Bottleneck
The bottleneck is a strategic formation in the game of Hex where one player blocks the opponent's progress by occupying key positions on the board, creating a narrow passage that is difficult for the opponent to break through. The board fragment shown below illustrates this concept, with Blue occupying the key positions in a bottleneck formation, hindering Red's ability to connect to the bottom of the board.
This formation often leads to a ladder, with Red getting ladders in both directions, as shown in the second board fragment.
The bottleneck is often a result of a defensive maneuver, for example when a player plays a near block followed by an adjacent block. It is also a common strategy for leaving a Bridge ladder.
It's important to note that, although the bottleneck can be an effective defense strategy, it also has its own weaknesses and can be exploited by a skilled opponent. Knowing how to both create and counter bottleneck formations is an important aspect of mastering the game of Hex.
History
According to Hayward and Toft, the bottleneck was known to Piet Hein and Jens Lindhard in 1943, and they called it the Politigården, after the police headquarters in Copenhagen. The building of the police headquarters is such that upon entering it, one has to choose to go left or right.
References
- Ryan Hayward and Bjarne Toft. Hex: The Full Story. CRC Press, 2019. ISBN 978-0367144227.
