Connect Four

Four In A Line (English: Connect Four or Captain's mistress ) is a two-person strategy game with the goal of bringing first four in their own stones in a line. Developed by Howard Wexler with ideas of Ned Strongin game was in 1973 by the Strongin & Wexler Corp.. licensed to Milton Bradley and published in 1974.

Regulate

The game is played on an upright hollow board in which let the players drop their pieces alternately. The game board consists of seven columns ( vertical) and six rows ( horizontally ). Each player has 21 checkers of the same color. If a player drops a token in a column, that occupies the lowest free space of the column. The winner is the player who manages to be the first to bring four or more of his checkers horizontally, vertically, or diagonally in a line. The game ends in a draw when the board is filled completely without any player has formed a four- line.

Strategy and tactics

Beginners often overlook to complete simple threats of the enemy, four lines, so it is important to keep all vertical, horizontal and diagonal lines in the eye. Advanced players try to win by building two threats simultaneously ( fork; predicament ). As a rule of thumb that tiles in the center of the board have more value as game pieces on the edge of the board, as there are for them more opportunities to be involved in four lines (and thus also restricts the possibilities of the opponent ). Good players try to get three short pieces in a line and at the same time to prevent the enemy to put in a particular column. Toward the end, the game often turns into a complex Auszählspiel; Both players try to win by trying to cause the opponent to put in a particular column. In this situation, it is helpful to remember that when you are even on the train, always an even number of tiles is set until you are yourself again on the train.

The first and second player's strategies differ significantly. All three lines of color create a hole: a field which, by the corresponding player operates, leads to victory.

A hole is called even or odd, depending on what row it is (the bottom number is called the " one" numbered). Thus, the first player can win, he must more odd holes have built than his opponent, the straight holes do not matter. Thus, the second player can win, he must have at least two odd holes have more than his opponent, or the same number of odd holes and at least a straight hole. These rules are shown in simplified, because, if a plurality of holes lie in the same column, it is more complicated. Holes, the holes are directly above the opponent, are mostly useless.

Solution of the game

The game Connect Four is a game with perfect information. Victor and Allis James D. Allen it dissolved almost simultaneously and independently of each other ( the first release of Allis, 1988, Allen 1990). Allis presented on a set of rules by its use he was able to reduce the required computation time. Allen employed some Sun workstations in order to completely attributed Connect Four. Both came to the same conclusion: The first player can win the game against best defense when he starts in the middle column. If it starts in the column to the left or right of it, the game is a draw with perfect play on both sides; he throws his first stone in one of the four remaining columns, he loses against a perfect opponent even.

Variants

On various game servers you can play Connect Four on a board with 8x8 since it is solved on the 7x6 board. A variant that is there also often offered is Linetris ( portmanteau word of line four and Tetris ): if here the bottom row is full and no player made ​​a four- line, and has thus gained, then the bottom row is emptied and drop the overlying rocks down one row.

There is often on servers also spider line four, here you can see the stones on horizontal or downward growing stack set, ie you can put on a field, if it is on the edge of the board or take it from there one orthogonal to a board edge are leading number of occupied fields.

With four wins can flip the game screen to be rotated. This variant has not caught on and is no longer commercially available. However, the new edition of the game adds another optional mechanism to do so. The stones of the bottom line can be herausgeploppt individually. In addition, now is 4 wins 4x4 available that allows by adding a second wall playing four. There are also two variants unstrategische where skill counts: In " Tower " and " snip chip " you tried with a catapult 4 Identical to bring in a series.

A three-dimensional variant of this game appeared in 1967 in the U.S. Four score and in Germany in 1974 by Ravensburger as Sogo. It is also known as Connect Four Professional known, and in the GDR it was designated as an area mill.

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