Strategy Stealing

Proving a win without finding it

An interactive lesson with 6 steps, about 5 minutes: you predict, drag and solve, with instant feedback on every answer. It runs in your browser and needs JavaScript.

What you’ll learn

• Strategy stealing proves a winning strategy exists without finding it.
• The first player wins Chomp and Hex with perfect play.
• The proof works because an extra move never hurts.

Steps

1. Chomp
2. The argument
3. Square Chomp
4. A one-row Chomp
5. Where are the winning bites?
6. The game of Hex