Nine men's morris problem #527

The task

To move

Dark

Difficulty

Medium

Goal

mill in 3

Placement is still going on: 7 men for Light and 8 for Dark, counting those still in hand. A medium problem: three turns, and the opponent may close a mill of his own along the way. Check what each of his replies does before you commit.

What to look for

• Placement phase: men are still coming onto the board, so a man in hand can block or threaten anywhere.
• The opponent may strike back with a mill of his own; your line has to survive that.

How the answer is checked

There is exactly one first move that forces the result; any other first move allows the defence to escape. Moves that keep the forced result are accepted later in the line, and a move that loses it is taken back with a short note.