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        Arimaa >> General Discussion >> Strategic Planning
        
(Message started by: balaclava on Apr 8^th, 2014, 11:52pm)

Title: Strategic Planning
Post by balaclava on Apr 8^th, 2014, 11:52pm

Hey, I'm looking for some advice regarding opening ideas and long-term strategy, especially how to successfully execute "the right piece".

I played 4 games against bot_Bomb2005P1 and got crushed in all of them. I will show only the latter two for demonstration purposes as I feel I put up more of a fight in those two games. In both games I feel like committing or exposing my camel too early was part of my problem.

In this first game, http://arimaa.com/arimaa/games/jsShowGame.cgi?gid=298967&s=w I think I went wrong at 6g at the latest. My camel was passive and helpless the rest of the game, while I desperately and all too slowly tried to gain counterplay around the c6 trap. I also wasn't really sure how to combat the M/EHH setup.

The second game http://arimaa.com/arimaa/games/jsShowGame.cgi?gid=298971&s=b was even more disturbing because, although I let my camel get exposed again on 3s, I felt like I was strategically outplayed the rest of the game. After 7s, for example, I feel my position was not so horrible. But my flank attacks were either poorly executed or completely spurious. On 9g, my opponent enters its camel into the game, and it proves to be well placed compared to my camel. On 20s I made a tactical blunder, though I believe at that point the game was lost anyway.

So, I guess I have a few main questions:

Where should I place my camel in the opening (especially against a balanced setup)?
What should I be doing in the meantime, before I can safely activate my camel? I know that, for example, pulling a rabbit is a common idea in the opening. It's a plan i used to be fond of. However, I often feel like my horse would be tactically vulnerable going that route as of late.
If the game is fairly "quiet" (non-tactical) in the opening, what are some ways to gain an advantage?

And secondarily:

How does one combat a M/EHH attack? Does the placement of one's camel differ in this case?

Title: Re: Strategic Planning
Post by chessandgo on Apr 9^th, 2014, 1:15am

You usually want your caMel to face their horses. So in the first game something like 7g Cf2n Rf1n Mf4w Me4w would put you in a fantastic position, you have b6, which your caMel is ready to support, and the piece alignement is favorable too!

In the second game, 3s is fine, you should aim to get your Horse into b3, just like b6 in the first game. Letting the camel be flipped to the edge on 6g slows you down (instead of advancing your Horse through the a or b file, you might have to move it through c5 and b4 to reach b3).

Title: Re: Strategic Planning
Post by balaclava on Apr 12^th, 2014, 1:18pm

Thanks for the advice, Jean. I wouldn't have even thought to protect the trap with a rabbit on 7g, so early in the game.

Any pointers on gold's strategy against an M/EHH setup?