Q to AI: I had seen some board games (name forgot- circular board something in the centre) from nordic. It came in a tamil melody song(starring vikram, anushka music by gv prakash) as sand decoration . in android play store too it was there. Also brainvita . go Game (japanese). What are strategies for these?
Ans: It sounds like you are thinking of the song “Oru Paadhi Kadhavu” from the movie Thaandavam (2012), starring Vikram and Anushka Shetty, with music by G.V. Prakash. The “sand decoration” you remember is actually a beautiful sand animation sequence by artist Sarvam Patel that plays throughout the song.
The game you saw with the circular board and a hole in the center is likely Crokinole (which looks a bit like a circular Carrom board), but given the “Nordic” and “Play Store” clues, you are almost certainly thinking of Hnefatafl (Viking Chess).
Here are the strategies for the three games you mentioned:
1. Hnefatafl (Viking Chess)
This is an asymmetrical game where one player (the King) is in the center and must escape to the corners, while the other player (the Attackers) tries to capture him.
* For the King (Defenders):
* Don’t stay in the center: The Throne (center square) is a trap. Move toward the edges quickly.
* Protect the King with “Bodyguards”: Keep your defenders in pairs. Since pieces are captured by “sandwiching” them, two defenders side-by-side are much harder to kill.
* The Diagonal Threat: Move your King so he has multiple paths to different corners. Force the attackers to split their forces.
* For the Attackers:
* The Blockade: Your best weapon is a “cordon.” Line your pieces up to block the King’s path to the corners.
* Don’t rush the capture: It is often better to limit the King’s movement than to try to capture him immediately. If you leave a gap, he will escape.
2. Brainvita (Peg Solitaire)
This is a puzzle of elimination. The goal is to end with one peg in the center.
* The “Package” Strategy: Think of the board in “T” or “L” shapes. Try to clear entire “wings” (the arms of the cross) one by one before moving into the center square.
* The Catalyst: Keep a “master peg” that you use to jump over others and then “return” to a safe spot.
* Don’t leave “Islands”: Never leave a peg alone in a corner where no other peg can reach it to jump over. If a peg is isolated, you’ve already lost the perfect solution.
3. Go (Japanese)
Go is about surrounding territory, not just “eating” pieces.
* Corners first, then sides, then center: This is the golden rule. It takes only 2 walls to surround territory in a corner, but 4 walls in the center. Start at the edges (4{th} line in).
* “Two Eyes” for Life: A group of stones is only safe (immortal) if it has at least two separate internal empty spaces (eyes). If you don’t form these, your entire group can be captured at once.
* Don’t follow your opponent: Beginners often “respond” to every move their opponent makes. Sometimes it’s better to play Tenuki—ignoring their move to take a much bigger area elsewhere on the board.