Puzzle #95: White to Play; White to Tinue

Hello, all!

Hope everyone is having a great holiday season! Mine has been nice so far, but busy. Not a whole lot of time to play Tak, so I dug back in my screenshots and found this one.

For those new to my puzzles, I try my best to post one every Saturday night (EST). They are usually one of the following types: Tinue (game ending via forced road), Tinue Avoidance (is there a way out?), Gaelet (game ending via flat count), and Best Move (what would you do, and why?).

The type featured tonight is a Tinue puzzle. Tinue is defined as a board state in which no matter what the opposing player does during their turn (White, in this instance), a road win will be awarded to the other player (Black) on their next turn. If you are familiar with Chess, Tinue is very similar to Checkmate.

The best way to solve these puzzles is to find a move that forces your opponent into doing something. Then, you use that forced move to force another move, until you have won. Sometimes there are more ways than 1 to go about this. While I love seeing the different variations, usually the shortest path to a forced win is considered best. The following is a simple example to show how this works (you can use the arrow keys to step through the moves and the number keys to select which branch you are following):




Please form your answer with PTN or a link to your solution via ptn.ninja. Also, be sure to use the spoiler tag so as not to ruin it for later puzzle solvers.

** I have noticed some people commenting directly to my blog post when answering puzzles. I would kindly ask that you post your answers on the appropriate post on the Reddit page for Tak (r/tak). This will make it easier for me to respond in a timely manner. On that note, I would like to also apologize to those same people for my delayed replies.

The new Reddit spoiler tag is shown below:

>!spoiler!<

Ex:  >!35. a3> 3b2+!<

Thank you and enjoy!!

P.S. I'm going to try to post my #100 puzzle contest information on Tuesday, since I have the day off.

Puzzle #94: White to Play; White to Tinue

Hello, Takolytes!

I thought it was time to do another size 6 puzzle, since I've done a couple weeks on the smaller board. This is from a quick game against IntuitionBot, as I haven't had much time to play lately due to the holiday season and all that entails.

For those new to my puzzles, I try my best to post one every Saturday night (EST). They are usually one of the following types: Tinue (game ending via forced road), Tinue Avoidance (is there a way out?), Gaelet (game ending via flat count), and Best Move (what would you do, and why?).

The type featured tonight is a Tinue puzzle. Tinue is defined as a board state in which no matter what the opposing player does during their turn (White, in this instance), a road win will be awarded to the other player (Black) on their next turn. If you are familiar with Chess, Tinue is very similar to Checkmate.

The best way to solve these puzzles is to find a move that forces your opponent into doing something. Then, you use that forced move to force another move, until you have won. Sometimes there are more ways than 1 to go about this. While I love seeing the different variations, usually the shortest path to a forced win is considered best. The following is a simple example to show how this works (you can use the arrow keys to step through the moves and the number keys to select which branch you are following):




Please form your answer with PTN or a link to your solution via ptn.ninja. Also, be sure to use the spoiler tag so as not to ruin it for later puzzle solvers.

** I have noticed some people commenting directly to my blog post when answering puzzles. I would kindly ask that you post your answers on the appropriate post on the Reddit page for Tak (r/tak). This will make it easier for me to respond in a timely manner. On that note, I would like to also apologize to those same people for my delayed replies.

The new Reddit spoiler tag is shown below:

>!spoiler!<

Ex:  >!35. a3> 3b2+!<

Thank you and enjoy!!

P.S. After next week's puzzle, I plan to make a post about my upcoming puzzle contest!

Puzzle #93: Black to Play; Best Move

Good evening, Takkers!

I hope everyone had a good week! Lots of snow here, but it's mostly taken care of. Unfortunately, working on the snow left me less time for Tak. Sometimes adulting isn't worth it :)

This week's puzzle is from a game of mine a last month against Aaaarghbot.

For those new to my puzzles, I try my best to post one every Saturday night (EST). They are usually one of the following types: Tinue (game ending via forced road), Tinue Avoidance (is there a way out?), Gaelet (game ending via flat count), and Best Move (what would you do, and why?).

The type featured tonight is a Best Move puzzle. Your challenge is to evaluate the board state and determine the strongest move for Black. Then, explain why you made your choice.

Please form your answer with PTN or a link to your solution via ptn.ninja. Also, be sure to use the spoiler tag so as not to ruin it for later puzzle solvers.

** I have noticed some people commenting directly to my blog post when answering puzzles. I would kindly ask that you post your answers on the appropriate post on the Reddit page for Tak (r/tak). This will make it easier for me to respond in a timely manner. On that note, I would like to also apologize to those same people for my delayed replies.

The new Reddit spoiler tag is shown below:

>!spoiler!<

Ex:  >!35. a3> 3b2+!<

Thank you and enjoy!!

P.S. Let me know what you think of these puzzles and which types you would like to see more of.

P.P.S If you have board states that you would like me to post as a puzzle, feel free to send them my way. If you would like to post them yourself, but are unsure how, I can also help with that. The best way to reach me is bill.leighton1@gmail.com. You can also message me on Reddit or Discord under rabbitboy84.

PAX Unplugged Post Mortem and Puzzle #92

Good evening, Takkers!

It's been a busy couple weeks for me: working, planning, packing, traveling, PAX-ing, traveling, unpacking, and getting back to work :)

But, tonight I can finally take a bit to evaluate and share my experience at the convention.

This was only my second board game convention (the first was GenCon earlier this year). It was another great experience! Even though there were thousands of people in the convention hall, everyone was both polite and excited to be there. The energy surrounding this event was enough to keep me buoyed each day until 2 or 3 am, when I finally had to crash and get ready for the next day.

Friday and Sunday were partial days for me, but I filled them to the brim with board games, card games, and great conversations. Saturday was my Tak day, beginning with a USTA breakfast meeting, then setting up and helping run the tournament, a lunch on the run, followed by a meeting with Greater than Games, and another short USTA meeting.

The tournament was a great success, especially given the short notice for both us and the attendees. We filled the 16 seats and had a waiting list, to boot. The Swiss format let all participants get in 4 rounds of continuous play with 4 different opponents, maximizing the bang for the buck. Congrats to applemonkeyman for taking the win, undefeated! He walked away with the Arcanist's board, a set of stone pieces, and a PAX Event Champion pin. A great thanks to all the other participants and the other 3 members of the USTA Board that helped organize the event. If you didn't make it to this event, hopefully you can make it to the next one!

The Tak meetings were all productive and positive, and we hope to have news to share with the community as the plans we discussed are brought to life.

I got to demo Tak to a few people, one of whom really took a shine to it. My puzzle for tonight comes from our first game. We called 'tak' and talked about strategy during each move, so the game went to flats, giving me a chance to talk about that aspect of the game (which I don't normally get to do during a demo game). I thought this would make a nice introductory Gaelet puzzle. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, a Gaelet is a forced flat win, as opposed to a forced road win (Tinue).
With a Tinue puzzle, you use 'tak' threats to force your opponent's hand; in a Gaelet puzzle, you use 'tak' threats as well as the threat of placing your last stone or filling the board.

Since you can't see the stones remaining or some of the stacks that clearly, I made this into a ptn.ninja frame below:

I should be back to my normal schedule now and be posting every Saturday evening (Eastern).

Thanks and enjoy!

Puzzle #91: Black to Play; Black to Tinue

Good evening, Takolytes!

This week's puzzle is courtesy of Londoner54. So, a big thank you to him for sending in a nice board state!

For those new to my puzzles, I try my best to post one every Saturday night (EST). They are usually one of the following types: Tinue (game ending via forced road), Tinue Avoidance (is there a way out?), Gaelet (game ending via flat count), and Best Move (what would you do, and why?).

The type featured tonight is a Tinue puzzle. Tinue is defined as a board state in which no matter what the opposing player does during their turn (White, in this instance), a road win will be awarded to the other player (Black) on their next turn. If you are familiar with Chess, Tinue is very similar to Checkmate.

The best way to solve these puzzles is to find a move that forces your opponent into doing something. Then, you use that forced move to force another move, until you have won. Sometimes there are more ways than 1 to go about this. While I love seeing the different variations, usually the shortest path to a forced win is considered best. The following is a simple example to show how this works. Use the forward arrow to see the best move for White and some example responses by Black.




Please form your answer with PTN or a link to your solution via ptn.ninja. Also, be sure to use the spoiler tag so as not to ruin it for later puzzle solvers.

** I have noticed some people commenting directly to my blog post when answering puzzles. I would kindly ask that you post your answers on the appropriate post on the Reddit page for Tak (r/tak). This will make it easier for me to respond in a timely manner. On that note, I would like to also apologize to those same people for my delayed replies.

The new Reddit spoiler tag is shown below:

>!spoiler!<

Ex:  >!35. a3> 3b2+!<

Thank you and enjoy!!

P.S. There may or may not be a puzzle next weekend, as I will be attending the PAX Unplugged convention in Philidelphia. I hope you are able to attend and participate in the Tak events. But, if not, stay tuned for my post mortem on this convention and tournament.

Puzzle #90: White to Play; White to Tinue

Hello, Takkers of the world!

A couple announcements before the puzzle:

Congrats to Nohatcoder for becoming the 2018 Tak Champion!
I hope you all got to see the final matches of this tournament. If you didn't get to view them live, almost all matches were recorded and posted to the USTA youtube channel.

Now that the Open is finished, it's time to get ready for the next event :)

The USTA will be attending PAX Unplugged in just a couple weeks. We are running a small tournament, trying to get in tons of casual games, and unveiling a prototype tournament/teaching Tak set.

After that, I think the next event will be my puzzle contest, happening around the end of January, to celebrate my 100th puzzle!

For those new to my puzzles, I try my best to post one every Saturday night (EST). They are usually one of the following types: Tinue (game ending via forced road), Tinue Avoidance (is there a way out?), Gaelet (game ending via flat count), and Best Move (what would you do, and why?).

The type featured tonight is a Tinue puzzle. Tinue is defined as a board state in which no matter what the opposing player does during their turn (White, in this instance), a road win will be awarded to the other player (Black) on their next turn. If you are familiar with Chess, Tinue is very similar to Checkmate.

The best way to solve these puzzles is to find a move that forces your opponent into doing something. Then, you use that forced move to force another move, until you have won. Sometimes there are more ways than 1 to go about this. While I love seeing the different variations, usually the shortest path to a forced win is considered best. The following is a simple example to show how this works:




Please form your answer with PTN or a link to your solution via ptn.ninja. Also, be sure to use the spoiler tag so as not to ruin it for later puzzle solvers.

** I have noticed some people commenting directly to my blog post when answering puzzles. I would kindly ask that you post your answers on the appropriate post on the Reddit page for Tak (r/tak). This will make it easier for me to respond in a timely manner. On that note, I would like to also apologize to those same people for my delayed replies.

The new Reddit spoiler tag is shown below:

>!spoiler!<

Ex:  >!35. a3> 3b2+!<

Thank you and enjoy!!

Puzzle #89: Black to Play; Black to Tinue

Hello, all!

The puzzle this week was sent to me by archvenison, from a game he played against Takticianbot late last month. As a side note, congrats to him for taking 3rd in the 2018 USTA Open!

Make sure you tune in tomorrow at 1 pm Eastern to the USTA Twitch channel for the final match between Nohatcoder and fwwwwibib. If all goes according to plan, I'll be co-commentating this one with Ben Wochinski.

For those new to my puzzles, I try my best to post one every Saturday night (EST). They are usually one of the following types: Tinue (game ending via forced road), Tinue Avoidance (is there a way out?), Gaelet (game ending via flat count), and Best Move (what would you do, and why?).

The type featured tonight is a Tinue puzzle. Tinue is defined as a board state in which no matter what the opposing player does during their turn (White, in this instance), a road win will be awarded to the other player (Black) on their next turn. If you are familiar with Chess, Tinue is very similar to Checkmate.

The best way to solve these puzzles is to find a move that forces your opponent into doing something. Then, you use that forced move to force another move, until you have won. Sometimes there are more ways than 1 to go about this. While I love seeing the different variations, usually the shortest path to a forced win is considered best. The following is a simple example to show how this works:




Please form your answer with PTN or a link to your solution via ptn.ninja. Also, be sure to use the spoiler tag so as not to ruin it for later puzzle solvers.

** I have noticed some people commenting directly to my blog post when answering puzzles. I would kindly ask that you post your answers on the appropriate post on the Reddit page for Tak (r/tak). This will make it easier for me to respond in a timely manner. On that note, I would like to also apologize to those same people for my delayed replies.

The new Reddit spoiler tag is shown below:

>!spoiler!<

Ex:  >!35. a3> 3b2+!<

Thank you and enjoy!!

Puzzle #88: White to Play; Capture the Stack

Good evening, Takolytes!

I hope everyone had a good week and is settling into their weekend. It's been a busy one here so far, but tomorrow I plan to do nothing but read and play a few games of Tak :)

For those new to my puzzles, I try my best to post one every Saturday night (EST). They are usually one of the following types: Tinue (game ending via forced road), Tinue Avoidance (is there a way out?), Gaelet (game ending via flat count), and Best Move (what would you do, and why?).

The type featured tonight is a new type that I'm trying out called Capture the Stack. The name pretty much says it all:  your goal is to capture a certain stack on the board. This type of puzzle is not a game-ending one, but capturing a valuable stack can certainly tip the game in your favor. So, I thought it would be nice to practice doing just that.

The best way to solve these puzzles is to find a move that forces your opponent into doing something. Then, you use that forced move to force another move, until you have achieved the goal of the puzzle. Sometimes there are more ways than 1 to go about this. While I love seeing the different variations, usually the shortest path to the goal is considered best. The following is a simple example to show how this works.




Please form your answer with PTN or a link to your solution via ptn.ninja. Also, be sure to use the spoiler tag so as not to ruin it for later puzzle solvers.

** I have noticed some people commenting directly to my blog post when answering puzzles. I would kindly ask that you post your answers on the appropriate post on the Reddit page for Tak (r/tak). This will make it easier for me to respond in a timely manner. On that note, I would like to also apologize to those same people for my delayed replies.

The new Reddit spoiler tag is shown below:

>!spoiler!<

Ex:  >!35. a3> 3b2+!<

Okay, since this is my first time trying this type of puzzle, I'm going to do two of them, 1 easy, and 1 harder one.

In the first, your goal is to capture and successfully spread e1:

And... here's the second, where the goals are to capture both e2 and then d4:




Let me know your thoughts on this puzzle type. If it works out, I'll try to find more examples to play around with.

Enjoy!

Puzzle #87: Black to Play; Black to Tinue

Hello, all!

This week is the last in a series of easier puzzles aimed at beginner and intermediate Takkers. Next week, if I have the time, I'm going to try a new type of puzzle and see how it goes. Also, we're getting closer to puzzle #100... And that means a contest! Details will come around puzzle #95.

Just like last week, I will post some hints on Reddit for those that are stumped. On the other side of things, if you would like to make this puzzle more difficult, try solving it without using the interactive frame; just like a game situation, try to only use your mind to visualize the winning branch.

For those new to my puzzles, I try my best to post one every Saturday night (EST). They are usually one of the following types: Tinue (game ending via forced road), Tinue Avoidance (is there a way out?), Gaelet (game ending via flat count), and Best Move (what would you do, and why?).

The type featured tonight is a Tinue puzzle. Tinue is defined as a board state in which no matter what the opposing player does during their turn (White, in this instance), a road win will be awarded to the other player (Black) on their next turn. If you are familiar with Chess, Tinue is very similar to Checkmate.

The best way to solve these puzzles is to find a move that forces your opponent into doing something. Then, you use that forced move to force another move, until you have won. Sometimes there are more ways than 1 to go about this. While I love seeing the different variations, usually the shortest path to a forced win is considered best. The following is a simple example to show how this works.




Please form your answer with PTN or a link to your solution via ptn.ninja. Also, be sure to use the spoiler tag so as not to ruin it for later puzzle solvers.

** I have noticed some people commenting directly to my blog post when answering puzzles. I would kindly ask that you post your answers on the appropriate post on the Reddit page for Tak (r/tak). This will make it easier for me to respond in a timely manner. On that note, I would like to also apologize to those same people for my delayed replies.

The new Reddit spoiler tag is shown below:

>!spoiler!<

Ex:  >!35. a3> 3b2+!<

Thank you and enjoy!!

Puzzle #86: White to Play; White to Tinue

Good evening, Takolytes!

For those new to my puzzles, I try my best to post one every Saturday night (EST). They are usually one of the following types: Tinue (game ending via forced road), Tinue Avoidance (is there a way out?), Gaelet (game ending via flat count), and Best Move (what would you do, and why?).

The type featured tonight is a Tinue puzzle. Tinue is defined as a board state in which no matter what the opposing player does during their turn (White, in this instance), a road win will be awarded to the other player (Black) on their next turn. If you are familiar with Chess, Tinue is very similar to Checkmate.

The best way to solve these puzzles is to find a move that forces your opponent into doing something. Then, you use that forced move to force another move, until you have won. Sometimes there are more ways than 1 to go about this.

For tonight's puzzle, I believe there are 2 branches that lead to Tinue. For the beginner, you should feel happy to get 1 of these branches. For intermediate players, try to find both. You can vary the difficulty by choosing to use or not use the interactive board (not using the board increases the difficulty).

I will also leave some hints in the Reddit comments for those that are stumped.

Please post your answer in the Tak subrreddit(r/Tak) comments area with PTN or a link to your solution via ptn.ninja. Also, be sure to use the spoiler tag so as not to ruin it for later puzzle solvers.

The new Reddit spoiler tag is shown below:

>!spoiler!<

Ex:  >!35. a3> 3b2+!<

Thank you and enjoy it!!

P.S. If you have a puzzle you want me to post, feel free to send it my way. If you would like to post it yourself but don't know how, I can also help with that.

Puzzle #85: Black to Play; Black to Tinue

Hello, all!

This week, I continue my series on beginner/intermediate puzzles to both initiate newer players and give other players a bit of a mental break while everyone gears up for the 2018 USTA Open Finals. If you are not aware of the finals, you can find information and the schedule on Toornament.

Just like last week, I will post some hints on Reddit for those that are stumped. On the other side of things, if you would like to make this puzzle more difficult, try solving it without using the interactive frame; just like a game situation, try to only use your mind to visualize the winning branch.

For those new to my puzzles, I try my best to post one every Saturday night (EST). They are usually one of the following types: Tinue (game ending via forced road), Tinue Avoidance (is there a way out?), Gaelet (game ending via flat count), and Best Move (what would you do, and why?).

The type featured tonight is a Tinue puzzle. Tinue is defined as a board state in which no matter what the opposing player does during their turn (White, in this instance), a road win will be awarded to the other player (Black) on their next turn. If you are familiar with Chess, Tinue is very similar to Checkmate.

The best way to solve these puzzles is to find a move that forces your opponent into doing something. Then, you use that forced move to force another move, until you have won. Sometimes there are more ways than 1 to go about this. While I love seeing the different variations, usually the shortest path to a forced win is considered best.

Please form your answer with PTN or a link to your solution via ptn.ninja. Also, be sure to use the spoiler tag so as not to ruin it for later puzzle solvers.

** I have noticed some people commenting directly to my blog post when answering puzzles. I would kindly ask that you post your answers on the appropriate post on the Reddit page for Tak (r/tak). This will make it easier for me to respond in a timely manner. On that note, I would like to also apologize to those same people for my delayed replies.

The new Reddit spoiler tag is shown below:

>!spoiler!<

Ex:  >!35. a3> 3b2+!<

Thank you and enjoy!!

P.S. If you have a puzzle you want me to post, feel free to send it my way. If you would like to post it yourself but don't know how, I can also help with that. Any other questions or comments are welcome, too! You can email me at bill.leighton1@gmail.com.

Puzzle #84: Black to Play; Black to Tinue

Good evening, Takkers!

As stated last week, I'm going to take a few weeks and feature easier puzzles for our newer players. But, I will also try to keep something for the more experienced puzzle solvers. This will probably come in the form of an additional step or related puzzle. I'm not sure exactly how easy to make these, as I don't want to insult or bore anyone. On the other hand, I don't want to alienate anyone by making the puzzles impossible. So, tonight, I will post a moderately difficult puzzle. I will make it a bit harder by not posting the number of turns until Tinue. But, I will post this information and a couple other hints on Reddit for less experienced or stumped players to view.

If you are new to these puzzles, I try my best to post one every Saturday night (EST). They are usually one of the following types: Tinue (game ending via forced road), Tinue Avoidance (is there a way out?), Gaelet (game ending via flat count), and Best Move (what would you do, and why?).

The type featured tonight is a Tinue puzzle. Tinue is defined as a board state in which no matter what the opposing player does during their turn (White, in this instance), a road win will be awarded to the other player (Black) on their next turn. If you are familiar with Chess, Tinue is very similar to Checkmate.

The best way to solve these puzzles is to find a move that forces your opponent into doing something that benefits you. Then, you use that forced move to force another move, until you have won. Sometimes there are more ways than 1 to go about this. While I love seeing the different variations, usually the shortest path to a forced win is considered best.

Please form your answer with PTN or a link to your solution via ptn.ninja. Also, be sure to use the spoiler tag so as not to ruin it for later puzzle solvers.

The new Reddit spoiler tag is shown below:

>!spoiler!<

Ex:  >!35. a3> 3b2+!<

Thank you and enjoy!!

P.S. If you have a puzzle you want me to post, feel free to send it my way. If you would like to post it yourself but don't know how, I can also help with that. Any other questions or comments are welcome, too.

Puzzle #83: White to Play; White to Tinue

Hello, Takkers!

I'm going to do a series of easier puzzles over the next few weeks. I'm doing this for a few different reasons. Firstly, I want to make sure I include all the newer players in these puzzles. Also, I have USTA deadlines fast approaching and a tournament starting in two weeks. Lastly, my weekends are booked for the next couple months. So, two birds and all that :) 

So....Here's a fun Tinue from a game I played on the road this week.

For the purpose of this puzzle, Tinue is defined as a board state in which no matter what the opposing player does during their turn (Black, in this instance), a road win will be awarded to the other player (White) on their next turn. If you are familiar with Chess, Tinue is very similar to Checkmate.

Please form your answer with PTN or a link to your solution via ptn.ninja. Also, be sure to use the spoiler tag so as not to ruin it for later puzzle solvers.

I believe all responses by Black are singular and forced. If the response is not singular and forced, then any response results in the same following move by White or the defensive moves by Black have ready responses by White and those defense/offense pairs are interchangeable in regards to order. Of course, I could have made a mistake...in that case, let me know so I can fix it or, at least, apologize.

Please use the spoiler tag when posting your answers so as not to ruin the puzzle for future solvers. The new Reddit spoiler tag is shown below:

>!spoiler!<

Ex:  >!35. a3> 3b2+!<

Thank you and enjoy!!

P.S. If you have a puzzle you want me to post, feel free to send them my way. If you would like to post it yourself but don't know how, I can also help with that.

Puzzle # 82: Black to Play; Black to Tinue

Good evening, all!

This week's puzzle is not a game I played, but one I happened to catch on Playtak.com.

Black has managed to gain the upper hand and is closing in on Tinue. Tinue board state should be reached in 3 moves; meaning the actual win comes in 5 moves.

For the purpose of this puzzle, Tinue is defined as a board state in which no matter what the opposing player does during their turn (White, in this instance), a road win will be awarded to the other player (Black) on their next turn. If you are familiar with Chess, Tinue is very similar to Checkmate.

I believe all responses by White are singular and forced. If not, then whatever move White makes does not affect the next move by Black. If I messed up, please let me know so I can correct it or apologize.

Please form your answer with PTN or a link to your solution via ptn.ninja. Also, be sure to use the spoiler tag so as not to ruin it for later puzzle solvers.

UPDATE:  The Reddit site has updated and the newer version does not recognize the older spoiler tag - " [spoiler text](/spoiler) ". The new version has it's own spoiler tag " >! spoiler text !< ". Unfortunately, the new spoiler tag does not work on the old Reddit. So, for the time being, since we have community members using both new and old Reddit, both tags need to be used. I found a way to nest these spoiler tags:

>! [spoiler text](/spoiler) !<

Ex:  >!<

I know it's a bit of a pain, but eventually, we should be able to switch over to the new tag only.

Enjoy!

Puzzle #81: White to Play; Can Tinue be Avoided?

Good evening!

This week's puzzle looks at the other side of the coin. White has gotten themselves in a bit of a pickle here. But, is all lost?

Your challenge is to see if a way exists to avoid the incoming Tinue. For the purpose of this puzzle, Tinue is defined as a board state in which no matter what the opposing player does during their turn (White, in this instance), a road win will be awarded to the other player (Black) on their next turn. If you are familiar with Chess, Tinue is very similar to Checkmate.

Please form your answer with PTN or a link to your solution via ptn.ninja. Also, be sure to use the spoiler tag so as not to ruin it for later puzzle solvers.

UPDATE:  The Reddit site has updated and the newer version does not recognize the older spoiler tag - " [spoiler text](/spoiler) ". The new version has it's own spoiler tag " >! spoiler text !< ". Unfortunately, the new spoiler tag does not work on the old Reddit. So, for the time being, since we have community members using both new and old Reddit, both tags need to be used. I found a way to nest these spoiler tags:

>! [spoiler text](/spoiler) !<

Ex:  >!<

I know it's a bit of a pain, but eventually, we should be able to switch over to the new tag only.

Enjoy!

Puzzle #80: Find White's Blunder

Good evening, everyone!

Tonight's puzzle is a bit different. It's a game that I played against TakticianBot in the middle of this week. I ended up salvaging a draw out of it, but I should have won...except for that one thing :)

So, your challenge is to find that "one thing". Or, maybe I missed more than one (sometimes I have major blind spots when reviewing my own games).

Did I miss a Tinue? Did I misread a board state? Did I make a bad placement?

What was White's Blunder?

I have a specific blunder in mind, which I noticed as soon as I made it, but maybe yours will blow mine out of the water.

Please form your answer with PTN or a link to your solution via ptn.ninja. Also, be sure to use the spoiler tag so as not to ruin it for later puzzle solvers.

UPDATE:  The Reddit site has updated and the newer version does not recognize the older spoiler tag - " [spoiler text](/spoiler) ". The new version has it's own spoiler tag " >! spoiler text !< ". Unfortunately, the new spoiler tag does not work on the old Reddit. So, for the time being, since we have community members using both new and old Reddit, both tags need to be used. I found a way to nest these spoiler tags:

>! [spoiler text](/spoiler) !<

Ex:  >!<

I know it's a bit of a pain, but eventually, we should be able to switch over to the new tag only.



Let me know if you enjoy this type of puzzle. If not, what would you like to see more of?

Puzzle #79: White to Play; White to Tinue

Hello, all!

I didn't have the time this week to get into a battle with Tako, but I did get in a few games against AaaarghBot. This week's puzzle is from one of those games.

For the purpose of this puzzle, Tinue is defined as a board state in which no matter what the opposing player does during their turn (Black, in this instance), a road win will be awarded to the other player (White) on their next turn. If you are familiar with Chess, Tinue is very similar to Checkmate.

There are 2 similar branches in this puzzle. In one, the Tinue board state is reached in 3 moves; in the other, 5 moves. This would mean the win would come on win 5 or 7 respectively.

Please form your answer with PTN or a link to your solution via ptn.ninja. Also, be sure to use the spoiler tag so as not to ruin it for later puzzle solvers.

I believe all responses by Black are singular and forced. If the response is not singular and forced, then any response results in the same following move by White or the defensive moves by Black have ready responses by White and those defense/offense pairs are interchangeable in regards to order. Of course, I could have made a mistake...in that case, let me know so I can fix it or, at least, apologize.

UPDATE:  The Reddit site has updated and the newer version does not recognize the older spoiler tag - " [spoiler text](/spoiler) ". The new version has it's own spoiler tag " >! spoiler text !< ". Unfortunately, the new spoiler tag does not work on the old Reddit. So, for the time being, since we have community members using both new and old Reddit, both tags need to be used. I found a way to nest these spoiler tags:

>! [spoiler text](/spoiler) !<

Ex:  >!<

I know it's a bit of a pain, but eventually, we should be able to switch over to the new tag only.

Enjoy!!

P.S. If you have suggestions for puzzle board states, please let me know. If you would like to post them yourself but don't know how, I can also help with the behind-the-scenes steps.

Puzzle #78: White to Play; White to Tinue

Hello, all!

I had a lot of windshield time at work this week and decided that I wanted to beat TakticianBot. I came close a few times with flats, but Tako would ultimately outwit me. I finally got this road win and thought it would make a good puzzle.

For the purpose of this puzzle, Tinue is defined as a board state in which no matter what the opposing player does during their turn (Black, in this instance), a road win will be awarded to the other player (White) on their next turn. If you are familiar with Chess, Tinue is very similar to Checkmate.

This can go a few different ways.  So, try to find the best and longest defensive line that you can for Black.

Please form your answer with PTN or a link to your solution via ptn.ninja. Also, be sure to use the spoiler tag so as not to ruin it for later puzzle solvers.

UPDATE:  The Reddit site has updated and the newer version does not recognize the older spoiler tag - " [spoiler text](/spoiler) ". The new version has it's own spoiler tag " >! spoiler text !< ". Unfortunately, the new spoiler tag does not work on the old Reddit. So, for the time being, since we have community members using both new and old Reddit, both tags need to be used. I found a way to nest these spoiler tags:

>! [spoiler text](/spoiler) !<

Ex:  >!<

I know it's a bit of a pain, but eventually, we should be able to switch over to the new tag only.

Enjoy!!

P.S. If you have suggestions for puzzle board states, please let me know. If you would like to post them yourself but don't know how, I can also help with the behind-the-scenes steps.

Puzzle #77: White to Play; White to Tinue

Hello, Takkers of the world!

Here's a neat Tinue sent to me by u/archvenison. It's from a game between him and Syme. If you want to see the game up to this point - here it is.

I won't list the number of turns until Tinue on this puzzle as it is deceiving. See what you can come up with!

For the purpose of this puzzle, Tinue is defined as a board state in which no matter what the opposing player does during their turn (Black, in this instance), a road win will be awarded to the other player (White) on their next turn. If you are familiar with Chess, Tinue is very similar to Checkmate.

Please form your answer with PTN or a link to your solution via ptn.ninja. Also, be sure to use the spoiler tag so as not to ruin it for later puzzle solvers.

UPDATE:  The Reddit site has updated and the newer version does not recognize the older spoiler tag - " [spoiler text](/spoiler) ". The new version has it's own spoiler tag " >! spoiler text !< ". Unfortunately, the new spoiler tag does not work on the old Reddit. So, for the time being, since we have community members using both new and old Reddit, both tags need to be used. I found a way to nest these spoiler tags:

>! [spoiler text](/spoiler) !<

Ex:  >!<

I know it's a bit of a pain, but eventually, we should be able to switch over to the new tag only.

Be sure to thank u/archvenison for this one!

P.S. If you have suggestions for puzzle board states, please let me know. If you would like to post them yourself but don't know how, I can also help with the behind-the-scenes steps.

Let's Get Physical

Some industrious Tak attendees left these behind at their stations

Hello, all!

The core ideas of this post have been rolling around in my head, attempting to materialize, since the GenCon Tak Tournament. During those 4 days, I played more physical games of Tak than I have in the past 2 years. Up until that point, I almost exclusively played Tak online. The main reason for this is I live in the middle of the woods. So, my closest physical opponents are 7 and 9 years old with interest in Tak that waxes and wanes, like, well, 7 and 9 year olds :)

During our game tonight, Wee Red made the Parthenon

Not only was GenCon the greatest concentration of physical games in my Tak experience, it was also the only physical tournament that I have been involved in. Some interesting nuances are involved in playing on a physical board. In this post I would like to explore a few of those nuances, especially those regarding tournament play.

The GenCon tournament was managed with the following philosophy in mind:  Each player was responsible for refereeing their own game. Officials could be called in at any time for disputes, but, on the whole, each player was responsible for:  watching their time, monitoring their opponent's time, spotting any illegal moves, and recording game/match results. Players were also responsible for declaring a win.

This may not seem surprising to those of you that have participated in physical chess tournaments or something similar. But, to me, it was vastly different from online tournaments where the computer keeps track of time, prohibits illegal moves, automatically searches for win conditions after every move, and even organizes the pieces for you.

Another interesting thing about physical gameplay was the organic decision to change from a contact-style end turn condition to a clock-based one. Players were allowed to change their movement or placement decisions up until they depressed the clock button. This rule moves away from chess in an intuitive way; in Tak, it becomes more and more difficult to maintain contact, as you are often handling multiple pieces while moving stacks.

One major takeaway from this tournament was that we should make a concerted effort to alter our online play experience to more closely mirror in-person, tournament play. I am not saying that we should let people make illegal moves online, as I think that these training wheels are very important for new players. However, I did come up with 2 suggestions for changes that I feel would benefit players of all levels.

Here's how I think it could go:

3 buttons would need to be added to the notation area of the gameplay screen - 'Reset', 'End Turn', and 'Declare Win'. Programmer-defined hotkeys (or user-defined ones) could also be used for these. I would suggest 'alt' or 'ctrl' for the 'End Turn' hotkey, as they would accommodate both left- and right-handed players. 'Declare Win' could be the other key + D. These are just spitballs; experimentation with different keys and key combinations is most likely needed.

'End Turn' -- Instead of your turn ending when you place a stone or move a stack, you would be free to undo and redo moves until you were satisfied. Then, you would press 'End Turn'. This button would act the same way that a physical chess timer works; it would stop your time and start your opponent's. I think this method is superior to our current system because it would substantially reduce the instances of 'misclicks' as well as giving players freedom to try out moves before committing to them. 

'Reset' -- this button would be used any time you decided to change your move before submitting it with either of the other 2 buttons discussed here. Pressing this button simply resets the board as it was at the beginning of your turn.

'Declare Win' is very similar to 'End Turn'. It ends your turn, but, before play transfers over to your opponent, this button also prompts the computer to run an analysis of the board state, searching for win conditions. If win conditions are present, then the appropriate player gets the win. If win conditions are not present, the player is notified of this. 'Declare Win' must be used during your turn.

A time out would prompt a win check and would include pieces on the board that had be placed/moved but not submitted.

As an added bonus, these suggestions would allow FriendlyBot to actually call "tak" instead of simply waiting an extra amount of time before taking the win. FriendlyBot would evaluate the board state, message the opponent "Tak", and then wait 30 seconds before pressing 'Declare Win', giving the opponent time to request an undo.

I am not a programmer, but I believe all of the mechanics for these suggestions are already in place within playtak, they would just need to be teased out and made separate, controllable commands instead of automatic ones.

I know our access to playtak programming is limited, so maybe this could be written into Treff's fork?


TL;DR

• Online play should recreate physical play while still enhancing it.
• The GenCon tournament (on physical boards) required players to declare a win.
• This tournament also let players experiment with their move/placement up until pressing the clock.

• Therefore, I have come up with a suggestion for adding these elements into our online play while still retaining the benefits of online play (access to human and AI opponents, board and piece organization, keeping track of time, recording results, etc.)

Let me know what you think. My general philosophy is that everything is up for debate, so feel free to attack any and all points you disagree with.

Puzzle #76: Black to Play; Black to Tinue

Good evening, Takolytes!

I hope everyone had a good week and is ready to stretch their brain a bit.

This week's puzzle is from fairly early in a 5x5 game I played a couple weeks ago. White just played c4+, which turns out to be the wrong move in this scenario. See if you can find the Tinue for Black. If you want to stretch your brain a bit further, you can also tell me what White should have done instead of c4+ to prevent this Tinue.

For the purpose of this puzzle, Tinue is defined as a board state in which no matter what the opposing player does during their turn (White, in this instance), a road win will be awarded to the other player (Black) on their next turn. If you are familiar with Chess, Tinue is very similar to Checkmate.

The Tinue I am looking for in this puzzle occurs in 5 moves, meaning that the actual win will come in 7 moves for Black.

I believe all responses by White are singular and forced. If the response is not singular and forced, then any response results in the same following move by Black or the defensive moves by White have ready responses by Black and those defense/offense pairs are interchangeable in regards to order. Of course, I could have made a mistake...in that case, let me know so I can fix it or, at least, apologize.

Please form your answer with PTN or a link to your solution via ptn.ninja. Also, be sure to use the spoiler tag so as not to ruin it for later puzzle solvers.

UPDATE:  The Reddit site has updated and the newer version does not recognize the older spoiler tag - " [spoiler text](/spoiler) ". The new version has it's own spoiler tag " >! spoiler text !< ". Unfortunately, the new spoiler tag does not work on the old Reddit. So, for the time being, since we have community members using both new and old Reddit, both tags need to be used. I found a way to nest these spoiler tags:

>! [spoiler text](/spoiler) !<

Ex:  >!<

I know it's a bit of a pain, but eventually, we should be able to switch over to the new tag only.

Next week I will be featuring a 6x6 Tinue puzzle sent to me by archvenison. If any readers have puzzle ideas, feel free to send them my way and I will see what I can do. Thanks for your support!

Enjoy!

GenCon Post Mortem

Hello everyone!

GenCon was amazing! I would like to thank all those people that came out to the Tak events - we had an excellent turnout:  all slots that were signed up for were filled and we even had multiple passersby walk up and get involved.

We put on 4 events total:  2-hour casual events were held Thursday, Friday, and Sunday with a 4 1/2 hour tournament on Saturday. It was great to see some high level games between experienced Tak players. It was also very morale-boosting to see all the new people interested in Tak. The events left me feeling charged and reaffirmed in my belief that Tak is here to stay and grow.

These events simply couldn't have happened without Ben working hard to organize them. Among other things, he secured entry badges, gathered prizes, and helped make sure no one was left out. Thanks, Ben!!

Also, I would like to thank Queso and FloatingSkull for helping set up, tear down, and talk Tak!

Congrats are in order for M_Ainsel! She walked away with a white oak Wyrmwood Tak set and a copy of my book signed by James Ernest.

Second place was Tarontos, winning an Arcanist board and my book signed by the team at Worldbuilders.

3rd-8th place all received some combination of Tak sets from Cheapass Games along with a copy of Mastering Tak.

In addition to having a great experience, all participants walked away with the new Tak coin from Cheapass Games.

So, all in all, I think we gave away over $700 in prizes! Not bad for a $20 entry fee...


A video of the final games will be posted by Ben when he gets the time to do post-production on it. After that, I plan on doing an in-depth analysis of the most interesting one.

_____________________


I wanted to share my GenCon haul with you guys, too. The first day I managed to only spend $4 in the exhibition hall, and that was on a tray of nachos :)  But, as anyone that has been around that much awesome stuff can tell you, there's always something that draws you in.

Space is at a premium in my house, so only premium things get that space. I searched through the convention center and these items fit the bill:

Tak University Edition with cloth board

A nicely embroidered bag to put it in

And a place to put my Tak coins

Also inside this Bag o' Tak, I can fit my Tak-themed Pairs deck and wooden deck box with Name of the Wind dealer coin:

If you've never played Pairs, it's a great game to rest your mind after a long day of Tak!

The fit is a little snug, as the deck box is made for 52 cards, but the craftsmanship is superb and I couldn't pass it up

If you weren't able to make it to GenCon this year, there's always next year!

Until then, let's go spread the good word of Tak :)


P.S. I will try to post a puzzle this weekend. I also have a non-puzzle blog to post, hopefully late this week or early next.

Commentated Game against Takticianbot

Good morning, everyone!

I am going a little different route this week. I haven't done one of these types of game breakdowns in about a year, so I thought it would be a nice change.

Speaking of changes in routines, I'm not sure that I will be posting a puzzle next weekend as I will be at GenCon. I hope to play and see some great games with some great people while there, and will probably come back with some blog ammunition, but I won't have my computer with me and I've packed my schedule quite full.



This is a game I played last week against Takticianbot (Tako, for short). If you are really looking to test your skills and there isn't a human around to play, Tako can be your trainer. This bot isn't for the faint of heart, though; it routinely beats almost all humans. So, you have to go into the game with the mindset of learning something and not with the mindset that you are going to boost your ego :)

In my opinion, Tako is great at teaching players efficient and safe moves. It is not a flashy bot, it wins by slowly building threats without much risk involved. This can lead to some interesting moves during games. For instance, in this game, there are a few times where it would seem that Tako should make a 'tak' threat (most humans would), but Tako instead chooses a safer option of placing a flat in another area to build up to a slower and more powerful threat with less chance of its opponent's defense of that threat endangering its flat count.

Let me know what you think of this game and this format. I won't be doing it every week, as it's very time consuming, but I think that one of these commentated games could find its place in my blog every couple months.

Putting the commentary inside of a frame embedded in the blog makes the comments take up too much of the playing area, so, here's a link.


Enjoy!!