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Players take it in turns to choose a dot on the grid. The winner is the first to have four dots that can be joined to form a rhombus.
Players take it in turns to choose a dot on the grid. The winner is the first to have four dots that can be joined to form a parallelogram.
Here is a machine with four coloured lights. Can you develop a strategy to work out the rules controlling each light?
Collect as many diamonds as you can by drawing three straight lines.
A game in which players take it in turns to choose a number. Can you block your opponent?
Solve this Sudoku puzzle whose clues are in the form of sums of the numbers which should appear in diagonal opposite cells.
Given the products of diagonally opposite cells - can you complete this Sudoku?
Can you find the pairs that represent the same amount of money?
Players take it in turns to choose a dot on the grid. The winner is the first to have four dots that can be joined to form a square.
A Sudoku that uses transformations as supporting clues.
This article for teachers describes several games, found on the site, all of which have a related structure that can be used to develop the skills of strategic planning.
An article for teachers and pupils that encourages you to look at the mathematical properties of similar games.
Gillian Hatch analyses what goes on when mathematical games are used as a pedagogic device.
Can you find a strategy that ensures you get to take the last biscuit in this game?
The aim of the game is to slide the green square from the top right hand corner to the bottom left hand corner in the least number of moves.
This article invites you to get familiar with a strategic game called "sprouts". The game is simple enough for younger children to understand, and has also provided experienced mathematicians with significant food for thought.
This article shows how abstract thinking and a little number theory throw light on the scoring in the game Go.
The game of go has a simple mechanism. This discussion of the principle of two eyes in go has shown that the game does not depend on equally clear-cut concepts.
This article explains the use of the idea of connectedness in networks, in two different ways, to bring into focus the basics of the game of Go, namely capture and territory.
This game for two, was played in ancient Egypt as far back as 1400 BC. The game was taken by the Moors to Spain, where it is mentioned in 13th century manuscripts, and the Spanish name Alquerque derives from the Arabic El- quirkat. Watch out for being 'huffed'.
An ancient game for two from Egypt. You'll need twelve distinctive 'stones' each to play. You could chalk out the board on the ground - do ask permission first.
Can you beat Piggy in this simple dice game? Can you figure out Piggy's strategy, and is there a better one?
Try playing this game from New Zealand at the beach by drawing the board in the sand. Find an opponent and see if you can win by ending up with your shell in the centre space.
A game for two players based on a game from the Somali people of Africa. The first player to pick all the other's 'pumpkins' is the winner.
This is a simple version of an ancient game played all over the world. It is also called Mancala. What tactics will increase your chances of winning?
To avoid losing think of another very well known game where the patterns of play are similar.
A game for 2 players. Set out 16 counters in rows of 1,3,5 and 7. Players take turns to remove any number of counters from a row. The player left with the last counter looses.
A game for 2 players. Take turns to place a counter so that it occupies one of the lowest possible positions in the grid. The first player to complete a line of 4 wins.
A game for 2 players with similarities to NIM. Place one counter on each spot on the games board. Players take it is turns to remove 1 or 2 adjacent counters. The winner picks up the last counter.
A game for two people, who take turns to move the counters. The player to remove the last counter from the board wins.
A game for 2 people. Take turns joining two dots, until your opponent is unable to move.
A game from Italy. Play with a friend and see if you can be the first to get five pieces in a line.
Everthing you have always wanted to do with dominoes! Some of these games are good for practising your mental calculation skills, and some are good for your reasoning skills.
This Chinese game for two players is a simple version of Wei ch'i or Go. Each player has 20 distinctive pieces - try coins, pebbles, shells. You could try marking the board out in wet sand.
This game is known as Pong hau k'i in China and Ou-moul-ko-no in Korea. Find a friend to play or try the interactive version online.
All you need for this game is a pack of cards. While you play the game, think about strategies that will increase your chances of winning.
A simple game for 2 players invented by John Conway. It is played on a 3x3 square board with 9 counters that are black on one side and white on the other.
A maths-based Football World Cup simulation for teachers and students to use.
Some puzzles requiring no knowledge of knot theory, just a careful inspection of the patterns. A glimpse of the classification of knots and a little about prime knots, crossing numbers and knot arithmetic.
Start with any number of counters in any number of piles. 2 players take it in turns to remove any number of counters from a single pile. The loser is the player who takes the last counter.