Specification Change

We decided Gomoku is too simple. Pente is a game much like Gomoku (same board, similar goals and strategies), with the additional rules specified below. Change your program to implement Pente instead of Gomoku.

There is a minor signature change to account for the capture rule (see below). The updated source files can be obtained here. Note that the AI's from the old version will not work, updates to those will be made available soon.

Pente Additional Rules

Pente is very similar to Gomoku. See the original assignment page for the Gomoku rules. The rules for the game clock are the same; the rest of the rules have been slightly modified.  Feel free to ask us questions about Pente, if you are still confused after reading this.

First Moves

As in Gomoku, Black's first move is in the center of the board. In Pente, Black's second move must be outside the 5×5 grid centered at Black's first piece; that is, at least three steps away from the center following the grid lines. This rule means that a 5×5 board no longer makes sense, so the minimum board size is now 7×7.

Capture

You can capture your opponent's pieces if your move sandwiches a pair of her stones between two of your stones. That is, a capture occurs when your move creates a four-in-a-row (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal) where the outer pieces are yours and the inner pieces are your opponent's. When you capture two pieces, they are removed from the board. Note that your opponent is not captured if she places two stones between your pieces. Also, it is possible to place a stone that results in multiple captures. You may only capture pieces in pairs, so surrounding one or three of your opponent's pieces is not a capture.

Following are some example moves to illustrate the capture rules:

Black to move Black makes its move Resultant board
    ®         ®    

White to move White makes its move Resultant board
    ®         ®    

White to move White makes its move Resultant board
    ®         ®    

 

Winning

You can win the game, as in Gomoku, by obtaining five or more stones in a row. You can also win if you capture ten or more of the opponent's pieces. Each capture removes two of your opponent's pieces, so winning can be achieved by capturing five or more pairs.

Other Stuff

Have fun with the AI and GUI features. We hope to see some awesome programs at the tournament.