Dec 16, 2008

OROUBORUS

Players take turns moving both ends of the slime-worm, each to some
adjacent cell. After each move, each end leaves a stone of that
player's colour. The worm may not move onto a coloured cell.

If at some point before the board is full, a worm-end cannot move normally,
the next player who is able to must split the other end into two heads.

A player wins if he makes a 3 in-a-row with his stones.
If both ends become blocked simultaneously, the last player to move wins.

If, at one end, a player is left with only one move, (either physically
or because all others would lead to instant loss), the opponent who
left this situation must make the single move for his opponent,
and then another move for himself; recursively.

Game sample:

The first move recorded is from the most northerly cell,
and if in same line, most westerly.


B starts  
w.ne  w.nw  w.nw  ne.sw  ne.sw nw.se nw.se  sw.ne  w.e  sw.ne  e.e  ne.se  w.ne  nw.e   e.nw,nw,nw  & B wins

Final position:
|      . b . . .
|     b j j b . B
|    j b b j j B J    
|   . b j j b b j B  
|  . . j b j j b b j
|   . b j j b . j .
|    . . b . . . .
|     . . . . . .
|      . . . . .