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        Arimaa >> General Discussion >> Beginning Arimaa - discussion thread
        
(Message started by: chessandgo on Aug 21^st, 2009, 9:14am)

Title: Beginning Arimaa - discussion thread
Post by chessandgo on Aug 21^st, 2009, 9:14am

Hi all,

first, I'd like to congratulate Karl again for his book. I've read it during my hollydays in about 24h, and loved it. It's a great read both for arimaa "veterans" and "newcomers" I think, and I had a lot of pleasure reading the game history and pespectives explained by Karl as much as the strategic features of arimaa that he presents.

I hope there will be discussion about different positions presented in the book, and I'm not sure whether I should try to make one thread for the whole stuff or let everyone have their thread(s), anyway let's try the former.

Fig 32 p83
this is an interesting position, I understand that Karl gives it a whole chapter to illustrate races. I was wondering about 8g Hg6n cg8w Hg7n Rh4n. Now there is no defending f6 without the elephant, as 8s camel (or dog) to e6 and rh7 to g6 allows gold for a goal in 2.

Now maybe silver can instead try to race with his ra5 on 8s, as gold needs about 12 turns to goal without capturing the f8 piece [ra5se x x, and as long as silver theatens a goal gold cannot capture on f6, but he can split his moves between covering c1 and making the long digging to free a path to h8 for his Rh5],.

Otherwise silver can play 8s e to f5, where 9g Me2www Ra3n (the same move could be played on 8g alternatively to avoid silver getting away with his horse, as he can do after the book's move 8g Me2www De1n) seems to make it very tough for silver.

I wonder what you guys think about the position, in any case I find this position very sharp and fun.

Figure 64 p158

I find figure 64 equally interesting. Although he does not state it explicitely in the text, Karl says he thinks gold is winning, and I would tend to back this up. I think the Ra6 is the key in the position, as Karl explains in the book, and in particular even if silver camel reaches b6 (which he likely won't anyway) it's no good for silver as gold's Elephant will deal with it easily as no silver piece can reach a6 or a5 to help the camel.

I wonder how you assess this position; if gold is indeed winning, it's quite interesting how the "space advantage" or "blockus" of gold's annihilates the advantage of having a secure Dog by horse hostage (which is absolutely huge in my opinion in the vacuum) to turn the tables around.

Maybe silver can try something like flip the ra6 to c6, after which gold likely will play Ra3nnn x, and then eb6s Ra6e ra7ss gives silver some kind of goal prospects with emr, which I guess are no good anyway.

Maybe silver's best shot is to flip out gold's Hb7 to b5 right away (also Ra6s eb6w ea6e ra7n looks interesting but gold can prevent silver from flipping the Hb7 to b5 next, which is maybe a problem), but in any case the layout of silver's pieces will make any kind of plan to free the elephant from c6 by retaking b6 with a Horse very problematic. It's the best "bad hostage" examples I've seen I think, I remember a position involving maybe robinson and I off the top of my head, which I cannot find again, with the same "bad hostage" idea though in a slightly more depleted position perhaps. Did you make up this position Karl, or inspired from an existing game?

Well, looking forward to have you guys' opinons on those two positions, and feel free to add other questions/remarks/comments/discussion/whatever about the book here (or start a new thread if you prefer ^^).

Cheers

Jean