Analysis of Link Chess

Eden Weizman USA (caseyjnrules@gmail.com) Mentor: Dr. Oded Suchard The Faculty of Technology and Science Education Technion, Israel Institute of Technology Donia Wakid Israel (donia.ib@hotmail.com)

Abstract
After analyzing different strategic games we combined the properties of two to create our own original game, called Link Chess. We then discovered its own unique strategies and solutions by running through combinations of different series of moves.

Introduction
Game Theory is the study of decision making in situations with both stochastic and deterministic elements. Stochastic elements can be derived from the existence of another player or several other players who have some influence over the situation, yet whose actions may not always be obvious or predictable (1). The situation is deterministic because the player may also make his own decisions, over which he is in complete control of. It can also be assumed that the other players are rational and will make the optimal decision for themselves (2). All of these players are not necessarily competing, but may be cooperating as well. Game Theory is inherently interdisciplinary and lends itself well to fields such as economics and psychology. The problems which Game Theory attempts to solve have always existed as long as there were choices to be made. However, the modern field of Game Theory only became distinct in 1944 when The Theory of Games and Economic Behavior written by John von Neumann with Oskar Morgenstern was published. It was revolutionary in translating the ideas related to game theory that had been developing throughout the history of mankind into actual mathematical and logical models (3). Ernst Zermelo, a German mathematician, proved that for a very large strategic group of games, like "x-o", "NIM" or chess, there is only one correct ending result, which will happen if no mistakes are made. Either one player will consistently be able to force a win, or there will be a

tie (4). In a simple game, the strategy for reaching this result can be determined. In a more complicated one it cannot, but it may be possible to prove what the expected result is. Chess is a board game debatably 2000 years old (5), making it one of the oldest that is still played today. It is thought to have originated in India where old documents about chess were found (6). Chess has not been solved yet, meaning the optimal moves to reach the correct ending has not yet been figured out. The number of possible moves and situations that chess can create is so huge that no person or computer that exists at this point in time can solve it (7). For our final game we combined Lines of Action with Chess. Each player places his 12 chess pieces on facing sides of 8x8 board. The movement of the pieces is determined by the original rules of Chess. The game is won when all of a players pieces are connected in a contiguous body. Squares are said to be connected if their sides or corners are touching. To solve Link Chess we created simpler versions of it so we could see all the possible situations players can face and find how the game will end if both players take the optimal moves in different simple versions of our final game, looking for strategies.

Methods and Materials

Our method for finding the solution to our game was to first simplify. Simpler games with less pieces and a smaller boards have clearer solutions and then information and strategies found can be used for larger and more complicated versions. Step by step we could add more rules to the game until we reached our original game. The simplest possible version is a 3x3 board with only kings who cannot eat each other. Each piece may be tested on this 3x3 board. Next we can introduce capturing. The same pattern can be repeated on a 4x4 board and so on. To analyze these new versions we ran through each possible situation by making decision trees and by playing the game and then backtracking. Backtracking involves playing until somebody wins and then going back and redoing a move to see if the losing player can change the result. This process is repeated until the end result can no longer be changed. We did this via java program. We also developed an artificially intelligent opponent using the information we gained throughout the project, useful for stress testing theories and strategies. Next we dissected our results and figured out the strategies to reach the result that we had already proved was the inevitably correct one.

Results
Key: : Strategy has not been figured out

Table 1: Winner of Game per Board Size and Piece Type Used if Optimal Moves are Made No Captures (Black is Player One) Pieces/Board Size Pawns Only Kings Only Queens Only Bishops Only Rooks Only Knights Only 3x3 BLACK BLACK BLACK nobody BLACK BLACK 4x4 BLACK BLACK BLACK BLACK BLACK BLACK 5x5 BLACK BLACK BLACK BLACK BLACK BLACK BLACK X X X X 6x6 X

Table 2: Winner of Game per Board Size and Piece Type Used if Optimal Moves are Made Captures Allowed (Black is Player One) Pieces/Board Size Pawns Only Kings Only Queens Only Bishops Only Rooks Only Knights Only 3x3 BLACK BLACK BLACK BLACK BLACK BLACK 4x4 BLACK BLACK BLACK BLACK BLACK BLACK 5x5 BLACK X BLACK BLACK BLACK BLACK 6x6 X X X X X X

-On a 3x3 grid, any valid move will result in the final optimally solved state of the game.
3

-The strategy guides for pieces on a 4x4 and 5x5 grid are in the Appendix.

Number of possible valid game states before a win for Pawns Only w/ Captures: 3x3 Board: 3 4x4 Board: >8000

Discussion
As long as a game of Link Chess is smaller than 5x5 squares with the same types of pieces, whoever moves first controls the board. When no capturing is allowed, it becomes vital to get to a square first, because there is no way for the other player to get there once the square has been taken. When capturing is allowed, blocking becomes a way to inhibit the other players movement while simultaneously getting rid of a players own pieces, making connecting them easier. It is advantageous to get to a square first. Player One has more opportunities to do so. 5x5 Pawns (no capture) shall be used for an example of an effective strategy. Black first moves their bottom center piece up twice. Only two white pieces may be in one row at a time, because there is no capturing and thus no moving diagonal for pawns. This means that no matter how the white pieces moves, they cannot block all three black pieces at the top at the same time. No matter which black piece at the top moves, if they move one space down they connect the middle black piece to all other top black pieces. The bottom pieces cannot be blocked because neither pawns have been moved, meaning they have the option to move two squares at once, whether or not the first square is occupied. Therefore white will need 2 moves to fully block one pawn from a win, while the pawn needs only one move to get to where it needs to be. Player Two had immediately been put on the defensive from the first move. It was Player One who had been created the situation and had an opportunity to claim the path to winning. Full 8x8 Link Chess is more than likely unsolvable, for now. The jump in game states for pawns from just a 3x3 board to a 4x4 board is over 8,000. Our program was unable to handle the amount of 5x5 combinations. Link Chess is also similar to chess, which has so many combinations that it is cannot be solved by the most powerful supercomputers developed by this point in time. We theorize that the ultimate winner of the full game would be black due to the advantages and strategies found with going first and patterns of winners so far, but have not been able to prove this.

Conclusion
In conclusion, Player One has a distinct advantage in games of Link Chess in small boards. By analyzing possibilities and strategies, we were able to find the optimal moves to carry out for most boards for Player Ones victory to be assured, if in fact it can be won without making mistakes. We found the most efficient method for developing strategies was backtracking using the program. However, the best result came from combining methods and using the information from each one together to draw conclusions and to recheck results. We can assume that the game cannot currently be solved in its full 8x8 form. However, with the information available, it seems the player who goes first in Link Chess no matter the board size or types of pieces available is always the winner.

Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Dr. Oded Suchard for being such a kind and helpful mentor and for playing Link Chess with us every now and then. And to Prof. Orit Hazan for hosting and guiding us through our research in her lab. We would also like to sincerely thank The Gilbert Foundation for their generosity and donation.

References
1. "Game Theory." Business Dictionary. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/game-theory.html>. 2. McCain, Roger A. "An Information Technology Example." Strategy and Conflict: An Introductory Sketch of Game Theory. N.p., 1999. Web. <http://faculty.lebow.drexel.edu/mccainr/top/eco/game/game-toc.html>. 3. Walker, Paul. "Chronology of Game Theory." Chronology of Game Theory. N.p., Oct. 2005. Web. <http://www.econ.canterbury.ac.nz/personal_pages/paul_walker/gt/hist.htm>. 4. "Zermelo's Theorem (Game Theory)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 07 July 2012. Web. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zermelo's_theorem_(game_theory)>. 5. "What Is the Oldest Known Board Game That We Still Play?" HubPages. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://spikethelobster.hubpages.com/hub/Oldest-Known-Board-Game>. 6. "The History of Chess." ThinkQuest. Oracle Foundation, n.d. Web. <http://library.thinkquest.org/26408/feature/chess_history.shtml>. 7. Allis, Louis Victor. Searching for Solutions in Games and Artificial Intelligence/ Louis Victor Allis. Wageningen: Ponsen & Looijen, 1994. 171.