A 3x3 array of counters is laid out. Players take turns removing counters. The rule for removing counters is to pick a row or column and take any 1,2 or 3 from it. Whoever removes the last counter wins.
Does the first or second player have a winning strategy?
What is this strategy?
(In reply to
re: Winning Strategy (spoiler) by Charlie)
Charlie:
As Jer has pointed out, I have solved the wrong problem.
However, just for the sake of argument, let's say that the objective is to avoid taking the last stone.
If player 2 leaves
1
4 6
789
or
1 3
4
789
Then player 1 wins by removing counters 7 and 8, leaving
1
4 6
9
or
1 3
4
9
Although I may not have been clear, these are all variations (via rotation and transposition) of 4 stones in a 2X3 grid. From either of these positions, player 1 can always force player 2 to take the last stone.
re(2): Winning Strategy (spoiler)
