Dark to move. There are 38 dark and 18 light discs on the board and 8 empty squares.
You have 3 legal moves and only one of them keeps the ending won: with perfect play on both sides it finishes 37–27. Each of the 2 alternatives was searched to the last disc and draws or loses.
What the position is about
- edge square — The key move is on the edge of the board, where discs are harder to flip.
- only winning move — Every legal move was solved to the end: this one wins, all the others draw or lose.
Finding the way in
With eight empties left, count where the last move in each region will fall; the winning move often gives up discs now to keep the final say.
Play the position in your head from the opponent's side: what would you do against your favourite move? If there is a good answer, try the next candidate.
Show the first move
Start with a2. Played out against the stiffest resistance, the whole line goes: a2 h5 h3 h2 g2 h1 f2 g1.
Solve it and the next puzzle of the same game is one tap away. Your solved puzzles are ticked in the list, in this browser only.