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Strategy Games Reg Sheppard John Wilkinson

Coleccion de 50 juegos y puzzles para estimular el pensamiento matematico

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Mateoalias Nani
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501 views66 pages

Strategy Games Reg Sheppard John Wilkinson

Coleccion de 50 juegos y puzzles para estimular el pensamiento matematico

Uploaded by

Mateoalias Nani
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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A collection of 50 games & puzzles to stimulate mathematical thinking SAZNZNG@ NUS he » 7 Reg Sheppard RP NAL a tel) If puzzles are posed and children are curious, then possibilities can be explored ... problems defined ... patterns sought ... perseverance developed ... progress shared .. pathways recorded .. pleasure found ... and playing becomes learning! Reg Sheppard John Wilkinson TARQUIN PUBLICATIONS Introduction Because they lend themselves to investigations at varying levels, many of the games and puzzles included in this collection are suitable for use with children of quite a wide range of ability and knowledge. Thoughiful use of games like these can broaden and enrich a child's mathematical experience, while providing opportunities for co-operative problem solving and for original thinking. We also hope that they will be enjoyed! “The games and puzzles in this collection require children to look for patterns and relationships while encouraging the development of ideas about number, space, tessellations, shapes, boundaries and networks. Players are encouraged to communicate their findings and to express them precisely in symbols. ‘We have included versions of many traditional games from around the world, together ‘with a number specially devised with our purposes in mind. Point Four and Interrupt, ‘which have their origins in traditional Japanese games, are played on the coordinate plane and should help children to become more confident about graphical work. The patterns of Achi and its related games or The Circles of Hanoi offer opportunities to identify and ‘compare mathematical structures. Exploration of Star Track and Pentagram should help to develop understanding of infinite number systems as well as providing an approach to the notion of the inverse. In solving Frogs, children may realise the benefit of starting ‘with a simpler situation and then applying the pattern discovered step by step to a more complex problem, Some of the traditional games may be of particular interest during project work, in particular cross-curriculum and multi-cultural studies. There are games from Ancient Egypt, West Africa, the Viking lands, Spain, India, Japan, China, Tibet, Korca, Sri Lanka and New Zealand. In particular, Wari, a game which was played in Ancient Egypt, is still known in various versions throughout southern Africa and Asia. Tt is a good example of a ‘game which requires counting and planning skills. ‘We think that too many packs of educational games rely on the use of dice as a game procedure, The emphasis in this collection is on the encouragement of thinking about strategies and the random factor introduced by dice is best avoided. These games need nothing extra for their playing except a few counters - and lively minds. Similarly, none of the games need much computation as we believe that there are already pleaty of number games devised by teachers to meet the need for number bond practice. ‘There is no straightforward progression of difficulty throughout this collection. However, the games within each small group are presented in the onder of increasing complexity. ‘Any part of this book may be freely copied within the school perchasing it, but these copies may not be used for commercial perposcs. I you have enjoyed this book there may be other Tarquin books wich would interest you, Tarquin books are available from Bookshops, Toy Saops, Asura Shops or in case of difficulty directly by post from the publishers For an up-to-date book list or mathematics catalogue please write to the publishers atthe address below. ©1996: Reg Sheppard, John Wilkinson Tarquin Publications ©1989: Previous Edition Stradbroke ISBN: 0906212707 Diss Printing: Five Castles Press Lid, Ipswich [Norfolk 1P21 SIP Allrights reserved England Contents Suggestions, Strategies and Solutions 1 Target 20 Hostage } 2 Total 21 Handball 3 Summits 22. Two Across & Nines 4 Serpent 23. Last Across 5 Minim 24 Mu Torere 6 Wari 25 Arrest! 7 Achi 26 The Rebel 8 Star 27. Hasami Shogi I 9° Nine Men's Morris 28 Hasami Shogi II 10 Point Four 29 Trapper 11 Bottoms Up 30 Four Field Kono 12 Interrupt 31 Jumpers 13. Exchange Kono 32 You 14 A Parlour Game 33. Spies 15 Cattle Drive 34 Hexit 16 Fox and Geese 35 Alquerque 17 Hexa 36 Ball ~ Dogs 18 Contrast 37 19 Squeeze & Twins 38 Cows and Leopards 39 Square It 45. Break-Away & Four-by-Two 40 Mr Sharem-Fairley 46 Frogs 41 All Change 47 Circles of Hanoi 42. Shunt 48° Buzz Off 43. Outline 49° Capture 44 Star Track 50 Disco ~ Children may be drawn into new challenges as a result of playing the games or tackling the puzzles... ‘What are the winning strategies (or losing routes)?” ‘Can the first (or second) player ensure a win? ‘iow many steps are needed to solve this puzzle?” ‘Why do you think that this problem has no solution? ‘Can you make 2 prediction about this game, and then test it? ‘Can you invent a simpler version of this game, in order to explore its structure? ‘Can you make 2 generalisation about this kind of game? ‘Flow did the breakthrough come? ‘Can you record the stages your thinking went through?’ ‘Can you find a better way to record the pattern of moves?” ‘Can you invent an interesting nevr game, using what you have discovered? TARGET : This game is not self-correcting, and children might make unrecognised errors whl Playing ~ a rather common feature of number activities, However, players are encouraged challenge any answers they believe to be wrong. An extra safeguard ~ and good practi anyway ~ is the requirement that children record each step,eg 3-+1—4 4+ 5— 9+ 1=10 etc. The rule ‘No space may be used twice’ may be adopted. TOTAL This time, looking ahead is called for. as choices at each step are limited ~ and grow few as the game progresses. An elecironic version of this game requires that a digit button on calculator may only be chosen fits adjacent tothe previous one pressed, The zr btton luded. SUMMITS This game provides fewer options still but a greater opportunity to anticipate moves an thus to control the course of the game. Moves may be recorded Inthe ancient game of Nim, two players would take turns to remove one or to counters from a ple, thelastto play being the loser (or winner, if agreed beforehand). With children, begin with a very simple game — just seven counters would be enowat ~ in which they can begin to develop their ideas of strategies, and get some practice in rapid simple computation. If four counters are left, the player who must take either one or two counters cam be forced im his or her next turn to take the last cone. Take the argument further: If there are seven counters atthe start, note that whatever the rst player takes, the second player can reduce the number remaining to four... Itis now clear that the second player cam almazys win ths seven counter Nim. Using more counters, the children will be able to discover the key series... 13, 10.7.4 1. M-—=mnkimam counters taken in one turn. then the second player can ensure that M+ 1 is taken each round. Only ifthe inital number tsa mallisle of M+ 1 plus one counter extra, can second player be sure of a win - otherwise the first player can set up 2 min by = comect Gest move Another version of Nim permits the removal of any number of countess om any cme pile mihene several ples exist A scheme based on binary arithmetic provides a way of ensuring a win, The safe player checks that attests or er tur, theve millbe left an even ‘number of any binary groups present in the pes. For instance, in the simple and traditional Seem besinnsina with piles of three four and five counters, the analysis is as follows: Eights Fours Twos Units Number of counters in pile: 3 1 1 4 1 5 Z 1 Even) (Even) (O82) Enea There is only one set of two, s0 this must be removed to make the game ‘sae Wnriewsr the other player semoves, the safe player is always in a position to restore the balance of binary groups until the final few maw: the tactic depends on whether the game is for a last player win or loss. 4 SERPENT Explore the game using one counties sememibersng that in this form of Nim the lastto play, wins. How many spaces should » player teytiolienwe avatlable after his orher tum? Children may discover that the Key series this times Si £2.$. 4 0 However, once several counters aren play, blocking moves become possible . an anatbess much more difficult. 5 MINIM Move from the linear game.sf Sespentotbe two-dimensional array of Minim. This game is too complicated for complete analysand therefore continuous scoring is suggested so that there can be purposeful play ewes = Sheeariy stazes (One point gained per counter removed, ba ie pons ot for ange eal Tking back rom the fal move should be encour Minim can also be played om 2 teee-dimensional Noughts-and-Crosses board. WARI Wari also involves progressive semioeal of counters from a common set but inthis game (once played in Ancient Ezypt and sil wery popular in Africa and Asia) the playing board is divided into two zones, one Selonsne to each player. There are many variants of Wari or Mancala; in each of them 2 tam swoives the sowing of counters round a board and the Possibility of removing counters from the fnal cell reached. The game rules usually provide for counters to be taken from preceding cells too. but we offer here a simplified version. In the modem race game of Backgammon (derived from the ancient Roman game of Tabula), each player has separate counters, and dice are used to limit the range of moves. Nevertheless, an affinity with Wari is apparent in such tactics as attacks on vulnerable pieces and the defensive grouping of home counters. ‘Mathematicians are interested in studying, and classifying structures, and are intrigued when they find similar patterns in what had at first appeared to be quite different systems. Such parallel instances are said to show ‘isomorphism: For the first eight moves, Achi is just like Noughts-and-Crosses; if the game of Achi is played with five counters each and no movement of counters once played. the similarity is complete. 7 oo » ACHI How many alternative opening moves are there? How many second, third, fourth moves. . .? The first nine moves can each be followed by any of eight second moves, and soon. dl le ‘The total number of possible combinations of nine moves filling the board is 9 (factorial ie.9x 8x7 x6x5x4x3x2x 1. But does it make any real difference ifthe game begins at one corner rather than another? Children may discover that rotations or reflections reduce the number of le distinct opening moves to just three (A, B and C in the diagram). How many lines does each of these moves affect? (Four, three and two respectively) So, which is the strongest opening play? How many distinct combinations of two moves are there? They may find: ABlanyB) AC(anyC) BA: BBladjacenty BB opposite; BCladjacent; = BC distant) = CN CBladjacent; CB (distant; CC (adjacent); CC (opposite) ~ making twelve combinations unless the sequence of moves is disregarded, in which case there are only eight distinet patterns. Since Achi does not have a nine-move limit, a thoughtful player needs to anticipate possible moves beyond the ninth move, when counters are slid to new positions. Noughts-and-Crosses should always be a drawn game, but is this true of Achi Incidentally, both games have eight winning lines, three playing points per line, and nine playing points in all (8, 3,9. 8 STAR ‘Now introduce Star. Is Star isomorphic with Achi? Why not? Star has six lines, three playing points per line, and nine playing points inall (6,3,9). How many lines does each point affect? Try to invent another game with a 6, 3, 9 pattern Here is ROTOR. A winning line of three must lien a single ac, and the central point ofa winning line mustbe a white dot. Each arc has five points; there are six winning lines, each using three playing points, and nine playing points in all .. Some other variations of the Noughts-and-Crosses family are: FORCE Reverse Noughts-and-Crosses: a player completing a line, loses. DONKEY ‘Aversion of Force in which a player may play either colour counter (nought or cross) a each move. The object isto trap one's ‘opponent into completing a line. TICTACTOE ‘On the Achior Twos Across board, players take turns to place their own three counters Play then continues by sliding moves until a line of theee i achieved, but the moves must be orthogonal (along a row or column, not diagonal) “To record mowes in any of these games, children will need to devise a way to label the playing board. 9 NINE MEN’S MORRIS ‘Nine Men's Mortis was played 3500 years azo in Ancient Egypt, also in Troy, in Bronze ‘Age Ireland .... A game board was even found in the Gokstad ship in Norway (ad, 900). This game has sixteen possible winning lines, each with three playing points, and twenty-four points Y inall. Which points are the most important? (Which points control movement from one circuit to another?) Children may observe that certain points on the network allow four directions of movement, whilst some of the others allow only two. ‘Twelve Men’s Mortis is played on a board where each set of three corner points is also linked by a diagonal line. POINT FOUR ‘When played using a blackboard or overhead projector, this game is suitable for a class ‘activity in which children dictate moves toa child acting as team marker. This offers practice in the co-ordinate system, using ordered pairs. The x axis reference (bottom line of numerals) is given first ~ Just as for map references, the ‘Easting. precedes the ‘Northing BOTTOMS UP! Is it advantageous to play first? 10 1 Are centrally placed counters more likely to figure in a winning line? Ifs0, why is this? (A comer can only figure in three possible lines, whereas the central space might by used in any of sixteen lines) 13 14 15 16 EERE] COO Pere Ro 50 PO SEBYY EXCHANGE KONO UR G: CATILE DRIVE _FOX and GEESE INTERRUPT Make it clear that a continuous, but not necessarily straight, line is required from ed edge in order to win. Corner points may be used for either winning line. Which player has the advantage? AA Which playing points are the most important? The tactics of this game may be explored first on smaller boards. The game becomes ‘more interesting when some diagonal links are included; otherwise, drawn games soon become inevitable as players learn blocking tactics. With too many diagonals on a tiny board, a simple first player win becomes obvious. O: the larger board, blocking the more restricted parts ofthe opponent's route, without wasting any moves which do not contribute to one’s own progress, isthe way to proceed. Children should sgon beable to discover how to ake advantage ofthe alternative route that a diagonal branch offers EXCHANGE KONO Related asit isto the Victorian game of Halma. this game sa little more subtle than it at frst appeats ~ There are actually two interlacing networks, and each counter can move over only half of the playing points ike 2 Bishop in Chess A PARLOUR GAME Which is the spider's best first move? Children may soon realise that the spider should patrol the perimeter of the web rather than chase across the web after the insect. Which is the ost direct route to the window frame for the insect? Can it be caught? CATTLE DRIVE ‘This collection includes several ancient games, such as Fox & Geese, Kungser, and Cows & Leopards, in which contests are fought between two unequal or dissimilar forces. Cattle Drive isa simpler version in which children can explore the tactics for blocking moves. FOX AND GEESE Children studying a historical topic about the Vikings will enjoy playing in a Viking game tournament. Other traditional games can be used to add vitality to children’s studies in the same kind of way. ‘The geese have the advantage. and can force a win without losing any pieces or even moving backward. Games can be tried with fewer geese, or even two foxes In this particular collection, Fox & Geese isthe frst to involve capture of opposing pieces by the jumping over’ move DARL LOA DLALYV LLLDAA VV HEXA (and HEXNAKES) ‘After the introductory game, the rules may be extended to allow play on a space where two adjacent hexagons are already occupied. Now snakes and rings appear instead of mere pairs of ‘occupied spaces. Children can try to discover the patterns which lead to minimum and maximum numbers of counters having been placed in a completed game using these rules, HEXNAKES Using the same game-board, each player now plays his own colour, and may play on any space where no more than two adjacent spaces are occupied by that player's colour. The longest snake of one colour wins. Will you allow a snake to ea its own tal? (Are rings to be allowed) Encourage children to explore the topological features of hexagonal tessellations, by inviting them to devise more variations of Hexa CONTRAST Here, the children gain experience of a triangular grid, and many simple games can be devised for this board, too. Cattle Drive, Hexa and Contrast are played on square hexagonal and triangular tessellations respectively. Can children think of other shapes suitable for making a game board? Can they combine two different shapes in one tessellation? How many ways are there to produce a game board (tessellation of the plane) containing (1) all identical regular shapes, (2) two. kinds of regular shapes (3) repeated shapes of any kind ? The answers tothe firsttwo questions will ofcourse be found to depend on the corner angles of regular polygons and whether an exact number of them sum to 360 degrees. The children should soon realise, however that there are an unlimited number of tilings in the last category. When children colour the game-boards they have made, how many colours are required for square, hexagonal and triangular arids so that no adjacent spaces are the same? This puzzle offers a simple introduction to the famous map-colouring problem (Whats the minimum number of colours needed to colour any map s0 that no adiacent countries are the same?) 19 SQUEEZE (and TWINS) This isa trivial game, but it enables a child to explore the conditions for winning to record conclusions and to suggest rule changes TWINS This is alittle more complicated, and explores a rather different kind of game. How might the first player move to ensure a win? (Take 2 & 3 or 10 & 11 and whatever the second player does, the frst player can then play so that two separate pairs of counters remain forthe final moves) HOSTAGE ‘This game can be indecisive when two players play cautiously. Some games have an inevitable winning finish (eg, Minim): some finish, but if played correctly end in a draw (eg, Noughts & Crosses Yet others are open-ended unless the rules disallow endless repetition of moves (eg. Chess), In Hostage, a diagonal move (effectively two orthogonal steps in one move) an change the ‘advantage of play dramatically ~just asa change between even and odd numbers of spaces was found to’affect advantage in the simple game of Squeeze. A Further Selection of Short Games ete 1 TWO ACROSS LAST ACROSS MU TORERE HANDBALL One may save enough points to prevent a score, but this may scoring, In this game, each player should attend to the strategy his opponent his decisions accordingly. A record should be kept to avoid arguments practice in subtraction. 22 TWOS ACROSS (and NINES) Played thoughifully, this little game can be a battle of wits. Does the first player to me have an advantage? Does it pay to move one piece across and off the board quickly? Does t { ever pay to move backward? NINES A development of Twins, with a second dimension and a good opportunity for children to consider strategy 23 LAST ACROSS ‘A development of Twos Across. 24 cage MU TORERE l ‘An intriguing litte ga alternating round with all ofa playe instant win ~ that on both sides on New Zealand. This version (with the two players’ counters, e satisfactory than the more usual starting layout latter case, an extra rule is needed to prevent an sd to the putahi fit has friendly counters adjacent ARREST HASAMI SHOGI TRAPPER 2 series of games in which the trappi 25 ‘Two black counters pursue one white coun remain free? In version 2, each player has two co other opposing counter. In Version 3, orthogonal moves and traps.ai also become possible. st first one, then the required, and corner traps THE REBEL A more complex traditional game, in which different forces are opposed. As to which Player has an advantage... Its much more difficult to be sure in a complicated game like this, lf the Rebel moves wisely, he can reduce the opposing force by four in his frst two moves. A time limit can be agreed ~ The Rebel wins if he is still at liberty when time rune out 27 HASAMI SHOGI ‘These Japanese games are usually played on the spaces of a portion of a Go board (unlike * 28 Go itself which uses the grid intersections). Our first version involves both short-term objectives (captures) and a long-term aim (a line of five), whilst the second cals for destruction ‘ofthe opposing force. Some children will discover that counters in blocks of four are safe from ‘

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