NIM
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  This is a port of the classic game known to me as 'NIM'...  The objective is to force your opponent to cross the last line off the board.  In a turn you can cross off as many lines as you want from a given row, but ONLY that row...



DIRECTIONS
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  It's fairly straightforward, you pick which row you'll be removing lines from, and then how many lines from that row you wish to remove.  The number you enter is how many MORE you want to take off, not what you want the total taken-off to be....


NOTES
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  I've always known NIM as having been played with rows of 3, 5 and 7 lines each.  Apparantly there are other variations, with more rows and more lines per row...  I've never played it like this but if there's a demand (from teachers, etc., who want to use this in their classes) then I could write a version where you can customize the lengths fairly easily; write me at <ravenn88@hotmail.com>.

  Also -- and this is why it might be useful in school, etc. --  it is possible, with the 3/5/7 setup at least, to play a perfect game of NIM.  My friend and I engaged in this game so often during high school that he actually figured out that whoever goes second, if he or she knows what they're doing, can win every time.  It's a tricky pattern to figure out, though, so you could maybe put it to your students, etc...  I've since forgotten how it goes but most likely my friend still remembers so I could get the formula for you if you need it.  (this is the main reason I haven't yet implemented the alternate board setups --  I like being able to win every round I play. ^_^  Especially when I'm even gracious enough to 'let' my opponent go first....)


 - Andrew Fraticelli
    ravenn88@hotmail.com
