Go Moku and Ni Nuki as described in 1945 by Edward Lasker
Posted:
May 31, 2019, 7:18 PM
At the end of the appendix to his book Modern Chess Strategy (1945), Edward Lasker describes the games Go Moku and Ni Nuki (ninuki or ni-nuki renju). According to him, in Go Moku and Ni Nuki six "men" in a row loses the game for the player who forms it. This is basically a renju rule for the first player rather than a Gomoku rule. Also, he says that moving first is such an advantage in both games that the first player is usually not permitted to form two simultaneous open threes - again renju rather than Gomoku. In Ni Nuki, a row of five wins only if no "men" from it can be captured by the opponent on the following move (Boat Pente rule variant).
The game was described as being played on a 19x19 Go board, so renju's 15x15 board had not been adopted for these games when Edward Lasker learned how to play them.
An example of how Ni Nuki works from Lasker's book. He used the same alphanumeric notation for moves as we use here (no L2D3 stuff in evidence, sorry old school Pente players) but used only odd numbers to enumerate every other stone played, so 1. K10 L11 3. M10 etc.
Re: Go Moku and Ni Nuki as described in 1945 by Edward Lasker
Posted:
May 31, 2019, 9:31 PM
In summary, Edward Lasker's Ni Nuki was: 1. Played on a 19x19 board. 2. A perfect five in a row or five captures wins for both players (perfect meaning unable to be captured across on the opponent's next move). 3. Black plays first with no second move restrictions on Black. 4. It's forbidden for Black to play a stone which simultaneously makes two open threes - no exceptions for preventing a win by White mentioned. 5. Boat pente rules on captures after a five in a row is formed. 6. Forming a six in a row loses for both players.
Retired from TB Pente, but still playing live games & exploring variants like D, poof and boat
