Hex / Connection games The object of a connection game is to connect pieces to themselves or with the sides of the board. Games which fall into this category include Hex (HX), Havannah (HV), and Lines of Action (LA).
Object:
The object of Havannah is to create any one of three formations: to
connect two of the six corners on a hex board, to connect three of the
six sides on a hex board, or to form a "ring" of pieces
completely surrounding one or more hexes.
Setup:
Havannah is played on a hex board with 8 cells per side, containing a total of
169 cells. The initial board is empty.
Placement:
Like Hex, you can place a piece on any empty cell. Once a piece is placed, it remains
on that cell for the rest of the game. There is no capturing.
Winning the game:
You can win the game in one of 3 ways:
BRIDGE: Form a continuous line connecting any two corners of the board
FORK: Form a continuous line connecting any three sides of the board
RING: Form a closed loop around one or more cells
The following examples will illustrate the different winning conditions:
The example above shows a bridge. The purple pieces have joined two corners
in a continuous line. The red dots show the pieces involved, and the large
red circles show the corner cells that have been joined.
The example above shows a fork. The green pieces join three sides
in a continuous line. The corner cells do not belong to any of the sides,
and do not qualify for the fork winning condition. The red dots show the
line of green pieces involved, and the red circles show the green pieces
on the sides of the board.
The two examples above show rings, in which pieces form a closed
loop around one or more cells. The surrounded cell(s) may be empty or
occupied by either player. Both examples above show
a ring around a single cell. The first example shows purple pieces surrounding
an empty cell, and the second example shows green pieces surrounding one
of its own pieces.
The next two examples show rings around more than one cell. The surrounded
cells may be occupied or unoccupied, in any combination.
In actual practice, winning a game with a ring is rare, but the threat of a
ring can often influence the outcome of a game.
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