Hello, Steemians! Besides my passion to travel, I have a passion to logic games and my favourite one is Gomoku.
Introduction
This game is really ancient and you probably heard about the rules. The classic gameboard is 15x15 empty intersections.
Players are placing stones, black and white one after another. First player who get "an unbroken row of exactly five stones (not six or more) horizontally, vertically, or diagonally" wins. In other words, it is "Five in row" game.
Tactics
Most of all I like this game bacause of beautiful combinations. Tactical skills have an implortant role in this game.
If you know tactics you can win (though you need experience, opening theory and strategy to become really strong).
Example. White to move. Who is going to win?
It seems very dangerous situation for white. Black attacking by creating f7-g6-i4 unchained three threat. Moreover, moving black i7 create dead fork for white.
Did you guess the winning move for white?
Right! j11! Lets see how this works :-)
W: j11, B: k12
After j11 black have only one defend - k12
W: i12, B: i13
Oh, wait... i12 is a dead fork for black. i13 is forced answer.
W: h13, B: j14? l9?
Black can't block open four and lose the game.
Seems easy?
Contest
I decided to make a contest devoted to this wonderful game.
I'm still a minnow on Steem and so prize for the first right answer is 0.5 SBD.
It's also necessary to explain how you get this answer.
What threats you create and why all possible opposite answers will lose.
Contest lasts for three days 1, 2 and 3 of September. After that I create a post with solution and choose the first answer from comments with shortest way to win. Also the reward will be sent.
Task
White to move.
What is the shortest way to win? Explain your logic.
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