CHICKEN HEXY

8 hex-hex board initially empty.
Players may drop only isolated non-edge X's in the preliminary phase; 1, 2 or 3 at his own choice.
On any turn, either player may take X and pass.
Normal alternation follows, and X wins by connecting three non-adjacent sides.
If X fails, O wins.

Sample Game:

0: h2 g5 c7, g7, j4 j6, 2nd player takes

: abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxy       _OO___XX_
|       . . . . . . .         1.   r8   p10
|      . x . . . . . .        2.   l8   k9
|     . . . . . . . . .       3.   n10  j11
|    . . . x . . o . . .      4.   n12  l12
|   . . x . . . . . . . .     5.   p4   p6
|  . . . . x . o x . . . .    6.   n6   m7
| . x . x . . x o . . . . .   7.   o7   p8
|  . . . . . o x . o 4 . .    8.   u11  t10
|   . . . x . . . . 2 3 .     9.   OO resigns
|    . . . . o x . x 1 .     10.
|     . . x . . . . o .      11.
|      . . x o . . . .       12.
|       . . . . . . .        13.
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxy