Difference between revisions of "Strategy"

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== General advice ==
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In the context of board games, '''strategy''' refers to a player's plan of action for playing and winning the game.
* One important advice for novice players to remember: "In [[Hex]], the best attacking move is often to defend." Instead of trying to connect your [[Edge|sides]], do your best to [[Blocking|impede]] your [[opponent]].
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* If you play with a strong player and you lose, try to repeat the opponent's moves and observe the responses. This can be a fast way to learn new bit of strategy.
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* Another good way to learn strategy is to analyse games — preferably in your head and not with a program. Talking to senior players is also a good idea.
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== General strategy guide ==
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A distinction is often made between strategy and tactics. In this case, strategy refers to a player's overall plan of action considering the global position on the board, whereas tactics refers to specific moves and actions taken in support of that plan, often in a specific area of the board. For example, a player's strategy in Hex might be to occupy at least two corners of the board, and then allow their opponent to connect to one side while blocking the other. An example of a tactic would be to connect a third row ladder by playing the [[switchback#A3_switchback|a3 switchback]].
  
These three pages originate from Glenn C. Rhoads' excellent strategy guide. They have mostly been changed to accomodate the transfer to the Wiki format.
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On this page and throughout the wiki, the term "strategy" is used more broadly to encompass any topic related to how to play Hex well, including both strategy and tactics. The various "strategy guides" cover both strategy and tactics and provide advice for players looking to improve their skills and increase their chances of winning.
  
* [[Basic (strategy guide)|Basic]]
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Players looking to improve their strategy are advised to start with the [[strategy roadmap]]. It provides a list of skills in the approximate order in which players should learn them.
* [[Intermediate (strategy guide)|Intermediate]]
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* [[Advanced (strategy guide)|Advanced]]
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== Specific topics ==
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== Overview ==
* [[Openings]]
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* [[Strategy roadmap]]. This is a good starting point for players looking for strategy advice.
* [[Connections]]
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* Glenn C. Rhoads's strategy guide with a few updates: [[Basic (strategy guide)|Basic]], [[Intermediate (strategy guide)|Intermediate]], [[Advanced (strategy guide)|Advanced]].
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* [[Jonathan Rydh's strategy guide]] (used with permission) provides some examples of "how to think" during a game.
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* [[David_Boll_Hex_FAQ|David Boll's FAQ]] covers the most important aspects of strategy in a compact way.
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* Matthew Seymour's [http://www.mseymour.ca/hex_book/hexstrat.html Hex: A Strategy Guide] is an online book with interactive game boards.
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* [[Strategic advice from KataHex]] covers lessons learned from a strong AI.
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== The opening ==
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* [[Opening]] which links to guides for various board sizes.
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* [[Joseki]] shows the typical way to play the corner areas.
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== Additional topics ==
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* [[Connection|Connections]]
 
* [[Bottleneck|Bottlenecks]]
 
* [[Bottleneck|Bottlenecks]]
 
* [[Ladders]]
 
* [[Ladders]]
 
* [[Ladder handling]]
 
* [[Ladder handling]]
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* [[Switchback]]
 
* [[Templates]]
 
* [[Templates]]
 
* [[Equivalent patterns]]
 
* [[Equivalent patterns]]
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* [[Tips and tricks]]
 
* [[Tips and tricks]]
 
* [[Territory]]
 
* [[Territory]]
* [[Local play]], [[Global play]]
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* [[Local play]] and [[Tenuki]]
 
* [[Wall|Walls]]
 
* [[Wall|Walls]]
 
* [[Rope|Ropes]]
 
* [[Rope|Ropes]]
* [[Glossary]]
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* [[Puzzles]], sometimes also called Problems
* [[Puzzles]], sometimes also called [[Problems]]
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* [[Proverbs]]
 
* [[Proverbs]]
* [[Tactics]]
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* [[Peep]]
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* [[Corner move]]s and [[Joseki]]
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* [[Initiative]]
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* [[Forcing move]]s
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* [[Pairing strategy]]
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* [[Opening]]
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* [[Foldback]]
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* [[Climbing]]
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* [[Flank]]s
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* [[Captured cell]]s
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* [[Dead cell]]s
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* [[Dominated cell]]s
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* [[Tidiness]]
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* [[Efficiency]]
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* [[Minimax|Minimaxing]]
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* [[Question]]s
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* [[Tom's move]]
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* [[Parallel ladder]]s
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* [[Pivoting template]]s
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* [[Near ladder escape]]s
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* [[Blocking]]
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* [[Double threat]]s
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* [[Bridge ladder]]s
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* [[Cornering]]
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* [[Irrelevant move]]s
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* [[Ladder escape fork]]s
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* [[Mustplay region]]
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[[category:strategy]]

Latest revision as of 00:43, 8 May 2023

In the context of board games, strategy refers to a player's plan of action for playing and winning the game.

A distinction is often made between strategy and tactics. In this case, strategy refers to a player's overall plan of action considering the global position on the board, whereas tactics refers to specific moves and actions taken in support of that plan, often in a specific area of the board. For example, a player's strategy in Hex might be to occupy at least two corners of the board, and then allow their opponent to connect to one side while blocking the other. An example of a tactic would be to connect a third row ladder by playing the a3 switchback.

On this page and throughout the wiki, the term "strategy" is used more broadly to encompass any topic related to how to play Hex well, including both strategy and tactics. The various "strategy guides" cover both strategy and tactics and provide advice for players looking to improve their skills and increase their chances of winning.

Players looking to improve their strategy are advised to start with the strategy roadmap. It provides a list of skills in the approximate order in which players should learn them.

Overview

The opening

  • Opening which links to guides for various board sizes.
  • Joseki shows the typical way to play the corner areas.

Additional topics