4

In this description of Epaminondas with puzzles at the bottom, what is the solution to the first puzzle?

enter image description here

Improve this question

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
3

The solution is for white to move their row of 3 one space forward. There are a bunch of possible moves for black but white can guarantee a win from all of them.

enter image description here

If black moves away from their back line:

If black moves their leftmost piece away from the line, then red pushes forward. Black is forced to use their remaining 2 to capture red, who captures again. Black can't capture the remaining piece.

enter image description here

This is similar to the situation with the rightmost piece:

enter image description here

If black moves the middle piece away, then they will have to reform the broken 2 in order to defend the back line. Red aims a phalanx there:

enter image description here

If black moves the middle piece to the side to avoid this diagonal phalanx, red goes too far away on the other side:

enter image description here

If black stays on the back line

If black is staying on the back line, then their first move cannot be to the left. Any distance to the left allows red to take the first capture and keep pushing to win. Thus black moves right. If black moves more than one space to the right, then they're too far away to defend from the single piece moving in. If black moves one space to the right, red forces the black row to capture their piece, lining up the black phalanx to be split in half:

enter image description here

Improve this answer
12
  • 1
    That said, this question is probably more suited to the Puzzling Stack Exchange.
    – Samthere
    Feb 2, 2016 at 11:19
  • And probably this answer is oversimplified - I've been playing with having black make the best defensive move each time and it's tough!
    – Samthere
    Feb 2, 2016 at 11:48
  • You cannot choose how black moves; you should show that it cannot play in any way so as to prevent the win by white. Also to win white only needs one of its pieces on black's back rank (since black is nowhere near white's back rank).
    – hkBst
    Feb 2, 2016 at 11:50
  • 2
    From the help: "Questions about Go problems or Chess problems are fine, even if they are static puzzles, since they are related to a dynamic game." Can be extended to Epaminondas so this question is certainly on-topic here (as well as on Puzzling).
    – freekvd
    Feb 2, 2016 at 15:12
  • 1
    Okay, I've actually got it! Finishing this up.
    – Samthere
    Feb 2, 2016 at 15:26

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .