(or Peg Solitaire) — A solution to the game
Hi-Q is played with a peg-board in a cross formation (nine holes in a
square form the middle, and two rows of three holes form each arm of the
cross, for a total of 33 holes). In the initial position, there are pegs in
every hole but the one in the middle. You move by have a peg jump
(horizontal or vertical, not diagonal) another peg, landing in an open
hole. As in checkers, when you jump a piece you remove it from the board.
You keep jumping until there are no more legal moves. The object is to end
up with as few pegs left as possible. Ultimate mastery is ending up with
one peg left in the middle.
When I was in the third grade (back in 1954), I had appendicitis and had to
stay home from school for two weeks. During that time, I tried to solve the
game Hi-Q backwards. I started with one peg in the middle, constructed a
position that would lead to that, then one that would lead to that, and so
forth until I reached the opening position. And I wrote down all the
positions, so I could then play forward and win.
I just found my old, tattered notes, and figured — what’s the Internet for
but to spread useful knowledge like this?
Enjoy.
Richard Seltzer, seltzer@samizdat.com, www.samizdat.com
————————————————————————
1 — Starting position. 32 pieces, 1 hole.
____X X X
____X X X
X X X X X X X
X X X O X X X
X X X X X X X
____X X X
____X X X
2 — 31 pieces, 2 holes.
____X X X
____X X X
X X X X X X X
X X X X O O X
X X X X X X X
____X X X
____X X X
3 — 30 pieces, 3 holes.
____X X X
____X X X
X X X X X X X
X X X X X O X
X X X X O X X
____X X O
____X X X
4. — 29 pieces, 4 holes
____X X X
____X X X
X X X X X X X
X X X X X O X
X X X X X O O
____X X O
____X X X
5. — 28 pieces, 5 holes
____X X X
____X X X
X X X X X X O
X X X X X O O
X X X X X O X
____X X O
____X X X
6. — 27 pieces, 6 holes
____X X X
____X X X
X X X X X X O
X X X X O O O
X X X X O O X
____X X X
____X X X
7. — 26 pieces, 7 holes
____X X X
____X X X
X X X X X X O
X X X X O O O
X X X X X O X
____X X O
____X X O
8. — 25 pieces, 8 holes
____X X X
____X X X
X X X X X X O
X X X X O O O
X X X O O X X
____X X O
____X X O
9. — 24 pieces, 9 holes
____X X X
____X X X
X X X X X X O
X X X X O O O
X X X O O X X
____X X O
____O O X
10. — 23 pieces, 10 holes
____X X X
____X X X
X X X X X X O
X X X X O O O
X X X O O X X
____O O X
____O O X
11. — 22 pieces, 11 holes
____X X X
____X X X
X X X X X X O
X X X X O O O
X X X O X X X
____O O O
____O O O
12. — 21 pieces, 12 holes
____X X X
____X X X
X X X X X X O
X X O O X O O
X X X O X X X
____O O O
____O O O
13. — 20 pieces, 13 holes
____X X X
____X X X
X X X X X X O
X X O O O O O
X X X O O X X
____O O X
____O O O
14. — 19 pieces, 14 holes
____X X X
____X X X
X X X X X X O
X X O O O O O
X X X O X O O
____O O X
____O O O
15. — 18 pieces, 15 holes
____X X X
____X X X
X X X X X X O
X X O O X O O
X X X O O O O
____O O O
____O O O
16. — 17 pieces, 16 holes
____X X X
____X X X
X X X X X X O
O O X O X O O
X X X O O O O
____O O O
____O O O
17. — 16 pieces, 17 holes
____X X X
____X X X
X X X X X X O
O O O O X O O
X X O O O O O
____X O O
____O O O
18. — 15 pieces, 18 holes
____X X X
____X X X
X X X X X X O
O O O O X O O
O O X O O O O
____X O O
____O O O
19. — 14 pieces, 19 holes
____X X X
____X X X
X X X X X X O
O O X O X O O
O O O O O O O
____O O O
____O O O
20. — 13 pieces, 20 holes
____X X X
____X X X
X X O X X X O
O O O O X O O
O O X O O O O
____O O O
____O O O
21. — 12 pieces, 21 holes
____X X X
____X X X
O O X X X X O
O O O O X O O
O O X O O O O
____O O O
____O O O
22. — 11 pieces, 22 holes
____X X X
____O X X
O O O X X X O
O O X O X O O
O O X O O O O
____O O O
____O O O
23. — 10 pieces, 23 holes
____X X X
____O X X
O O X X X X O
O O O O X O O
O O O O O O O
____O O O
____O O O
24. — 9 pieces, 24 holes
____X X X
____O X X
O X O O X X O
O O O O X O O
O O O O O O O
____O O O
____O O O
25. — 8 pieces, 25 holes
____X X X
____O X X
O X O X O O O
O O O O X O O
O O O O O O O
____O O O
____O O O
26. — 7 pieces, 26 holes
____X X O
____O X O
O X O X X O O
O O O O X O O
O O O O O O O
____O O O
____O O O
27. — 6 pieces, 27 holes
____O O X
____O X O
O X O X X O O
O O O O X O O
O O O O O O O
____O O O
____O O O
28. — 5 pieces, 28 holes
____O O X
____O X X
O X O X O O O
O O O O O O O
O O O O O O O
____O O O
____O O O
29. — 4 pieces, 29 holes
____O O O
____O X O
O X O X X O O
O O O O O O O
O O O O O O O
____O O O
____O O O
30. — 3 pieces, 30 holes
____O O O
____O X O
O X X O O O O
O O O O O O O
O O O O O O O
____O O O
____O O O
31. — 2 pieces, 31 holes
____O O O
____O X O
O O O X O O O
O O O O O O O
O O O O O O O
____O O O
____O O O
32. — 1 piece, 32 holes
____O O O
____O O O
O O O O O O O
O O O X O O O
O O O O O O O
____O O O
____O O O
————————————————————————
A shareware version of this game
Chess
Rock Paper Scissors Spock Lizard
This site is published by B&R Samizdat Express, PO Box 161, West Roxbury,
MA 02132. (617) 469-2269. seltzer@samizdat.com
Please visit our online store at http://store.yahoo.com/samizdat
For chess lessons and other afterschool and summer courses, check Mindlabs
www.mindlabsonline.com (run by Bob Seltzer)
Return to B&R Samizdat Express
Buy Richard’s book Web Business Bootcamp (published by Wiley)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0471164194/brsamizdatexpres
Check our sitemap page www.samizdat.com/sitemap.html from which you can get
to any other page at this site in one click.
Enter your query in this Freefind search box to find anything at this site:
