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        Arimaa >> General Discussion >> wikibook tactics and unfreeze rules
        
(Message started by: moretti on Jun 2^nd, 2011, 3:47pm)

Title: wikibook tactics and unfreeze rules
Post by moretti on Jun 2^nd, 2011, 3:47pm

Hello everyone. This is my first post here. I was reading the Arimaa wikibook and found this
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Arimaa/Introduction_to_Tactics

Code:

One-move goal

Near the goal line, a rabbit which is frozen but not blocked is a
constant threat. Silver to move could push the gold horse on b3 to c3
with the camel on b4. This would unfreeze the silver rabbit on b2,
which could then step to victory via a2 and a1. Occasionally a blocked
and frozen rabbit may be unblocked and unfrozen at the same time.
Silver to move could pull the gold rabbit from g2 to g3 with the
silver elephant on g3 sliding to f3 to unfreeze the silver rabbit on
f2, which would then move to g2 and g1. The silver elephant would be
sacrificed on f3 in the process, which makes this tactic easy to miss
in the heat of battle.

So basically you can kill one of your pieces in a trap and unfreeze another one in the same move.
Is it enough to "touch" a piece to unfreeze it? is this a special case? is that really valid?

Cause the elephant is not there anymore. it's not "helping" the rabbit, I would think the rabbit wouldn't be able to move after that.

thanks for reading this far!

Title: Re: wikibook tactics and unfreeze rules
Post by robinz on Jun 2^nd, 2011, 3:52pm

The elephant *is* there at the point the rabbit advances, although it is removed immediately afterwards. Whether a piece is frozen or not depends on what is adjacent to it at the point when it wishes to move, and on nothing else. It's the same with determining whether or not a piece on a trap square is captured.

If, as I suspect, you haven't actually played a game yet, then try playing a few games on the site (there is a bot ladder, starting with some very weak ones, to give you a start) to get a feel for the rules :)

Oh, and welcome to Arimaa. I, too, discovered the game - and hence this site - via the wikibook :D

Title: Re: wikibook tactics and unfreeze rules
Post by moretti on Jun 2^nd, 2011, 3:57pm

hehe thanks! you are totally right. I missed that! the elephant is there until the rabbit moves. hahaha sorry, this was a very simple question. somehow I missed it.

I have played about 19 games now. I lost 11 and won 8, I'm still practicing in the bot ladder, it's quite an addictive game!

Title: Re: wikibook tactics and unfreeze rules
Post by Belteshazzar on Jun 2^nd, 2011, 6:46pm

I just edited that text to make clear that the elephant is lost only when the rabbit steps away from the trap. If there's anything else in the Wikibook which you find confusing, please post it here.