Gamehelphex

INTRODUCTION

The Hex game is a connection game independently invented by two mathematicians, Piet Hein and John Nash, respectively in 1942 and 1947. The interest of this game mainly lies on the contrast between the simplicity of its rules and the potential complexity of its strategy. Another interesting aspect is that the game can't end in a tie.

GOAL

The goal for each player is to create a connected path of his tokens linking his two opposite sides of the board (of his color).

OPENING

The first player places a first token on any cell of the board. The second player has then the choice between:

• continue playing his current color (and thus place a second token anywhere on the board);
• or decide to switch colors and keep the first move for him. In this case the first player places another token with his new color.

TURNS

After the first two moves (see OPENING), each player plays a token of his color on his turn. A token can be placed on any free cell of the board.

GAME ENDS

The game ends when one of the players has built a complete path with his tokens between his two sides of the board. The game can't end in a tie.

VARIANTS

The game can be played on several different board sizes. The 6x6 board is designed to help beginners to understand the basic rules and discover simple game patterns. The 11x11 board is a more classic size. The 14x14 board is the one recommended by John Nash, one of the game inventor, and the 15x15 allowed longer plays.