Foiling - Revision history

Hexanna: update link

2026-03-12T23:21:15Z

update link

GiB: Add Hexworld practice link

2026-03-12T04:15:25Z

Add Hexworld practice link

GiB at 04:11, 12 March 2026

2026-03-12T04:11:10Z

Selinger: Removed broken links

2023-01-08T02:36:39Z

Removed broken links

Selinger: Fixed link

2022-05-18T01:55:21Z

Fixed link

Selinger: /* Fishing moves */ Singular

2021-09-24T21:52:24Z

‎Fishing moves: Singular

Selinger: For the 4th row escape fork to be unfoilable, ladder needs to be "already approaching".

2021-09-17T02:34:36Z

For the 4th row escape fork to be unfoilable, ladder needs to be "already approaching".

Demer: /* When does foiling work? / made actually required for Red's threatened upward connection

2021-09-06T17:40:46Z

‎When does foiling work?: made * actually required for Red's threatened upward connection

Selinger: /* Fishing moves */ copy-editing

2021-09-06T15:36:09Z

‎Fishing moves: copy-editing

Selinger: /* Fishing moves */ Minor edit

2021-09-06T03:32:02Z

‎Fishing moves: Minor edit

@@ Line 57: / Line 57: @@
 <hex>R6 C9 Vg3 Va2 Va3 Va4 Ha5 Hb3 Hb2 Hc2 Hd2 Va1 Hb1 Hc1 Hd1 He1 Hf1 Hg1 Sh1 Hi1</hex>
-To practice: https://hexworld.org/board/#9c1,a7a8a6b6a5b5a4b4a3b3a2b2a1b1g6i4h3g4g3f4f3e4e3d4g2c4f2c3e2c2e1c1f1d3g1d2h1d1h2c5i1d5i2
+To practice: [https://hexworld.org/board/#9x6c1,a1b1a2b2a3b3a4a5g3c1:pc2:pd1:pd2:pe1:pf1:pg1:pi1:p HexWorld link]
 == Fishing move ==

@@ Line 57: / Line 57: @@
 <hex>R6 C9 Vg3 Va2 Va3 Va4 Ha5 Hb3 Hb2 Hc2 Hd2 Va1 Hb1 Hc1 Hd1 He1 Hf1 Hg1 Sh1 Hi1</hex>
-To practice: https://hexworld.org/board/#9c1,a7a8a6b6a5b5a4b4a3b3a2b2a1b1g6i4h3g4g3f4f3e4e3d4d3c4c3c5h2d5h1
+To practice: https://hexworld.org/board/#9c1,a7a8a6b6a5b5a4b4a3b3a2b2a1b1g6i4h3g4g3f4f3e4e3d4g2c4f2c3e2c2e1c1f1d3g1d2h1d1h2c5i1d5i2
 == Fishing move ==

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:11, 12 March 2026
Line 56:		Line 56:

	<hex>R6 C9 Vg3 Va2 Va3 Va4 Ha5 Hb3 Hb2 Hc2 Hd2 Va1 Hb1 Hc1 Hd1 He1 Hf1 Hg1 Sh1 Hi1</hex>		<hex>R6 C9 Vg3 Va2 Va3 Va4 Ha5 Hb3 Hb2 Hc2 Hd2 Va1 Hb1 Hc1 Hd1 He1 Hf1 Hg1 Sh1 Hi1</hex>
		+
		+	To practice: https://hexworld.org/board/#9c1,a7a8a6b6a5b5a4b4a3b3a2b2a1b1g6i4h3g4g3f4f3e4e3d4d3c4c3c5h2d5h1

	== Fishing move ==		== Fishing move ==

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-To '''foil''' a [[ladder escape]] means to make a move which [[Block|prevents]] an [[outpost]] from being used as a ladder escape, and also [[Intrusion|intrudes]] on the outpost's [[connection]] to the [[edge]].
+To '''foil''' a [[ladder escape]] means to make a move which prevents an [[outpost]] from being used as a [[ladder escape]], and also [[Intrusion|intrudes]] on the outpost's [[connection]] to the [[edge]].
 == Example ==
@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 <hex>C8 R8 Q1 Vc6 Hb8 Vf6 He6 Vf3 Vd4 Hd6 Hc1</hex>
-[[Red (player)|Red]] has just played f6. In his next move he can either start a [[ladder]] at c7, using f6 as a ladder escape, or he can play g4, making an unbreakable connection from [[Top (edge)|top]] to [[Bottom (edge)|bottom]]. Thus f6 [[double threat|threatens two different connections]].
+[[Red (player)|Red]] has just played f6. In his next move he can either start a [[ladder]] at c7, using f6 as a ladder escape, or he can play g4, making an unbreakable connection from top to bottom. Thus f6 [[double threat|threatens two different connections]].
 However it does not secure Red a connection, because there is one vulnerable cell, namely e7:

@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 <hex>C8 R8 Q1 Vc6 Hb8 Vf6 He6 Vf3 Vd4 Hd6 Hc1</hex>
-[[Red (player)|Red]] has just played f6. In his next move he can either start a [[ladder]] at c7, using f6 as a ladder escape, or he can play g4, making an unbreakable connection from [[Top (edge)|top]] to [[Bottom (edge)|bottom]]. Thus f6 [[Multiple threat|threatens two different connections]].
+[[Red (player)|Red]] has just played f6. In his next move he can either start a [[ladder]] at c7, using f6 as a ladder escape, or he can play g4, making an unbreakable connection from [[Top (edge)|top]] to [[Bottom (edge)|bottom]]. Thus f6 [[double threat|threatens two different connections]].
 However it does not secure Red a connection, because there is one vulnerable cell, namely e7:

@@ Line 45: / Line 45: @@
 Because the cell marked "*" is required for Red's threatened connection to 10, the ladder escape fork is foilable by playing at "+" (but not by playing at "*").
-* A ladder escape fork on the fourth row is more complicated. If the approaching ladder is a 2nd row ladder, the fork is unfoilable if the cells marked "*" both are empty (and not required for the "connection up"). Otherwise, it may be foilable, and in that case, playing in one of the cells marked "+" is the only way to foil it.
+* A ladder escape fork on the fourth row is more complicated. If a 2nd row ladder is already approaching, the fork is unfoilable if the cells marked "*" both are empty (and not required for the "connection up"). Otherwise, it may be foilable, and in that case, playing in one of the cells marked "+" is the only way to foil it.
 <hex>R5 C10 Vh2 Se3 Sg2 Vb1 Vb2 Vb3 Hc3 Ha5 Hc2 Hc1 Pe4 Pg3</hex>

@@ Line 41: / Line 41: @@
 However, if the cell marked "*" is occupied by Blue, the ladder escape fork can often be foiled; in that case, playing at "+" is the only way of foiling it. Also, if the cell marked "*" is empty, but is required for Red's threatened upward connection, the fork may be foilable by playing at "+", as in the following example:
-<hex>R5 C10 Vh3 Sg3 Vb1 Vb2 Vb3 Ha5 Hc3 Hc2 Hc1 Pg4 Hd3 He3 Hf3 V10f1 Hh1 Hi2</hex>
+<hex>R5 C10 Vh3 Sg3 Vb1 Vb2 Vb3 Ha5 Hc3 Hc2 Hc1 Pg4 Hd3 He3 Hf3 V10f1 Hh1 Hi1 Hi2</hex>
 Because the cell marked "*" is required for Red's threatened connection to 10, the ladder escape fork is foilable by playing at "+" (but not by playing at "*").

@@ Line 61: / Line 61: @@
 Playing a foilable move in the hope that the opponent doesn't know how to foil is sometimes called a ''fishing move''. The terminology originated with French-speaking Hex players, such as Mickaël Launay in [https://youtu.be/uAiU7hSiU5A this video], where it is called ''le coup du pêcheur'', literally "the fisherman's move". A fishing move is a kind of trap that is sometimes effective against beginners, but should not be used against experienced players, as it is usually bad for the player who makes it. A fishing move can also sometimes be a last ditch effort by a player who is losing and is desperate for the opponent to make a mistake.
-Fishing moves often take the form of playing a [[peep]] in an ascending bridge. In the following example, a 2nd row ladder is approaching from the left, and the bridge is ''ascending'' (relative to the direction of the ladder).
+Fishing moves often take the form of playing a [[peep]] in an ascending bridge. In the following example, a red 2nd row ladder is approaching from the left, and the blue bridge is ''ascending'' (relative to the direction of the ladder).
 <hexboard size="5x7"
    coords="none"
@@ Line 75: / Line 75: @@
 Note that if Red follows through on the bridge threat, the result is a 3rd row ladder for Red, which is typically worse than the 2nd row ladder Red would have gotten otherwise. Playing a fishing move in an ascending bridge usually results in raising the ladder by one row, and is bad for the player who plays it.
-On the other hand, playing a peep in a ''descending'' bridge is often useful and not a fishing move. It typically serves to lower the ladder by one row (for example converting a 4th row ladder to a 3rd row ladder), or to escape a 2nd row ladder outright. Consider the following example, with a 3rd row ladder approaching from the left. Note that the bridges are descending (relative to the direction of the ladder).
+On the other hand, playing a peep in a ''descending'' bridge is often useful and not a fishing move. It typically serves to lower the ladder by one row (for example converting a 4th row ladder to a 3rd row ladder), or to escape a 2nd row ladder outright. Consider the following example, with a red 3rd row ladder approaching from the left. Note that the blue bridges are descending (relative to the direction of the ladder).
 <hexboard size="5x9"
    coords="none"