Rhode 2016

Rhode is a drawless connection game for two players: Black and White. It's played on the intersections (points) of an initially empty square grid (board). The top and bottom edges of the board are colored black; the left and right edges are colored white.

DefinitionsA weak pair is a set of two like-colored, diagonally adjacent stones such that there is no like-colored stone adjacent to both.

A crosscut is a 2x2 set of stones consisting of two diagonally adjacent black stones and two diagonally adjacent white stones. A stone can be part of several crosscuts at the same time.

PlayBlack plays first, then turns alternate.

On your turn, if there are any friendly weak pairs on the board, place a stone of your color on an empty point that is adjacent to the two stones in one of those pairs. Otherwise, place a stone of your color on any empty point.

After your placement, remove all friendly stones, except the one just placed, that are part of any crosscuts.

You win by creating a chain of orthogonally connected stones of your color touching the two opposite board edges of your color.

To make the game fair, White will have the option, on their first turn only, to swap sides with Black instead of making a regular move.