Games of Daze/Infomagic - Games of Daze (Summer 1995) (Disc 1 of 2).iso/x2ftp/msdos/rules/teeko.txt

Internet Message Format | 1995-02-10 | 5.6 KB

Date: Fri, 10 Feb 1995 12:07:53 -0700
To: [e-mail]
From: [e-mail] (Edward Jackman)
Subject: teeko information

TEEKO is a game invented by John Scarne and it may be the only game he
invented that he didn't name after himself! I doubt very much you could
buy a set now; the game was invented decades ago. It's played on a 5 x 5
grid. Each player has 4 pawns. In the simplest version (there are several),
players take turns placing pieces until all eight are on the board. Then they
take turns moving one of their pieces as a chess king moves. The goal is to
get 4 in a row, or 4 in a small square. (The advanced version allows four in
a square to include the four corners of a square of any size.) He wrote a
book called *Scarne on Teeko* which is fairly easy to find in a major library.
Some of his other books, such as *Scarne on Games* may also include more
detailed rules.

Types of winning positions in Standard Teeko:

- - - - -   - - - - -   - - - - -   - - - - -
a a a a -   - b - - -   - c - - -   - - - - -
- - - - -   - b - - -   - - c - -   - - - - -
- - - - -   - b - - -   - - - c -   - d d - -
- - - - -   - b - - -   - - - - c   - d d - -


Additional winning positions in Advanced Teeko:

- - - - -   f - - f -   g - - - g
- e - e -   - - - - -   - - - - -
- - - - -   - - - - -   - - - - -
- e - e -   f - - f -   - - - - -
- - - - -   - - - - -   g - - - g


Information from 'Scarne on Teeko', 1955:

The simplest version is called 'Teeko 44 positions' because there are
44 possible winning positions. [Contrary to what Scarne claims, the game
is a draw with rational play -- with only a little experience, a player
should be able to force a draw regardless of what the opponent does. The game
is deeper that tic-tac-toe, but not by much.]

Scarne describes the 'Alternate Game'. During the placement phase, the
player's opponent decides where the player drops his/her pieces.
Scarne then gives six variations:

  1: First placement as in Alternate game, the rest as in Standard game.
  2: 1st and 2nd placement as in Alternate, 3rd and 4th as in Standard.
  3: 1st - 3rd placments as in Alternate, 4th as in Standard.
  4: First placement as in Standard game, the rest as in Alternate game.
  5: 1st and 2nd placement as in Standard, 3rd and 4th as in Alternate.
  6: 1st - 3rd placments as in Standard, 4th as in Alternate.

for a total of 8 ways to play the game.

Next he describes Advanced Teeko or 'Teeko 58 postions'. In addition to the
standard 44 winning positions, a player wins by getting his/her pieces to
form a square of any size -- 3x3, 4x4 or 5x5. Advanced Teeko may be played
in any of the variations mentioned, making 16 ways to play. Advanced Teeko
may be played with point scoring: 1 point for a 4x4 square, 2 points for
a 3x3 square, 3 points for a 2x2 square, 4 points for a row in any direction,
and 5 points for a 5x5 square.

'Scarne on Teeko' was revised and reprinted as late as 1961. I haven't
seen the revision, but I believe the rules were modified as is reflected
in 'Scarne's Encyclopedia of Games'.


Information from 'Scarne's Encyclpedia of Games', 1973:

Scarne later modified the rules of the standard game. The board
is the same but each player has 4 pieces numbered from 1 to 4. The game
is then the same as 'Standard Teeko' described above except for scoring.
A player scores a number of points equal to the number on the piece moved
(or placed) to form the winning position plus an additional 4 points if
that piece is in the center or any of the four corners of the board.
[There is no longer any point difference for different winning positions.]

    A           B           C              D           E
= - - - =   = - - - =   = - - - =      = - - - 2   = - - - 2
- 1 3 4 -   2 1 3 4 -   - 1 3 - -      - - - 4 -   - - - 4 -
- 2 = - -   - - = - -   - 2 4 - -      - - 1 - -   - - 1 - -
- - - - -   - - - - -   - - - - -      - - 3 - -   - 3 - - -
= - - - =   = - - - -   = - - - =      = - - - =   = - - - =

For example, if a player's pieces are in the positions in 'A', by
moving the '2' piece the player can form a row and score 2 points
as in 'B'. Better would be to instead move the '4' to form a square
as in 'C' and score 8 points. (4 point bonus forming a winning position
by moving onto the center space)

In the position in 'D', moving the '3' to form a row as in 'E' scores
3 points, NOT 7 (or 11) as moving piece did not stop on the center
or a corner.


Scarne then describes using 'point drop' vs 'standard drop' in the opening.
To do a point drop, a player says 'point', the opponent points to a space,
then the player drops any piece on that space. The game may open any of
these 16 ways:


1:  S S S S    5:  S P S S    9:  P S S S   13:  P P S S
2:  S S S P    6:  S P S P   10:  P S S P   14:  P P S P
3:  S S P S    7:  S P P S   11:  P S P S   15:  P P P S
4:  S S P P    8:  S P P P   12:  P S P P   16:  P P P P

(S = Standard drop, P = Point drop)
==========================================================================

It is our experience that though there are many traps, all variatons
are draws with best play and that best play is not hard to achieve.

One variation we've tried is 'Teeko 78 positions' -- a player wins by
forming a square of any orientation and size:

- h - - -   - - i - -   - - - j -   - - k - -
h - h - -   i - - - -   j - - - -   - - - - -
- h - - -   - - - i -   - - - - -   k - - - k
- - - - -   - i - - -   - - - - j   - - - - -
- - - - -   - - - - -   - j - - -   - - k - -

in addition to the winning postions in 'Teeko 58'.

Edward Jackman