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(Message started by: Fritzlein on May 1st, 2006, 9:27am)
Title: Central occupation
Post by Fritzlein on May 1st, 2006, 9:27am
In my current postal game against Adanac, on move 18, we have between us occupied 11 of the 12 central squares of the board.  This is very unusual for games in which I am one of the players, but I wondered how common it is generally.  Has it happened to anyone else?  Has there ever been a game in which all twelve of the central squares are occupied?  (I mean a position naturally occurring in the course of both players trying to win; this is not another botbash challenge!)
Title: Re: Central occupation
Post by mouse on May 1st, 2006, 9:50am
Yeah I have played a game something like that against bot_gnobot. I tried to win but we got 11 central squares and 3 traps occoupied after 21w.

game 12230

http://arimaa.com/arimaa/gameroom/replayFlash.cgi?gid=12230&s=w&client=1
Title: Re: Central occupation
Post by Fritzlein on May 1st, 2006, 11:11am

on 05/01/06 at 09:50:31, mouse wrote:
I tried to win but we got 11 central squares and 3 traps occoupied after 21w.

Wow, that's even more blocked up than my game against Adanac.  That makes it seem possible that some time all 12 central squares plus all four traps would be occupied at the same time.
Title: Re: Central occupation
Post by mouse on May 1st, 2006, 11:31am

on 05/01/06 at 11:11:03, Fritzlein wrote:
Wow, that's even more blocked up than my game against Adanac.  That makes it seem possible that some time all 12 central squares plus all four traps would be occupied at the same time.


It is possible but I dont think it is a likely situation naturally. If you want all the 16 central squares occupied it will take 16 pieces. That only leaves 8 aside for other things. It would believe you need atleast 2 pieces at both wings to prevent a runaway rabbit (total of 8). Further on or both sides will need a couple of pieces to prevent a breakthroug in the bottom or the top of the position. That will tie down another couple of pieces. Which leaves virtually no pieces for initial exchange and other task.
Title: Re: Central occupation
Post by mouse on May 2nd, 2006, 6:52am
After having thougt a bit more about it. I guess you may be able to find some exampels against bots willing to engage in a phant block on the middle of the board.

That would leave games against Gno_bot and Loc as the most likely games with all the 16 central squares occupied. Given Locs tendency to time out with the phant beeing block. I guess Gno_bot is the most likely candidate of such a game.
Title: Re: Central occupation
Post by Fritzlein on May 9th, 2006, 3:20pm
Speaking of central occupation, I also notice a game from the other extreme.  99of9 and Omar, in their current postal game, as of move 16, had both elephants, both camels, and all four horses in files a, b, and c.  Indeed, they were only one piece shy of having them all in just columns a and b.  Has there ever been a case where all eight heavy pieces were concentrated in just two files?  Just wondering...
Title: Re: Central occupation
Post by leo on May 9th, 2006, 5:03pm
My recent game against bot_Clueless2006P1 is an illustration of an awfully choked board center as well as a very very bad example of playing :)

http://arimaa.com/arimaa/gameroom/replayFlash.cgi?gid=31174&s=b&client=1

(around move 43)
Title: Re: Central occupation
Post by Fritzlein on May 9th, 2006, 5:58pm

on 05/09/06 at 17:03:29, Centeredstart=0#6>leo wrote:
My recent game against bot_Clueless2006P1 is an illustration of an awfully choked board center

It's remarkable to occupy 10 of the 12 central squares, given that you only had 25 of the 32 pieces left.  I was supposing that any positionwith 12 of 12 central squares occupied would likely occur before the first capture of the game.
Title: Re: Central occupation
Post by leo on May 10th, 2006, 6:49am

on 05/09/06 at 17:58:01, Fritzlein wrote:
It's remarkable to occupy 10 of the 12 central squares, given that you only had 25 of the 32 pieces left.  I was supposing that any positionwith 12 of 12 central squares occupied would likely occur before the first capture of the game.


I think I was tired of exchanging pieces and felt the bot was beginning to net-catch itself, so I went on pushing forward and accumulating threats instead of using the opportunities of trapping. But this could have turned bad against me eventually, I don't recommend it.


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