Rules to Trax
Invented by David Smith of Christchurch, New Zealand 1980
Copyright David Smith
Trax is a game played with tiles. These tiles are red with white and black
straight sections on one side and white and black curved sections on the
other:
_____________ _____________
|.....| |.....| |.....| |.....|
|.....| |.....| |..../ /......|
|.....| |.....| |___/ /.......|
|#############| |____/....####|
|.....| |.....| |......####...|
|.....| |.....| |.....##......|
|_____|_|_____| |_____##______|
As these are too difficult to draw in ascii characters, This method has
been developed to show the tiles graphically:
+ o + + o + + o + x + Two tiles
x x o / x x \ o o side by side
+ o + + x + + x + x +
Notice the similarity to the above tiles.
As this descriptive form can be hard to read, I recommend you make some
tiles from card, draw them on graph paper or get the real thing.
Rules:
1 Trax is played with identical tiles as described above on a flat
surface.
2 Two players decide who shall be white and who shall be black.
3 White always plays first (there is no advantage).
4 Each player in turn plays one tile either side up, adjacent to any already
played tile such that the colours line up.
5 Each player may join track of either or both colours at any turn.
6 If any played tile results in an adjacent space or spaces that has two
tracks of the same colour entering it a `forced' tile is played so as to
join the two tracks together. If this tile creates another space with
two tracks of the same colour entering then a second forced tile is
played. The players turn ends when all forced tiles have been played.
Note: Think of this not so much as being forced to play tiles, but an
oportunity to play more than one tile.
7 If a tile or forced tile is played that results in in a space with three
or four tracks of the same colour entering, the move is illegal and must
be taken back and replayed (at no penalty).
8 The winner is the player whose track first forms a LOOP or a LINE.
9 A loop is any path of track that connects to itself, whatever its shape.
10 A line is a continuous path that connects oppisite and outermost edges
of the layout, at least 8 rows of tile across or down.
11 If a loop or a line is formed by both colours during either players turn,
the game is won by that player.
12 The playing area may not be extended beyond 8 rows wide and 8 rows deep
(Regular Trax).
13 If a win is not achieved after all 64 tiles have been played, the game is
drawn.
14 Missed forced moves should be played as soon as noticed, at no penalty
to either player.
SUPERTRAX
15 Draws are not permitted.
16 The playing area may extend beyond the playing limit of 8x8 (rules 12
and 13 above are canceled).
Note: obviously, more than one set of tiles may be required. The largest
game I know was 255 tiles, average is about 80.
NOTATION
17 The game is recorded as viewed by white.
18 Three symbols are used to record the first tile played.
19 Forced tiles are not recorded as these are self evident.
20 First symbol - letters are used to denote the column played reading
left to right AFTER the tile is played.
21 Second symbol - numbers are used to denote the row played reading top
to bottem AFTER the tile is played.
22 The above order is reversed to distinguish a tile played ABOVE rather
than TO THE LEFT of the top left corner.
1A
ie __
| |
A1 |__| B1
A2
23 Third symbol - S is used whenever straights are played.
C is used whenever curves is played as the first tile or against two
edges. Ohterwise U, D, L or R are used when the track extended is
turned up, down, left or right respectively.
24 For notational purposes, the first tile must be played this way up:
+ o + + o +
x x if straights, or o / x if curves.
+ o + + x +
examples:
From this position ( known as an L for its shape )
+ o + x + o +
x \ o \ x x
+ x + o + o +
x \ o
+ x +
Black plays:
+ o + x + o + + o + x + o +
x \ o \ x x x \ o \ x x
+ x + o + o + + x + o + o +
here -> x / o x \ o x / o / x \ o
+ o + + x + + o + x + x +
forcing ^
This creates two half loops, one on the left and one at the bottem.
White defends one:
+ o + x + o +
x \ o \ x x
+ x + o + o +
x / o / x \ o
+ o + x + x +
o \ x
+ o +
Black plays
+ o + o + x + o + + o + o + x + o +
o / x \ o \ x x o / x \ o \ x x resulting in a loop
+ x + x + o + o + forcing: + x + x + o + o + win for black.
x / o / x \ o > o \ x / o / x \ o
+ o + x + x + + o + o + x + x +
o \ x o \ x
+ o + + o +
This is an example of a simple two stage win. Most wins in Trax require the
setting up of such multiple stage wins.
Clues to strategy:
Defending loops tends to straighten them into lines.
Defending lines tends to bend them into loops.
Don't attack too soon - you use up your corners and your opponents defence
will give them corners.
If you don't know what to do, DON'T attack. Kill a corner instead.
Approximate guides as to who has the best position:
The person with the most corners and the most line segments is probably
doing better.
Here is a sample game, by two people who have been playing for years. It is
not a beginners game, but the commentary should give you some insight as to
the strategy employed here. I have put a dot in the first tile to make it
easier to find. This is not normally done.
White (o) Donald Bailey (DBailey@massey.ac.nz)
Black (x) Tom Siegenthaler (TSiegenthaler@massey.ac.nz)
white black
o x
+ o +
x . x 1 A1S
+ o +
+ x + o +
o \ x . x 1 A1S 2 A1U
+ o + o +
+ x + o +
o \ x . x 1 A1S 2 A1U
+ o + o + 3 B2R A less common though safe
x \ o opening
+ x +
+ x + o +
o \ x . x 1 A1S 2 A1U
+ o + o + 3 B2R 4 A2S Another unconvential move.
x x \ o Still safe
+ o + x +
+ o + x + White sets up an opening trap where
o / x / o there is only one defence. The trap is:
+ x + o + C1U D1S any D5R any A5L any win
o \ x . x 1 A1S 2 A1U C2U 1Al any D1U any win
+ o + o + 3 B2R 4 A2S C2D A4L any D4D any win
x x \ o 5 B1R
+ o + x +
+ o + x + x +
o / x / o \ x 1 A1S 2 A1U
+ x + o + o + 3 B2R 4 A2S Black chooses the only safe defence
o \ x . x \ o 5 B1R 6 C3D
+ o + o + x +
x x \ o \ x
+ o + x + o +
+ o + x + x + o +
o / x / o \ x \ o 1 A1S 2 A1U
+ x + o + o + x + 3 B2R 4 A2S White continues the attack, also forming
o \ x . x \ o \ x 5 B1R 6 C3D an edge along the top.
+ o + o + x + o + 7 D3S (D1R any 1AL any win)
x x \ o \ x x
+ o + x + o + o +
+ o + x + x + o +
o / x / o \ x \ o 1 A1S 2 A1U
+ x + o + o + x + 3 B2R 4 A2S Black makes the required counter attack
o \ x . x \ o \ x 5 B1R 6 C3D to avoid loosing to the edge.
+ o + o + x + o + 7 D3S 8 A4S
x x \ o \ x x
+ o + x + o + o +
x x / o / x
+ o + o + x +
+ o + x + x + o +
o / x / o \ x \ o 1 A1S 2 A1U
+ x + x + o + o + x + 3 B2R 4 A2S This thoroughly kills the black
o o \ x . x \ o \ x 5 B1R 6 C3D attack and leaves two threats: the
+ x + o + o + x + o + 7 D3S 8 A4S edge along the top and a 4-stage on
o \ x x \ o \ x x 9 A2S the right.
+ o + o + x + o + o +
x x / o / x
+ o + o + x +
+ x + o + o + x +
x / o / x \ o \ x
+ o + x + x + o +
o / x / o \ x \ o 1 A1S 2 A1U Black caps off the edge while making
+ x + x + o + o + x + 3 B2R 4 A2S an attack. This move is actually
o o \ x . x \ o \ x 5 B1R 6 C3D faulty as it does not defend the
+ x + o + o + x + o + 7 D3S 8 A4S white 4-stage.
o \ x x \ o \ x x 9 A2S 10 C1R
+ o + o + x + o + o +
x x / o / x
+ o + o + x +
(If the drawing gets too large, the spaces can be removed. They are only
in there for readability)
to speed things up:
11 F2S White defends both the attack and the edge while
maintaining the 3-stage threat on the bottom right.
This lets black off the hook -
F1S would have won for white:
F1S any D7S E6C F6D any win
E7D F7S any win
12 G2D Let off the hook, black kills the 3-stage while
setting up his own 4-stage across the top:
B1L any C1R D1U G1S any win
any G2U any win
13 C1S Destroys the threat by killing a critical corner.
14 D7R Black attacks, hoping to use the corner to later
link up to the horizontal or vertical line.
15 E7D The only safe defence. E6S loses to:
C8L any E8D any win
16 E1S Black realises that white also has a strong vertical
line prospect. This move continues pushing the black
line while slowing down the white line. It also
creates a black L (G1U).
17 F7D White attacks, partially turning back the black line
18 F8R Black counterattacks with an unconnected line (H5S).
19 E1R White turns back the other end of the line threat by
linking it back to the L. This kills the Horizontal
line that was building, and also sets up an L in the
top left corner (B1R).
20 E1R This defuses the white L while forming a black L
(G1U).
21 H5S White makes an unconventional defence of the new L.
In this case the conventional methods don't work.
This move sets up a 4-stage threat along the bottom
and right hand sides.
H6S any C11L any H11R any win
22 G2S Black reforms the line attack and temporarily
defuses the 4-stage by providing a counter attack.
(H3U)
23 F1R White defends the line threat.
24 G1S This allows black to straighten the line again later
and sets up a 4-stage loop threat:
H1U any I6U H5C I5S any win
I5R I4S any win
25 I6D White kills a critical cornerwhile setting an L (I5R)
Note that black has a counter attack to the other
3-stage threat (H7S, H4S)
26 H3D Black kills both threats anyway, setting up his own
2-stage (H1U) and 3-stage (J6S any J3R any win).
27 H7S White kills both threats while setting up 3 more of
his own; an L, an edge and a loop line threat:
I11D any win
C12L any H12R any win
D3S any D1l any win
28 J7S This kills the L and defuses the loop/line threat
but ignores the edge. Defending all three is quite
difficult. Possibly 28 F12R may work.
29 C12L 30 B10S White activate the the edge to win
31 H12R
(One day I'll get around to putting a diagram for the full game here)
Tom
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Technical part now:
+ translating messages
The end of each message is detected by the empty line which follows it. That
allows to have messages longer than one line. If the char $ ends the message,
it means that there wont't be a carriage return after the message.
+ creating a new pattern for tiles drawing
The tile must be in the same order tham in other .tfm files, with a 16x16 max size
for each. They must be separated by an empty line.
+ bug report
if you fix a bug in this program (and you will it hasn't been tested
very well), please send me a report. I'm reachable at Thierry.Grellier@imag.fr
until october 1994, and I may be reachable from october 1994 to june 1995 at
Thierry.Grellier@ufrima.imag.fr, but I will have less free time (army :-(
+ copyright
You can freely reuse this code provided you mention where it does come
from.
+ for whose who have read until there, a funny test to type :
> traxfig A1C 1AR 1AR 1AR B1D C1D D1D B4U C4U D2S
------------------------------------------------------------------------
version 2.01
added absolute paths to find traxfig files
version 2.02
added the definition of SEEK_END if needed
added debug option
added installation file
version 2.03
included Uwe G. Wilhelm's PostScript output
version 2.04
read inputs from stdin which allows piping (suggested by Uwe)
version 2.05
remove a bug of memory allocation for ascii printing
version 2.06
minor changes everywhere exepted in the code !
version 2.07
new tiles font, add directories for sources, tile fonts, messages
version 2.08
add numbered tile display in ascii
version 2.09
Richard has added numbered tile display in PostScript.
version 2.10
Minor changes to distinguish played tiles from forced tiles when
they are numbered.