Tic tac toe variation

Logic Level 2

Ann and Beth play tic tac toe with a variation, if you get three in a row, you LOSE and everyone plays with only X (not X and O). If both players play optimally, and Ann goes first, then who will win?

Ann Beth It will be a draw

Jonathan Tse by Jonathan Tse , 20, Hong Kong

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2 solutions

Jon Haussmann
May 1, 2019

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notakto .

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Jonathan Tse
Apr 19, 2019

Ann has to go in the middle first to win, not the side, because if she goes on the side first, Beth can win by placing her X opposite to where Ann has moved.

If Ann places it in the middle, then Ann must play an L shape or like a knight in chess from Beth's X. For example, if (after Ann's X is placed in the middle) Beth plays her X in the upper middle, then Ann has to play either bottom left or right and continue the pattern until she wins.

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This doesn't make sense though. You just said if you get three in a row you LOSE. If Ann goes first without thinking, I would say Beth has a higher chance of winning if getting three in a row means LOSING.

QuickEnder Pig - 2 years, 1 month ago

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She wins by making Beth have no move other than getting three in a row. Also, Ann DOES think when she plays the first move, if you saw my solution, you would understand.

Jonathan Tse - 2 years, 1 month ago

But the problem doesn't say Anne places "without thinking." If both players play optimally, Anne will win.

Jordan Cahn - 2 years, 1 month ago

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Exactly my point, but I'm not sure QuickEnder Pig knows what "optimally" means.

Jonathan Tse - 2 years, 1 month ago

So you should write who would LOSE because if you get three in a row you LOSE.

QuickEnder Pig - 2 years, 1 month ago

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If Ann wins then Beth loses, right?

Jonathan Tse - 2 years, 1 month ago

After reading these comments, I observed an interesting thing; Common sense is not so common

Rio Schillmoeller - 2 years ago

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With some people it's not.

Jonathan Tse - 2 years ago

I meant it with quick ender pig

Rio Schillmoeller - 2 years ago

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Yeah I know, he even reported my problem for no reason

Jonathan Tse - 2 years ago

It was just resolved

Rio Schillmoeller - 1 year, 9 months ago

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