The Rules

 

In this game, similar to chess, players move one after another. The wolf controls three red pieces that move forward and diagonally, but only to adjacent fields, just like in checkers. The hare, which is the blue piece, can move diagonally in any direction but also only to adjacent fields. You can't move onto a field that's already taken. The hare aims to reach the board's far end to win, while the wolf's goal is to corner the hare, leaving it with no possible moves. Enjoy the game!

 

Programming

 

The game is realized as a JavaScript. Graphics were copied from the checkers game on JavaFile.com. The script uses the evaluation (who wins in how many moves) of all possible positions of the game (around 140000) which were computed in C++ (with this program), and then copied into the JavaScript.

 

Background

 

The classic game is played on an 8x8 chess board with four wolves against one hare. In this setup, if the wolves play perfectly, the hare always loses. To make the game more interesting, we've simplified the rules: now, it's played with just three wolves on a 6x9 board instead of 8x8. In this version, the player who goes first can only win if their opponent makes a mistake. Thus, with optimal play, you will win as long as you don't make the first move!

 

Martin Weidner, 2007