Dave Dyer's "Tantrix Tips"
A 1999 Pacific Championship game with comments on every move
... and here's a very useful checklist to read over before your games from Tantrix inventor Mike McManaway:
Before Match Starts:
Remind yourself of your own and your opponent's colours.
Check during the game that there are no significant elapsed time errors.
Look at both players' opening tiles - how many no red, ditto no blue, red bends, ditto blue bends, blue corners.
Tell yourself: I will always look at what my opponents best next move is before clicking.
The reply: (if opponent was able to open without your colour)
Preferably play a bend, otherwise you'll need to check you can't be forced into a 3 corner loop.
Get your colour as close to the opponents colour as possible, otherwise he has more indirect options.
The Early Strategy:
The 3rd and 4th moves will shape the entire game- take as much time as you need.
Remember to check effect of attaching bends directly.
Beware any bad tendency to 'use up' isolated links of the opponents colour which get reached!
If possible develop a medium loop threat early on.
Middle Game:
Spend all your spare time analysing colour sequences in short supply.
Connect those indirect connections if any doubt.
Don't relying on forcing your opponent's tile if there is a reasonable chance you might pick up a bad lookalike yourself.
Always check for medium loops threats which can develop out of nowhere.
Don't be lazy checking the effect of a move: eg Check all the forced tiles in the sequence.
Be aware of dangers of letting both ends come out on same controlled side.
When both lines come out at the same point, even a temporary block of the opponents other end is very effective.
End Game:
Maintain concentration right to the very end- use all available time to get every extra point, even when margin is big.
Last move before end game- look at the colour next to line ends of both players.
Think which tiles might allow adding 2 tiles to end of line rather than 1 on final move.
Use spare time to check all 2 colour sequences in short supply.
If you know of any other pages about strategy, please contact me at tournaments@tantrix.co.uk
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