Two players play this game. Numbers from 1 to 9 are layed out in a row. Players take turns putting a coin on one of the numbers that does not yet have a coin on it. Player one puts his coins head-up, and player two -- tails-up.
The winner of this game is the first person to have their coins on three numbers that add up to 15. (For example if a player has coins on 1, 6 and 9, they can win the game by putting a coin on either 8 or 5.)
Is there a strategy for playing this game? Is there a sure-fire way of winning?
First we construct a 3x3 magic square like this:
8 1 6
4 9 2
3 5 7
Now the game is equivalent to a tic-tac-toe game, which when played justly, will not elicit any winner.
Edited on August 20, 2023, 9:59 pm
Puzzle Thoughts
