Hextrap 1975

Requirements: Paper and pencil. Match- sticks.

The board is a large hexagon,, divided as shown into 24 triangles. The size is such that matchsticks can be placed along the sides of the triangles. The large hexagon contains seven smaller 6-triangle hexagons, the centres of which are marked with large black dots.

One player is the 'mouse'. This is represented by a small coin which the player may place in any of the 24 triangles at the start of each game.

The other player is the 'cat' who attempts to trap the mouse in one triangle, by placing his matchsticks on the lines and gradually restricting the mouse's move-ments. His first move is to place a match anywhere on the board. The players then move alternately.

The mouse must move when it his turn. He may move to any triangle in the same small hexagon. That is to say he may move anywhere round the one dot. He may not cross over a matchstick.

Each player has two consecutive turns as the cat. He has 19 matchsticks which he may use on his two attempts to catch the mouse. He scores one point for each success. If he catches the mouse with 8 matchsticks in his first turn, he has 11 matchsticks for his second turn.

The first player to score 9 points is the winner.

The cat can always win with his first turn, but to get a lead over his opponent he must win and still leave himself enough matchsticks to win the second game as well. The best technique for the cat is usually to place his first two matches in opposite directions from the centre of the board as if to divide the board in half. He then ensures that the mouse is confined to one side of this division and in the smallest possible area.

The mouse, on the other hand, tries to keep to the largest possible open space, and to triangles where he has a choice of several dots round which he may move.