What is the best play and how many boxes
will it win?
 

Here is a familiar little puzzle game from the East, played
upon lines very similar to the well known game of "Tit-Tat-
Toe, three in a row."  One of the Chinese girls writes sixteen
letters on a slate in four rows, as shown.  After marking a
straight dash from A to B, she passes the slate to her opponent,
who connects E to A.  If the first player should now connect
E to F, the other player would connect B with F and score
"one box," and have the right to play again.  But they have
played so well that neither one has yet scored a box, although
each played six times.  The game is reaching a critical point
where one of them must win, for there are no draws in this
game.

The little maiden sitting down has to play now, and if she
connects M to N her opponent could score four boxes in one
run, then having the right to one more play, would connect H
and L which would win all the rest.  What play would you now
advise, and how many boxes will it win against the best possi-
ble play of the second player?

Remember, when a player scores a "box" he playes again.
Suppose for example a player marks from D to H.  Then the
second player marks from H to L, and no matter what mark the
first player makes, the second player scores all nine boxes
without stopping.  It is a game that calls for considerable
skill as you will discover after trying a few games.

Click below to read Sam Loyd's solution.