foldbacks
4-2 Foldbacks
The cell with the + needs to be extended with empty cells such that it is adjacent to the red stone at the front of the ladder, with blue to move.
5-2 Foldbacks
The cell with the + needs to be extended with empty cells such that it is adjacent to the red stone at the front of the ladder, with blue to move.
5-3 Foldbacks
Generalizible to any capped flank.
6-3 Foldbacks
The cell with the + needs to be extended with empty cells such that it is adjacent to the red stone at the front of the ladder, with blue to move.
6-4 Foldbacks
7-5 Foldbacks
Ladder
Ladder Caps
For the following templates, the walls of +s indicate empty space spreading out in that direction (update in progress)
Blue gets to pick between this one or the one bellow it.
Blue gets to pick between this one or the one above it.
Misc
Assuming * could be used for a ladder escape fork if the ladder was farther away. Blue must play at a.
Handicap System
The weaker player plays first with no swap. Difficulty is increased (for the weaker player) by increasing the size of the board.
