Lattice
Lattice Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Objective
Occupy all four corners of a square on the 6 x 6 grid. The winning square can be of any size (1 x 1, 2 x 2, 3 x 3, 4 x 4, 5 x 5, or 6 x 6), but must line up with the gridlines. Diamond shapes do not count.
Game Play
This is a two player game. Each player takes a turn placing a stone on an intersection on the grid. Black moves first, and can place the first stone anywhere. White now places a stone anywhere on the board. Black's second move must be located at least three rows or columns from their first stone. There are no restrictions on any future game moves.
If the first player elects to play in the corner on their first move they may place a stone anywhere on the board on their second.
If one player occupies three corners of a square, and can win the game on their next move, they must announce it to the other player. The game is won when a player makes a single move that produces multiple winning moves for the following turn.
Basic Strategy
When a player moves to the third corner of an open square the opponent is forced to block at the fourth corner. The player retains control of the board as long as they are placing the opponent in 'check'. A winning position can often be built by forcing a string of successive checks. A common method is to build a '+' of either 1 x 1 or 2 x 2 squares. If the board is clear, and the player can complete a '+', the final move will give two checks and the game will be won. Wins in this method can be seen easily up to 5 moves in advance.
The trick is knowing when a successful winning position can be built. If the player cannot visualize the sequence to completion they will likely hit a dead end, then lose when they give up control of the board. In some cases it may be preferable to skip a 'check' move to make a preemptive defensive one. Either way the player must be precise. Every point on the board quickly becomes critical.