Puzzle #51: Black to Play; Black to Tinue

Hello all!

This size 6 puzzle is not one that I played, but one that I caught the end of while on the road. The game ended by Gaelet (win determined by final flat stone count), but I found what I think to be an interesting Tinue during the early End Game.

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 on ptn.ninja (this link takes you to the beginning of the puzzle in a new window). Remember to add the r/Tak spoiler tag to your solution so as not to ruin it for others. To do this, put your answer in brackets and follow with (/spoiler).
Ex:  [26. a3- Sa3](/spoiler).

To narrow things down to a single solution for this puzzle, I am looking for the board state of Tinue achieved in 7 moves (this would mean the actual win would occur in 9 moves). Assume that the opponent is going to do everything possible to delay the win for as long as they can.

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 end result. Of course, I could have made a mistake...in that case, let me know so I can fix it or, at least, apologize.

Note:  There are many paths in Tak that lead in all directions. If you find another interesting line of play (whether Tinue or not), I would certainly like to hear about it.

And, as always, if you have suggestions for content, just let me know via comments on this blog, r/Tak, Discord, or email.

Enjoy!

Puzzle #50: White to Play; White to Tinue

Hello Fellow Takkers!

This week's puzzle is a size 5, early mid-game Tinue. Next week I will try to do a size 6, unless I come across a more interesting board state during the week.

As always, if you have suggestions for content, just let me know via comments on this blog, r/Tak, Discord, or email.

For the purpose of these puzzles, 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. And, remember to add the r/Tak spoiler tag to your solution so as not to ruin it for others. To do this, put your answer in brackets and follow with (/spoiler). Ex:  [26. a3- Sa3](/spoiler).

To narrow things down to a single solution for this puzzle, I am looking for the board state of Tinue achieved in 7 moves (this would mean the win would occur in 9 moves).

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. Of course, I could have made a mistake...in that case, let me know so I can fix it or, at least, apologize.

P.S.  If you find another Tinue, I'd certainly be interested in seeing it.

Enjoy!

Puzzle #49: Black to Play; A Tinue in 3 Parts

Good evening, everyone!

So, I've been posting these puzzles for a while now and just realized that I don't really explain what Tinue is or how to answer. I know this isn't an issue for regulars, but it could be very confusing for new visitors.

Because of this, I will now try to remember to include a brief paragraph before each puzzle post defining any unusual terms and explaining how to answer the puzzle. Here's my first shot:

For the purpose of these puzzles, 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 named this puzzle A Tinue in 3 Parts not just as a nod to Rothfuss, but because I have set up 3 levels of difficulty to offer some choose your own adventure variety.

Part I - List the moves leading to a Black Tinue in either PTN or by posting a link to your solution on ptn.ninja.

Part II -  Find all 3 Tinues. Post in PTN or via a ptn.ninja link with gruppler's new branching function. Which is your favorite, and why?







Part III - Rewind the game back to White's move before the puzzle started (turn 23). What could White have done to prevent these Tinues?

Enjoy!

Puzzle #48: What is Black's Best Option?

Happy New Year!

I thought for the first puzzle of the New Year, we could take advantage of u/gruppler's new update to his software (ptn.ninja). This board state puts Black in a tough situation. Your task is to figure out which option is best and why. You can use the updated ptn.ninja to explore the different branches.

Enjoy!