HexWiki - User contributions [en]

Maciej Celuch

2012-03-15T15:19:44Z

Vintermann:

Maciej Celuch is a Polish Hex player.

He is ranked #1 on [[Little Golem]], and is considered the strongest Hex player in the world by a good margin. He is more than 100 elo ahead of the runner up in 13x13 Hex on Little Golem, and more than 300 elo ahead on 19x19.

Maciej Celuch also plays under the nickname nie_wiesz ("don't know" in Polish) on [[igGameCenter]] and other Hex sites.

Online playing

2011-09-27T11:01:03Z

Vintermann: /* Realtime playing sites */ Boardspace tournament was cancelled

Hex can be played online either using a web-based format or via e-mail.

=Web-based games=

Web-based games can be played either in ''real-time'', where moves are made within minutes (or even seconds), or ''turn-based'', where a player has days for one move.

==Realtime playing sites==

The most popular sites (approximatively ordered by the number of hex games played on them daily) are:
* [[igGameCenter]] for real-time play, with time settings, and ranking (it has many connection games).
* [[boardspace]] for real-time play
* http://www.ludoteka.com/ for real-time play
* http://games.wtanaka.com/hex for real-time or turn-based play
* http://havannah.vying.org for real-time play (it has both Hex and Havannah)

==Turn-based playing sites==

* [[Little Golem]] for turn-based play (also has other games).
* [http://hex.chrisalmost.org Chris Almost's Hex] has a clean, simple interface. Turn based with email notifications.
* See also [http://www.gamerz.net/pbmserv Richard's server]. One can play completely by e-mail, but it also has a [http://www.gamerz.net/pbmserv/List.php?Hex graphical interface] now. Furthermore any sized board is supported.

=E-mail-based games=

Hex may also be played over e-mail, in a turn-based fashion. The board can be represented in ASCII using either the full or compact formats below. The full layout is rotated 90 degrees from the compact one. (A fixed-width font is required for either board to display correctly in an e-mail client.)

<pre>
Full layout:

O _ X
O _/ \_ X
O _/ \_/ \_ X
O _/ \_/ \_/ \_ X
O _/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_ X
O _/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_ X
O _/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_ X
O _/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_ X
_/ \_/ \_/O\_/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_
/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_/X\_/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \
\_/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_/
X\_/ \_/ \_/O\_/O\_/X\_/ \_/ \_/O
X\_/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_/O
X\_/ \_/ \_/X\_/ \_/ \_/O
X\_/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_/O
X\_/ \_/ \_/ \_/O
X\_/ \_/ \_/O
X\_/ \_/O
X\_/O

Compact layout:
/.\
/. .\
/. . .\
X /. . . .\ O
/. . . . .\
/. . . O . .\
/. . O . . . .\
/. . . . . . . .\
. . X O X . . . .
\. . . . . . . ./
\. . X . . . ./
\. . . . . ./
\. . . . ./
O \. . . ./ X
\. . ./
\. ./
\./
</pre>

[[category: Hex community]]
[[category: online play]]

Talk:Kurnik

2008-08-07T15:22:18Z

Vintermann:

I think it is better to link directly to hex in different languages, as (for example in Spanish) hex doesn't appear in the start page. --[[User:RBerenguel|RBerenguel]] 18:57, 13 November 2007 (CET)

You are right. Change whatever you want [[User:Halladba|Halladba]] 21:59, 13 November 2007 (CET)

Can anyone who speaks polish or knows more about Kurnik please give more info, or a link, to more info about the decision to close? Ididn't use it myself, but there were always people playing when I logged on to look. [[User:Vintermann|Vintermann]] 17:22, 7 August 2008 (CEST)

Tournaments

2008-04-26T07:04:29Z

Vintermann: Mundo torneio moved to Tournaments: revert

==Spanish Hex 13x13 Online Championship in Little Golem==

The first Spanish Championship will start in January 2008, and will be played in [[Little Golem]] in a Round Robin (divided in groups). More info at [http://spainhex.blogspot.com/ its blog]

==International Tournament 2006 in Oslo==

Took place on August 11th - 13th 2006. Photos and results can be found on [http://www.littlegolem.net/jsp/forum/topic2.jsp?forum=50&topic=244 littlegolem].

==International Tournament 2005 in Wrocław==

The first international Hex tournament was held in May 2005 in Wrocław, [[Poland]].

Here is some information:
* a [http://masak.org/carl/wroclaw/ blog with results]
* a page with [http://www.photos-wroclaw.prv.pl/ photos from the event]

==Online Team Tournament in 2003==

[[Team Tournament 1]]

==See also==
[[ICGA]]

[[category: hex community]]

Mundo torneio

2008-04-26T07:04:29Z

Vintermann: Mundo torneio moved to Tournaments: revert

#REDIRECT [[Tournaments]]

Champion

2008-04-25T07:40:19Z

Vintermann: typos

Despite the lack of an international [[Hex]] federation, some players have an outstanding Hex-playing level. Hence they can be considered as champions. Moreover on [[Little Golem]], there are championships, and the winner of these championships are regarded as world Hex champions.

==Little Golem Champions list==

* August 2002 -> November 2002 - [[Glenn C. Rhoads]] - USA
* November 2002 -> January 2003 - [[Magnus Öberg]] - Sweden
* January 2003 -> June 2003 - [[Martin]] - Slovokia
* June 2003 -> October 2003 - [[David J Bush]] - USA
* October 2003 -> June 2004 - [[Leoni]] - [[Poland]]
* June 2004 -> October 2004 - [[Frode Lillevold]] - [[Norway]]
* October 2004 -> May 2005 - [[Tim Shih]] - USA
* May 2005 -> March 2006 - [[Frode Lillevold]] - Norway
* March 2006 -> Today - [[nie_wiesz]] - Poland

==[[Tournaments|Live Tournaments]] Champions list==

* Wroclaw 2005 - [[nie_wiesz]] - Poland
* Oslo 2006 - [[Marius Halsør]] - Norway

== Inner links ==
* [[Tournaments]]
* [[History of Hex]]

== External links ==
[http://www.littlegolem.net/jsp/games/gamedetail.jsp?gtid=hex Tournaments page on Little Golem]

Boardspace

2008-02-05T12:10:15Z

Vintermann: Languages at Boardspace

'''boardspace''' Boardspace.net is a web site devoted to realtime play of abstract strategy games, including Hex. It's all free, and there is no advertising.

The standard variation at Boardspace is 11x11, but 15x15 and 19x19 are also available. All games are recorded
and reviewable.

Most players speak English, but French is also common.

== Addresses ==
* http://boardspace.net/ — Boardspace.net home page
* http://boardspace.net/english/about_hex.html — Hex home page
* http://boardspace.net/hex/hex-viewer.shtml — Hex game archives at Boardspace
* http://boardspace.net/cgi-bin/boardspace_rankings.cgi?game=H — Hex player rankings at Boardspace

[[category:hex community]]

Online playing

2008-02-05T12:07:44Z

Vintermann: switched name of link, removed disclaimer.

Hex can be played online either using a web-based format or via e-mail.

==Web-based games==
Web-based games can be played either in ''real-time'', where moves are made within minutes (or even seconds), or ''turn-based'', where a player has days for one move.

The most popular sites are
* [[kurnik]] for real-time play,
* [[boardspace]] for real-time play
* http://www.ludoteka.com/ for real-time play
* and [[Little Golem]] for turn-based play.
* less popular but also turn based is [http://www.gamerz.net/pbmserv Richard's server]. One can play completely by e-mail, but it also has a [http://www.gamerz.net/pbmserv/List.php?Hex graphical interface] now. Furthermore any sized board is supported.
* http://www.iggamecenter.com/ for real-time play, with time settings, and ranking.

==E-mail-based games==

Hex may also be played over e-mail, in a turn-based fashion. The board can be represented in ASCII using either the full or compact formats below. The full layout is rotated 90 degrees from the compact one. (A fixed-width font is required for either board to display correctly in an e-mail client.)

<pre>
Full layout:

O _ X
O _/ \_ X
O _/ \_/ \_ X
O _/ \_/ \_/ \_ X
O _/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_ X
O _/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_ X
O _/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_ X
O _/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_ X
_/ \_/ \_/O\_/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_
/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_/X\_/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \
\_/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_/
X\_/ \_/ \_/O\_/O\_/X\_/ \_/ \_/O
X\_/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_/O
X\_/ \_/ \_/X\_/ \_/ \_/O
X\_/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_/O
X\_/ \_/ \_/ \_/O
X\_/ \_/ \_/O
X\_/ \_/O
X\_/O

Compact layout:
/.\
/. .\
/. . .\
X /. . . .\ O
/. . . . .\
/. . . O . .\
/. . O . . . .\
/. . . . . . . .\
. . X O X . . . .
\. . . . . . . ./
\. . X . . . ./
\. . . . . ./
\. . . . ./
O \. . . ./ X
\. . ./
\. ./
\./
</pre>

[[category: Hex community]]

Connection game

2008-02-05T11:54:29Z

Vintermann: /* Timeline */ Minor listing consistency fix

A '''connection game''' is a [[game]] where the goal is to use the [[Piece (general)|piece]]s to create a connection between some parts of the [[Board (general)|board]]. The first connection game was [[Hex]], which was invented in 1942, after which several other connection games have been created.

== Timeline ==

;[[Hex]] ([[Piet Hein]] 1942 and [[John Nash]] 1948)
:The original connection game. Played on a [[Printable boards|rhombic hex grid]].
;[[Y]] ([[Craige Schenstead]] and [[Charles Titus]], 1950s)
:Played on a [[Printable Y boards|triangluar grid of hexagons]]
;[[Twixt]] ([[Alex Randolph]], 1960s)
:Played on a [[square grid]] of holes into which the players place [[peg]]s. The pegs can be connected via [[Bridge (general)|bridges]].
;[[Havannah]] ([[Christian Freeling]], 1980)
:Multiple goals, two connection-oriented and one shape-oriented.
;[http://www.di.fc.ul.pt/~jpn/gv/quax.htm Quax] (Bill Taylor?, 2000?)
:Played on a square grid with the possibility of diagonal connections.
;[[Onyx]] ([[Larry Back]], 2000)
:Played on an original grid consisting of both triangles and squares. It is the first connection game with a [[capturing rule]].
;[[Gonnect]] ([[João Pedro Neto]], 2000)
:This game is simply [[Go]], but with a different goal, namely to create a connection between any two opposite sides.
;[[Unlur]] ([[Jorge Gómez Arrausi]], 2001)
:Played on a [[hexagonal hex grid]]. Unique in the way that the players have [[different objectives]].
;[[Connecto]] (unknown author, unknown year)
:Played on an interlaced square board.
;[[MindNinja]] (Nicholas Bentley, 2006)
:Generalized game of shape-building and connection, where board and win conditions are decided with help of a [[pie rule]].
;[[Atoll]] (Mark Steere, 2008)
:A generalization of Hex to boards with four or more perimeter segments. With four segments, it is identical to Hex.
:See [http://www.marksteeregames.com/Atoll_rules.pdf the rule sheet] for more information.

== References ==

;[[Cameron Browne]], [http://www.amazon.com/Connection-Games-Variations-Cameron-Browne/dp/1568812248/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-1532904-9846317?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1177663469&sr=8-1 "Connection Games: Variations on a Theme"]

[[Category: Other games]]

A1 opening

2008-02-05T11:52:36Z

Vintermann: Non-constructive reminder

{{wrongtitle|title=a1 opening}}



The '''a1 opening''' (in the [[acute corner]]) is one of only two openings known to be defeatable. The other is [[B1 opening|b1]].

(This does not mean that these are the worst possible opening moves. Compare with the diagrams on [http://www.cs.ualberta.ca/~queenbee/openings.html the openings page at the queenbee site])

Like the proof that Hex is a win for the first player, the proof that A1 loses is non-constructive: Although we know that it exists, the winning strategy has not been found for regular sized Hex boards.

Due to the [[Symmetries (board)|symmetry]] of the Hex board, the same is true of the [[opposite hex]]es, but they are not usually referred to explicitly because their [[Coordinates (board)|designation]] depends on the size of the board.

[[image:acuteopening.png]]

== Sketch for proof ==

== a2 has been proved a losing answer ==
[http://hex.kosmanor.com/hex/b1loses.html A sketch of the proof on kosmanor page]

== References ==
References for proofs can be found on the [http://hex.kosmanor.com/hex/theory.html Hex Theory] page.

[[Category: Opening]]
[[Category: Theory]]
{{stub}}

Talk:Handicap

2008-02-05T11:47:11Z

Vintermann:

''Any suggestions for how handicap play can be implemented are welcome. We need more discussion on this wiki. :)''

what about moving some stuff about the winning ways on non symmetrical boards to theory page ? [[User:Halladba|Halladba]] 21:08, 3 February 2008 (CET)

OK, discussing you will get :-) Regarding fixed starting moves instead of swap as a handicap option, it would be lovely to get some empirical data. For instance, in a game where I place (and get to keep) the first piece at A1, just how much more do I lose than in a game I got to keep B2 instead? [[User:Vintermann|Vintermann]] 12:47, 5 February 2008 (CET)

Handicap

2008-02-05T10:33:52Z

Vintermann: A suggestion for handicaps that could work

Playing with '''handicap''' means to give one of the [[player]]s (preferably the weaker one) an advantage at the start of the game. The point of this is to make the game more even, so that it will be challenging for both players.

In [[Hex]] there is no standard way of playing with handicap, and because of this it is not very common to do so. This ought to be changed.

There are several ways a handicap could be implemented.

== Non-rhombic board ==
One natural way is to play with an ''m × n'' [[board]] where ''m'' is distinct from ''n'', and let the weaker player have the shortest distance between his sides. Unfortunately, this doesn't work very well, since there exists an easy, explicit winning strategy for the player with shortest distance.

[[Image:Rhomboid.png]]

Here is the winning strategy. Suppose the board is an m by m+1 grid. The diagram shows m=4. The board can be partitioned into two triangular regions of m cells on each side. Now pair each cell in one triangle with a cell in the other triangle, as shown. The pairing is like a mirror image which is shifted slightly. The winning strategy for black is to answer each white move by playing in the corresponding cell in the other triangular region. If black has already occupied the corresponding cell, then it does not matter where black plays.

Suppose the board is filled with stones, and white has a win despite the fact that black followed this strategy. That implies the winning white path must cross the red line at least once. Consider the highest point at which the winning white path crosses the red line. This crossing cannot occur between two white stones on the same horizontal row, since for each such pair of cells, black must have occupied one of them. That implies the crossing from left to right must "go down" from B to A' or C to B' etc. Let us call this pair of cells Y (on the left side of the red line) and X' on the right side. The corresponding cell to Y we will call Y'.

For white to have a winning path which crosses at this point, there must be a continuous chain of white stones from cell Y to the left white border row. But since black followed the above strategy, this implies there is a continuous chain of corresponding black stones from Y' down to the bottom black border row. Therefore the white chain is blocked from connecting to the right. This contradicts the assumption that white has a win, so black must have a win.

For other shape grids, m by m+k where k>1, the same strategy can be used, as long as the two triangular regions are adjacent to each other. For cells which lie outside these regions on the left or right, it does not matter how black responds to any white moves in these regions.
--[[User:Twixter|David]] 17:10, 8 Oct 2006 (CEST)

== Start with pieces on the board ==
Alternatively one can use the kind of handicap used in [[Go]]: The weaker player places a certain number of [[piece|pieces]] on the board as his [[first move]]. A 1-piece handicap is the same as playing ordinary Hex without the [[swap option]]. With a handicap of two or more pieces, the first player either places the stones as he likes, or according to some pre-defined rules.

The drawback of this option is that even a 1-piece handicap gives a very big [[advantage]]. At least this is true on [[Small boards|smaller boards]] (such as the 10 × 10 board). On larger boards, such as 19 × 19 this may be a good solution, and weak players may even be allowed to place three or four pieces against the strongest players.

== First to win N games ==
Another possibility in order to handicap games is to play "First to win N games" to win the match. For the weaker player let the N be less than the stronger's, in order to handicap the match.

For example, "If you win 5 games, you win the match, but if I win 3, I win the match". --[[User:Gregorio|Gregorio]] 13:33, 13 Oct 2006 (CEST)

== No swap rule / fixed openings ==

It is possible to play Hex without the swap rule. Since this gives a large advantage to the player moving first, it can be used as a means of giving an advantage to the weaker player. A more fine-grained approach is to not use swap, but place the first piece according to how big a handicap the red player needs. The more central the piece, the larger the handicap.

For very large handicaps, one could experiment by having a central red piece plus the first blue piece in a bad position as part of the setup (with red to move), placing two red pieces near the edges and letting blue go first etc. By setting up a position beforehand and deciding who is to move, you can create positions arbitrarily balanced towards the one or the other player.

The price is that one gets a slightly different game, so that it's possible that a player might become especially good at certain common handicap positions. But this should be of no more concern than it is in Go (and much less than in Shogi or Chess). I think it would be worthwhile to work out a standard ladder of handicap positions, sorted according to their bias to red.

User talk:MarkSteere

2008-01-30T10:04:12Z

Vintermann:

Hello Mark Steere, and welcome to HexWiki! I hope there is room for Atoll here, and I think so, but be careful calling it "the" generalization of Hex and such. For one thing, there are many ways of generalizing Hex (Mind Ninja is another, for instance, since the set of ways a Hex game can play out is a subset of the ways a MN game can play out) and most importantly, it's not the way to win over Hex fans!

[[User:Vintermann|Vintermann]] 11:04, 30 January 2008 (CET)

Connection game

2008-01-30T09:56:11Z

Vintermann: /* Timeline */ Extended Mind Ninja, edited Atoll

A '''connection game''' is a [[game]] where the goal is to use the [[Piece (general)|piece]]s to create a connection between some parts of the [[Board (general)|board]]. The first connection game was [[Hex]], which was invented in 1942, after which several other connection games have been created.

== Timeline ==

;[[Hex]] ([[Piet Hein]] 1942 and [[John Nash]] 1948)
:The original connection game. Played on a [[Printable boards|rhombic hex grid]].
;[[Y]] ([[Craige Schenstead]] and [[Charles Titus]], 1950s)
:Played on a [[Printable Y boards|triangluar grid of hexagons]]
;[[Twixt]] ([[Alex Randolph]], 1960s)
:Played on a [[square grid]] of holes into which the players place [[peg]]s. The pegs can be connected via [[Bridge (general)|bridges]].
;[[Havannah]] ([[Christian Freeling]], 1980)
:Multiple goals, two connection-oriented and one shape-oriented.
;[http://www.di.fc.ul.pt/~jpn/gv/quax.htm Quax] (Bill Taylor?, 2000?)
:Played on a square grid with the possibility of diagonal connections.
;[[Onyx]] ([[Larry Back]], 2000)
:Played on an original grid consisting of both triangles and squares. It is the first connection game with a [[capturing rule]].
;[[Gonnect]] ([[João Pedro Neto]], 2000)
:This game is simply [[Go]], but with a different goal, namely to create a connection between any two opposite sides.
;[[Unlur]] ([[Jorge Gómez Arrausi]], 2001)
:Played on a [[hexagonal hex grid]]. Unique in the way that the players have [[different objectives]].
;[[Connecto]] (unknown author, unknown year)
:Played on an interlaced square board.
;[[MindNinja]] (Nicholas Bentley, 2006)
:Generalized game of shape-building and connection, where board and win conditions are decided with help of a [[pie rule]].
;[[Atoll]] (Mark Steere, 2008)
:Atoll is a generalization of Hex to boards with four or more perimeter segments. With four segments, it is identical to Hex.
:See [http://www.marksteeregames.com/Atoll_rules.pdf the rule sheet] for more information.

== References ==

;[[Cameron Browne]], [http://www.amazon.com/Connection-Games-Variations-Cameron-Browne/dp/1568812248/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-1532904-9846317?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1177663469&sr=8-1 "Connection Games: Variations on a Theme"]

[[Category: Other games]]

Talk:Six

2008-01-13T20:32:09Z

Vintermann: GTP Six? Wow!

Wow, there is a GTP version of Six? Have anyone tried compiling it on Linux?
It makes it much easier to try it against other programs, in better GUIs. Six plays an awesome game, but the GUI leaves a bit to be desired. It also does not support SGF, so no annotated games, opening studies, template libraries etc. which one certainly needs for serious study.
[[User:Vintermann|Vintermann]] 21:32, 13 January 2008 (CET)

Talk:Momentum

2007-12-11T19:17:16Z

Vintermann: Signed

"You should generally not hand over the momentum to the opponent unless you have a very good reason for doing so."

When I play Zèrtz, I am very careful about momentum, since giving a skilled opponent the initiative when there are two or more marbles on the board can often lose you the game.

I do not play Go, but I understand momentum is important, there too.

But in Hex, I don't see how it applies. I can't quite see what "handing over the initiative" means in a Hex context. By the nature of the game I am always trying both to prevent my opponent's connection and ensure my own, so what do you really mean?

I would really appreciate examples. "This is a good move. That would also be a good move, except it gives your opponent the initiative", like.

[[User:Vintermann|Vintermann]] 20:17, 11 December 2007 (CET)

Talk:Momentum

2007-12-11T19:16:59Z

Vintermann: What does momentum really _mean_ in a Hex context?

Talk:History of computer Hex

2007-12-06T09:16:06Z

Vintermann: Shannon-Moore machine

The description of Shannon and Moore's machine is incorrect, as far as I can see. As I understand it, the machine, when playing white, considered all black pieces isolators, all white pieces conductors, and all open hexes resistors. It then did not try out all combinations, but simply picked the square with the highest current going through it.

Can anyone verify my understanding of the machine?

[[User:Vintermann|Vintermann]] 10:16, 6 December 2007 (CET)

Talk:Glenn C. Rhoads vs. unknown

2007-12-04T07:14:56Z

Vintermann:

Finally a commented Hex game! Thanks to you, Glenn C. Rhoads.

[[User:Vintermann|Vintermann]] 08:14, 4 December 2007 (CET)

Why did you start playing Hex

2007-11-30T12:58:16Z

Vintermann:

Answer these questions adding your name below.

* How did you become interested in Hex?

* Why did you decide to start pursuing it more seriously?

* Before you started playing Hex, having only heard about it, what did you think about it?

* Did it turn out to be anything like you expected it to?

* What could we do to make Hex more popular?

{| align="right"
| __TOC__
|}

== [[User:RBerenguel|RBerenguel]] ==

* How did you become interested in Hex?

I use to play a lot of 9x9 go games in LittleGolem and one day I decided to try some different games. Hex was one of them. Also, having read [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0684853701/qid=1091736037/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/103-5668637-5984658?v=glance&s=books&n=507846 A Beautiful Mind] I thought the game may be interesting.

* Why did you decide to start pursuing it more seriously?

I used to be a bad loser (not anymore :) and wanted to improve my rating, then I found the simplicity and concept of the game very appealing

* Before you started playing Hex, having only heard about it, what did you think about it?

Another board game without any deepness or players.

* Did it turn out to be anything like you expected it to?

No way, it's a really deep game (not as deep as Go, but as nice) but with really simple rules. As [http://senseis.xmp.net/?EdwardLasker Edward Lasker] said, I think that if there exists other intelligent life forms, they may be playing Go or some connecting game like Hex.

* What could we do to make Hex more popular?

Playing with friends, letting people know something about it. Also, University clubs may be a great source of players in some situations.

== [[User:Vintermann|Vintermann]] ==

* How did you become interested in Hex?

From Kris Burm's official GIPF site I found a link to boardspace.net, where Hex can also be played. I thought I ought to try it, since it had such an interesting history. I was hooked by
1. The well-developed strategies, but not yet developed enough that anyone would claim the best players lived 600 years ago - still much to be discovered!
2. The way Hex players talk openly about strategy, rather than keeping them as a "secret edge". Probably due to it's noble mathemathical origins.
3. The way Hex players are not at all condescending.
4. The way the game is so intense, and doesn't go on for hours (I prefer 11x11, and no more than 15x15)

* Why did you decide to start pursuing it more seriously?

Do I? All abstract games must be taken a little seriously to be fun. The curiosity and exploring nature of the Hex community makes it especially easy to take it seriously.

* Before you started playing Hex, having only heard about it, what did you think about it?

Hmmm, Piet Hein was a clever and fundamentally sympathetic man. As was John Nash, in many ways. I must try it.

* Did it turn out to be anything like you expected it to?

Yes, I think it did, actually. It's deep, and "beautiful" in the mathematical sense.

* What could we do to make Hex more popular?

Play it in public, start Hex clubs, write Hex columns for student newspapers ;-) Oh, and publish commented games played at a high level. Or even at a low one.

History of computer Hex

2007-11-20T07:52:39Z

Vintermann: /* Chronology */

Hex has been invented by matematicians and the [[rules]] are basic. Therefore it is relatively easy to make a simple [[artificial intelligence]] compared to chess for instance. However the [[branching factor]] is huge and a brutal approach is not as efficient in Hex than in Chess. This fact is another similarity to [[Go]].

== Chronology ==

* 1942 Invention of Hex.
* In 1953 Shannon and Moore build an electric machine able to play Hex. The board is considered as an electric circuit with one player's ([[Blue]] for example) hexes being off switches and the other's being on switches, the empty hexes are resistances. The machine measures the global resistance of the circuit between [[Red]]'s edges, tries every move and then chooses the one that minimizes the resistance value of the circuit, trying to make it easier to join the two sides.

== See also ==

[[History of Hex]]

[[Computer Hex]]

== References ==
[http://home.earthlink.net/~vanshel/VAnshelevich-01.pdf See paragraphs 2 and 3 for the first Hex playing machine.]

Gardner, Martin (1988), [http://www.amazon.com/Hexaflexagons-Other-Mathematical-Diversions-Scientific/dp/0226282546 Hexaflexagons and Other Mathematical Diversions: The First Scientific American Book of Puzzles and Games], Chicago: University of Chicago Press, ISBN 0-226-28254-6

{{stub}}