WEAVE

Copyright (c) 2002 Walter Joris

This game is played on a 10x10 board:

 
GROUP - A diagonal (orthogonal) group is a set of stones of the same color connected by diagonal (orthogonal) adjacency.
EDGES - The top and bottom rows are the edges of Black, and the left and right column are the edges of White.
TURN - On each turn, each player drops a friendly stone on an empty cell:
GOAL - Wins the player that connects his edges with an orthogonal or a diagonal group of friendly stones.

So, notice that a group that connects opposite edges only by using mixed connections (both diagonal and orthogonal) does not achieve victory.

An example

In a smaller board, he is an example of an orthogonal victory for White.

An example

In this case, Black did not win with the marked stones, because he does not connect both edges using just orthogonal or just diagonal connections.

White, on the other side, can win using a diagonal group. Can you see how?

The game, as it is, seems easily a draw between two sensible players. It would be better to allow each player connect every pair of adjacent edges. Even that may not be enough. Another possible addition would be to allow another types of connection, like keima (i.e., a chess knight jump) connection between friendly stones.

This game can be player with just pencil and paper. It is presented at 100 Strategic Games for Pen and Paper by Walter Joris.