1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
5
5
6
6
7
7
8
8
9
9
10
10
11
11
12
12
13
13
14
14
15
15
16
16
17
17
18
18
19
19
20
20
21
21
22
22
23
23
24
24
25
25
26
26
27
27
28
28
29
29
30
30
31
31
32
32
33
33
34
34
35
35
36
36
37
37
38
38
39
39
40
40
41
41
42
42
43
43
44
44
45
45
46
46
47
47
48
48
49
49
50
50
51
51
52
52
53
53
54
54
55
55
56
56
57
57
58
58
59
59
Hex:
A Strategy Guide
Matthew Seymour
Table of Contents
1. Rules
1.1 The swap rule
1.2 Notation
1.3 Using the interactive diagrams
1.4 Playing the game
2. Basic concepts
2.1 Board areas
2.2 Templates
2.3 Blocking
2.4 Ladders
2.5 Pre-ladder formations
2.6 Interior templates
2.7 Groups
2.8 Edge templates
2.9 Solving templates by reduction
2.10 Winning connections
2.11 Overlapping templates are weak
2.12 Examples
2.13 Basic strategy
3. Tactics
3.1 Blocking techniques
3.2 Templates with overlapping reductions
3.3 Ladder handling
3.4 Ladder escapes
3.5 Bad ladder escapes
3.6 Cascading ladders
3.7 Advanced ladder handling
4. Strategy
4.1 Types of connections
4.2 Ladder escapes
4.3 Territory
4.4 The two blocks
4.5 Gaining territory by intrusion
4.6 Useless stones
4.7 Responding to intrusions
4.8 Offer no territory
4.9 Minmaxing
4.10 Moving elsewhere
4.11 Summary of weak and strong blocks
4.12 Attacking stones
4.13 Broad and narrow fronts
4.14 Deflecting
4.15 The first move
4.16 Commented games
5. Advanced tactics
5.1 Template A-5
5.2 Template C-5
5.3 Switchbacks
5.4 Folding under
5.5 J9 ladder escape
5.6 Parallel ladders
5.7 “Tom’s move”
5.8 More complex switchbacks
5.9 J9 and fourth-row ladders
5.10 Climbing
6. Equivalences
6.1 Edge templates as interior templates
6.2 Extensions of some interior templates
6.3 Dead hexes
6.4 Captured hexes
6.5 One-sided capture
7. Advanced strategy
7.1 Corners
7.2 Acute corner patterns
7.3 Obtuse corner openings
7.4 Corner patterns in the opening
7.5 Edges
7.6 Corner pairs
7.7 Undermining
7.8 Opposing obtuse corner stones
7.9 Drawing in
8. The opening
8.1 c2
8.2 a3
8.3 a4
8.4 a5
8.5 a6
8.6 a7
8.7 a8
8.8 a9
8.9 a10
8.10 a11
8.11 c12
8.12 a13
9. Commented games
A. Edge Templates
A.1 A-series
A.2 B-series
A.3 C-series
A.4 D-series
A.5 E-series
A.6 F-series
A.7 G-series
A.8 H-series
A.9 I-series
A.10 J-series
A.11 K-series
A.12 L-series
A.13 M-series
B. Interior Templates
B.1 Two- and three-stone templates
B.2 Four-stone templates
B.3 Five-stone templates
C. Printable boards
D. Bibliography and other resources
D.1 Strategy
D.2 Other Hex resources
D.3 Solved openings
D.4 Dead and captured cells
Copyright © 2019–2020 Matthew Seymour
Questions or comments? Contact me at
matthew.seymour@gmail.com