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        Arimaa >> Game Analysis >> Sure to become a popular opening setup
        
(Message started by: jsiehler on May 27th, 2011, 7:24pm)
Title: Sure to become a popular opening setup
Post by jsiehler on May 27th, 2011, 7:24pm
...or then again maybe not. (http://arimaa.com/arimaa/gameroom/opengamewin.cgi?client=1&gameid=185568&role=v&side=w)

I notice I could have gotten the goal sooner by pushing the dog into the corner on 21g, and pulling two rabbits up behind the horse... is that right?  Well, anyway, I thought it might offer some amusement.  This felt oddly analogous to playing the Dutch Defense as black, trying to funnel pieces out into action through a narrow corridor.
Title: Re: Sure to become a popular opening setup
Post by ginrunner on May 30th, 2011, 11:58pm
I don't think it will work but it is definitely an interesting and different thought process from what I've seen.
Title: Re: Sure to become a popular opening setup
Post by jsiehler on May 31st, 2011, 7:19am
I wouldn't make it a mainstay of my opening repertoire in games I wanted to win!  But as I've still got loads to learn, I think it's worth experimenting with unusual setups to get a more concrete understanding of what makes a particular position weak, or hard to play.  Also, I've been curious about how much different bots' play is tuned to more-or-less standard setups, and how much they might get confused by really unusual things.
Title: Re: Sure to become a popular opening setup
Post by Eltripas on May 31st, 2011, 6:15pm
Not at all. The rabbits would be easily pulled.
Title: Re: Sure to become a popular opening setup
Post by Fritzlein on May 31st, 2011, 7:42pm
As long as you are playing openings to give yourself a challenge and create unusual positions, my favorite is to put all eight rabbits in front and order the pieces by strength (EMHHDDCC) behind them.  You definitely end up trying to funnel pieces out into action through a narrow corridor... after first trying to open a corridor!
Title: Re: Sure to become a popular opening setup
Post by Hippo on Jun 1st, 2011, 3:50pm

on 05/31/11 at 19:42:13, Fritzlein wrote:
As long as you are playing openings to give yourself a challenge and create unusual positions, my favorite is to put all eight rabbits in front and order the pieces by strength (EMHHDDCC) behind them.  You definitely end up trying to funnel pieces out into action through a narrow corridor... after first trying to open a corridor!


Yes, this setup was chosen by several players. It could confuse statistics as these players mostly won even when the setup is not the best :).
Title: Re: Sure to become a popular opening setup
Post by bmccarthy on Feb 15th, 2012, 1:06pm
What about rabbits in front and HCDMEDCH?
Title: Re: Sure to become a popular opening setup
Post by Fritzlein on Feb 15th, 2012, 3:18pm

on 02/15/12 at 13:06:11, bmccarthy wrote:
What about rabbits in front and HCDMEDCH?

That would be less foolish than my proposal, and therefore less fun.  :)
Title: Re: Sure to become a popular opening setup
Post by bmccarthy on Feb 24th, 2012, 5:47pm
Well, you could use it as gold and hope the opponent forgot it was arimaa and thought you were doing chess and copied it...  ;)
Title: Re: Sure to become a popular opening setup
Post by Fritzlein on Feb 25th, 2012, 9:25am

on 02/24/12 at 17:47:24, bmccarthy wrote:
Well, you could use it as gold and hope the opponent forgot it was arimaa and thought you were doing chess and copied it...  ;)

Ah, nice one.  I have gotten so far away from chess mindset that I didn't even see the correspondence under the canonical mapping between the pieces.
Title: Re: Sure to become a popular opening setup
Post by chessandgo on Mar 5th, 2012, 6:20am
You'd have to use only chess-legal moves until a crushing opportunity presents itself.
Title: Re: Sure to become a popular opening setup
Post by Hippo on Mar 5th, 2012, 5:27pm

on 03/05/12 at 06:20:21, chessandgo wrote:
You'd have to use only chess-legal moves until a crushing opportunity presents itself.


So d2 d4 is a good start and you could continue c2 c4 next turn. Even d1 b3 is legal, but developping camel so early could confuse the opponent. In all cases when it cames to castling you are doomed.
Title: Re: Sure to become a popular opening setup
Post by Nazgand on Mar 5th, 2012, 6:47pm
The greatest part would be that when you develop your elephant, your opponent would be trying to fit his king into a corner, no doubt with great frustration.
Or maybe greater would be putting his king in check, forcing it to move onto a trap square.


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