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        Arimaa >> General Discussion >> Lone Elephant Attack
        
(Message started by: K_Hayes on Oct 25th, 2007, 8:23pm)
Title: Lone Elephant Attack
Post by K_Hayes on Oct 25th, 2007, 8:23pm
On multiple occasions, I have been frustrated by bots executing a lone elephant attack (and on one disasterous occasion against arimaa_master). I just find no time to press any attack of my own when I am trying to save my pieces, knowing full well that at any moment, my opponent's elephant can quickly return to it's home traps and disrupt my attack (if not capture some of my attacking mpieces in the process). I'm sure there is a simple solution to this that I must be overlooking, so if one of the Lords of Arimaa could enlighten me (whether through explanation, or a link to one), I would be very grateful :). Thanks in advance.

~K. Hayes~
Title: Re: Lone Elephant Attack
Post by Fritzlein on Oct 26th, 2007, 8:44am
Gernally speaking, Arimaa is more tilted to defense in the opening and more tilted towards offense after there have been some exchanges of pieces and the board is more sparsely populated.  Later in the game, all sorts of wild attacks may be beneficial, but with a full board one must be very selective about attacking.

Your general observation is correct in the opening; no matter how you attack the opponent's half of the board, the opposing elephant can come disrupt the attack.  At that point, unless your own elephant participates in the attack, your attacking pieces are vulnerable to capture.  Therefore early attacks that do not include an elephant as an attacker are basically unheard of.  Without your elephant to keep your other attackers safe, you should rather stay home.

Indeed, at one time the only kind of attack that was considered sound was the lone-elephant attack.  The answer to your question of what to do about lone elephant attacks was merely to be better at them than your opponent.  Each side did nothing but try to drag an opposing piece offsides with the lone elephant, and whoever did that more effectively gained an advantage.

Modern theory, however, recognizes an important exception to this rule.  On the wing where the opposing camel is not, an elephant-horse attack can be very effective, even on a full board.  Indeed, elephant-horse attacks have replaced lone-elephant attacks as the most popular opening strategy.  So now you have a second answer as to what to do about lone-elephant attacks: launch an elephant-horse attack, and hurt him more than he hurts you.

Less popular, but still dangerous, are elephant-horse-camel attacks, and elephant-camel-rabbit attacks.  It is not clear whether such attacks are generally sound, but at least against an inaccurate defense they can quickly achieve a dominating position.

This is all very general theory, which doesn't do much good without a tactical and strategical foundation.  As beginners have complained before, they lose when launching an elephant-horse attack, and lose when they choose to defend against an elephant-horse attack.  If Arimaa were as simple as choosing a good opening strategy, it would not be a very deep game.  Instead of worrying too much about the opening, I recommend you read the Wikibook on tactics and strategy first, if you haven't already.  It's a bit out of date but still worth a look.  http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Arimaa
Title: Re: Lone Elephant Attack
Post by Jan Kruschak on Oct 27th, 2007, 1:25am
Is moving the camel on c2 or f2 wise when the opponent uses lone elephant attack? Or should we start the defence with the flank horses first?
Title: Re: Lone Elephant Attack
Post by Fritzlein on Oct 27th, 2007, 8:02am
I used to be very eager to move the camel to c2 or f2 for safety.  Unfortunately, decentralizing the camel makes it easier for the opponent to advance a horse on the other wing.  Moreover, it appears that a centralized camel is not as endangered as I used to think if the friendly flank horses are advanced and the friendly elephant centralized.  Therefore I would generally say that, before moving your camel from d2 or e2 to c2 or f2, take a look at the position of your elephant and horses first, and see whether you can afford to leave your camel in the middle.
Title: Re: Lone Elephant Attack
Post by Jan Kruschak on Oct 29th, 2007, 3:51am
How should one response when their opponent have initiated a lone elephant attack on c4, f4 (opposing the trap) instead of d3, e3 (opposing the camel)?

And how should one response when their opponent have initiated a lone elephant attack opposing the elephant, i.e. on e4, d4.
Title: Re: Lone Elephant Attack
Post by Fritzlein on Oct 29th, 2007, 9:09am

on 10/29/07 at 03:51:47, Jan Kruschak wrote:
How should one response when their opponent have initiated a lone elephant attack on c4, f4 (opposing the trap) instead of d3, e3 (opposing the camel)?

On c4 or f4, the attacking elephant most directly threatens pulling the flank horse.  However, this threat is fairly neutral.  It's hard to get an advantage from pulling a horse unless the camel is on that side waiting with open arms.  Often the attacking elephant will try to bypass the flank horse and pull a rabbit from a2 or h2.  This rabbit pull often can't be stopped.  In such a case it is sometimes better not to defend with one's own elephant, but rather use ones elephant for an attack up the middle, or even to launch an elephant-horse attack if the opportunity arises.


Quote:
And how should one response when their opponent have initiated a lone elephant attack opposing the elephant, i.e. on e4, d4.

When the attacking elephant shifts files to oppose your elephant, it seems to leave you plenty of options, since the attacking elephant can hardly threaten your elephant!  True you can't easily attack right away with your own elephant, but defending should be no problem.
Title: Re: Lone Elephant Attack
Post by chessandgo on Oct 29th, 2007, 11:03am

on 10/26/07 at 08:44:29, Fritzlein wrote:
I recommend you read the Wikibook on tactics and strategy first, if you haven't already.  It's a bit out of date but still worth a look.  http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Arimaa


I suscribe entierely to Karl's recommandation ; I had forgotten that the wikipedia's litterature about arimaa had been split between wikipedia and wikibooks, and "rediscovered" the wikibooks text only lately. It is certainly worth more than a look, with a huge amount of interesting material. I very warmly recommend reading it.
Title: Re: Lone Elephant Attack
Post by Fritzlein on Oct 29th, 2007, 2:12pm
Jean, now that you are World Champion, Postal Champion, and tops in HvH ratings, surely you will correct my errors on Wikibook and bring them up to date?   Pretty please?
Title: Re: Lone Elephant Attack
Post by chessandgo on Oct 29th, 2007, 4:42pm

on 10/29/07 at 14:12:15, Fritzlein wrote:
Jean, now that you are World Champion, Postal Champion, and tops in HvH ratings, surely you will correct my errors on Wikibook and bring them up to date?   Pretty please?


Karl, I apologize face to earth if my previous comment : "a huge amount of interesting material. I very warmly recommend reading it" did not convey the impression that I estimated a lot what you (and others, I understood that Adanac participated ?) wrote in the wikibooks. Moreover, I would never dare think that I know arimaa better than you do. I must add that your last post made me feel very uneasy.

Sincerly yours

Jean
Title: Re: Lone Elephant Attack
Post by Fritzlein on Oct 29th, 2007, 5:12pm
I beg your pardon, Jean, if I gave the impression that I was in any way offended.  On the contrary, it is clear that you gave a warm recommendation of what I had written, and that you criticized it in no way.  I was actually very pleased by your compliment, although I share the glory with Adanac.

You have not implied in any way that you understand Arimaa better than I do.  I have deduced that your understanding is superior, not from anything you said, but rather from the fact that you have beaten me in six straight games.  You are as gracious a winner as you were a gracious loser in the days when I won many in a row.  I am sorry if it makes you uneasy when I proclaim that you are the best Arimaa player in the world; perhaps you can lose some games to me in the near future so it won't look so clear.  ;-)

Some time ago I encouraged you to improve and extend what Adanac and I had written in the Arimaa Wikibook.  I feel (although you never said it) that my presentation has gaps and errors of emphasis at least.  Back when I encouraged you to contribute, you expressed doubts about your competence to do so.  My comment in this thread was meant only to say, "Now you can't possibly have doubts about your competence to improve and extend the Arimaa Wikibook."  What's more, the Arimaa community would certainly benefit by your contributions.

Let me restate my sentiment: Please do not let modesty (or undue respect for what I have written) prevent you from adding to the store of publicly available Arimaa theory.
Title: Re: Lone Elephant Attack
Post by K_Hayes on Oct 29th, 2007, 6:45pm
Thank you all for all of your help :). I'll beat this lone elephant attack yet.
Title: Re: Lone Elephant Attack
Post by chessandgo on Oct 30th, 2007, 7:52am

on 10/29/07 at 17:12:56, Fritzlein wrote:
Let me restate my sentiment: Please do not let modesty (or undue respect for what I have written) prevent you from adding to the store of publicly available Arimaa theory.


No worries Karl, I have shown in the past that my ego was not small enough to prevent me from writing about arimaa, whatever my rating is :)
This said, I repeat that I would not want to change a word of the wikibooks articles. I've been writing stuff about arimaa, hopefully orthogonal to the wikibooks writings (even though I've realized lately that part was overlapping :(), but it's not finished yet ... When it is done, if maybe you or others think part of it should be added to the wikibooks articles, I'd be delighted.
Anyway, I'm recommending once more to K. Hayes and Jan Kruschak to read them as they stand :)
Title: Re: Lone Elephant Attack
Post by mistre on Oct 30th, 2007, 11:49am
One thing that Karl still leads in is P8 rating, so maybe it is not so clear cut.

Still, It is obvious that you two are the Top 2 Arimaa players as having played both of you in Postal - I can attest to that.
Title: Re: Lone Elephant Attack
Post by Fritzlein on Oct 30th, 2007, 12:47pm

on 10/30/07 at 11:49:42, mistre wrote:
One thing that Karl still leads in is P8 rating, so maybe it is not so clear cut.

But the P8 ratings also include bot-bashing.  I would be surprised if I lead in the HvH P8 ratings that Omar will produce to seed the World Championship swiss qualifier.  If by chance I do lead that seeding list, I will make sure to enjoy it for as long as I can!


Quote:
Still, It is obvious that you two are the Top 2 Arimaa players as having played both of you in Postal - I can attest to that.

Ah, but have you played PMertens?  ;-)
Title: Re: Lone Elephant Attack
Post by chessandgo on Oct 30th, 2007, 1:40pm

on 10/30/07 at 11:49:42, mistre wrote:
Still, It is obvious that you two are the Top 2 Arimaa players as having played both of you in Postal - I can attest to that.



on 10/30/07 at 12:47:19, Fritzlein wrote:
Ah, but have you played PMertens?  ;-)


lol, we found an aspect for which the fact that Paul doesn't consult assiduously the forum is good - he would jump from his chair if he read this :)


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