Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
From: rrognlie@netcom.com (Richard Rognlie)
Subject: Re: The Game of Y: rules/info ?
Date: Tue, 13 Dec 1994 23:27:31 GMT

: I am interested in learning more about the game
: I saw this reviewed in games magazine 12/94.

The game is played on a roughly triangular board that looks something
like the following:
     ____            
    /    \____          
   /   __/    \__         
   \__/  \__     \____      
   /  \     \____/    \__      
  /   /   __/    \__     \____   
  \   \__/  \__     \____/    \__  
  /   /  \     \____/    \__     \__  
  \__/   /   __/    \__     \____/  \__ 
  /  \   \__/  \__     \____/    \     \__
 /   /   /  \     \____/    \     \____/  \__
 \   \__/   /   __/    \     \____/    \     \ 
 /   /  \   \__/  \__   \____/    \     \__   \__
 \__/   /   /  \     \__/    \     \____/  \__/  \__
 /  \   \__/   /     /  \     \____/    \     \     \ 
/   /   /  \   \____/    \____/    \     \__   \__   \__
\   \__/    \__/    \____/    \     \____/  \__/  \__/  \__
/   /  \    /  \    /    \     \____/    \     \     \     \ 
\__/    \__/    \__/      \____/    \__   \__   \__   \__   \__
/  \    /  \    /  \      /    \    /  \__/  \__/  \__/  \__/  \  
\   \__/    \__/    \____/      \__/      \     \     \     \   \   
/   /  \    /  \    /    \      /  \    __/   __/   __/   __/   /  
\__/    \__/    \__/      \____/    \__/  \__/  \__/  \__/  \__/ 
/  \    /  \    /  \      /    \____/     /     /     /     / 
\   \__/    \__/    \____/     /    \____/   __/   __/   __/
/   /  \    /  \____/    \____/     /    \__/  \__/  \__/ 
\   \   \__/   /    \    /    \____/     /     /     / 
 \__/   /  \   \     \__/     /    \____/   __/   __/
 /  \   \   \__/   __/  \____/     /    \__/  \__/ 
 \   \__/   /  \__/     /    \____/     /     / 
 /   /  \   \     \____/     /    \____/   __/
 \   \   \__/   __/    \____/     /    \__/ 
  \__/   /  \__/     __/    \____/   __/ 
  /  \   \     \____/     __/    \__/  
  \   \__/   __/    \____/     __/   
  /   /  \__/     __/    \____/   
  \   \     \____/     __/      
   \__/   __/    \____/       
   /  \__/     __/         
   \     \____/          
    \____/             

Players take turns placing stones of their colour (one player is white,
the other black) on the board, trying to connect the 3 sides of the board
with a single set of fully connected stones.  The stones are placed on 
the intersection points on the lines.  A corner counts as being part of both
sides.

Richard
-- 
  /\/\/\  | Richard Rognlie / Sr. Computer Analyst / PRC Inc. / McLean, VA
 /  \ \ \ | E-Mail: rrognlie@netcom.com *or* rognlie_richard@prc.com
 \  / / / | Phone:  (Home) (703) 361-4764   (Office) (703) 556-2458
  \/\/\/  |                                 (Fax)    (703) 556-1174

From: wft@math.canterbury.ac.nz (Bill Taylor)
Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
Subject: Re: The Game of Y: rules/info ?
Date: 14 Dec 1994 02:07:00 GMT

rrognlie@netcom.com (Richard Rognlie) writes:
> The game is played on a roughly triangular board that looks something
> like the following:

[Exellent ascii board, program-drawn by Dan Hoey; snipped]

> Players take turns placing stones of their colour (one player is white,
> the other black) on the board, trying to connect the 3 sides of the board
> with a single set of fully connected stones. 

And don't forget the variant invented by Dan Hoey & myself, "Projective Y":-
played on the same board, but with diametrically opposite edge points
identified, (i.e. a board on a projective plane), the winner being the
first to make a closed loop which is non-contractible-to-a-point.

This is one of the more abstract of abstract games around; it should appeal to
mathematicians in particular.    J.H.Conway should have invented it!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              Bill Taylor              wft@math.canterbury.ac.nz
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   I'm not one of the main actors in the computing world, just a bit player.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Newsgroups: rec.games.abstract
From: rrognlie@netcom.com (Richard Rognlie)
Subject: Re: The Game of Y: rules/info ?
Date: Fri, 16 Dec 1994 12:42:06 GMT

: Why was the board shaped like that, rather than a straight hexagonal
: lattice?

There are 3 points which have only 5 connection points (rather than the
normal 6).  That forces the curved shape.  It also reduces the 1st player
advantage a little (in theory).  I still opt for 1 move equalization (e.g.,
player A moves.  Player B has option of accepting player A's move as his
own, or making his own move.  Play continues.)
-- 
  /\/\/\  | Richard Rognlie / Sr. Computer Analyst / PRC Inc. / McLean, VA
 /  \ \ \ | E-Mail: rrognlie@netcom.com *or* rognlie_richard@prc.com
 \  / / / | Phone:  (Home) (703) 361-4764   (Office) (703) 556-2458
  \/\/\/  |                                 (Fax)    (703) 556-1174