strategy / tips = onlineabalone

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Je vous recommande la lecture d'un article de Gramgroum édité sur le blog d'ABALONE que vous pourrez lire au complet en suivant le lien suivant:
https://onlineabalone.wordpress.com/aba ... -debutant/

je vous mets les 10 ici et je vous laisse allez au blog pour en voir les détails.

Les dix commandements du joueur débutant

1) le centre tu prendras

2) groupé tu resteras

3) sans cesse tu avanceras

4) une pression continuelle tu exerceras

5) les lignes adverses tu rompras

6) ta position observeras

7) sans pitié tu éjecteras

8) toujours tu oseras

9) la défaite tu accepteras

10) du plaisir tu trouveras

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Je ne fais que de mettre en avant le travail remarquable fait par par Gramgroum et repris par FightClub pour aider les débutants rien de plus.

J'en profite pour les en remercier ici.

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Pour les non francophones, le blog n'ayant pas traduit les 10 commandements.

1) Take the center

The player who starts, i.e. Black, will always manage to take the center (i.e. the central point of the game). White will have the task of trying to conquer the center, and at the very least will have to try to put three balls against Black on the center line.

Why take the center?

I am not going to elaborate here on the tactical interest of the centre, I will content myself with these two observations:

– The player who holds the center will be able to move his balls more easily from one part of the board to another, while avoiding the dangerous zone of the edges.

– The player holding the center will be able to exert centrifugal pressure on the opponent's balls (from the center to the edges).

However, taking the centre is not limited to conquering the central point: it is also a question of occupying the field, of positioning oneself as best as possible in an "enlarged centre" constituted by the central area of the plateau.

To do this, it is important, at the beginning of the game, to progress quickly on the board, in order to conquer as much space as possible. In standard play, the first moves will always be forward, in groups of three balls.

But here we are dealing with a whole theory of openness, and this is not the place to develop it.

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2) Stay together: form a block

Once the question of conquering the center is settled, the two players will find themselves face to face, block against block.

Nothing is more stable, more solid, more reassuring for the beginner than a compact block. The adversary will try to pierce it in its center, to divide it into two or more groups: this is the principle of "divide and rule". If he can do this while keeping his own balls welded, he takes a good option on victory.

Here we see the importance of rows of three marbles. A row of three marbles cannot be pushed back. You have to break it from the side to get rid of it. Several rows of three joined together form a solid block.

It is important, in order not to let one's block break through, to watch one's rear, and not to strip them bare, because the opponent will rush into the first breach that is opened to him.

I'm aware that these first two commandments can lead to playing a very defensive game, but I think that defensive play is a normal phase, even an essential part of a player's style.

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3) Always move forward

"If you don't move forward, go backwards," there is a saying.

This seems obvious, but it is worth remembering. Too often I see players who step back to regroup, to try to form a block. Sometimes it's necessary, but not often, especially not in the early game.

Remember that a backward movement is very often a lost movement, the opponent is in charge of making you retreat, no need to help him in this task!!
Save your moves for more constructive or offensive shots.

Of course, it's all a matter of situation, recoil can become very interesting when it allows you to push the opponent and break their lines. But the general watchword remains this: forward!

Rather than moving backwards, if the advance is not possible, there is always the move to the side.

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4) Constantly exert maximum pressure on the opponent's balls

Why is it important to put constant pressure on the opponent? There are two main reasons for this:

– the pressure that the opponent is under prevents him from acting as he pleases: rather than implementing his own strategy, he will have to parry your blows and will be hindered in preparing his own
– It is by exerting pressure in the right place that we will succeed in dividing the enemy's troops.

Where can this pressure be exerted?

– on the center, to try to split the opposing troops, but in general this is also the point where the counter-pressure exerted by the opponent is strongest.

– from the centre to the outside, when you have managed to occupy the centre, to push the opponent towards the edge and eject him

– on the edges of the opposing group, where resistance is weaker.

This notion is very important: whoever manages to exert pressure in as many points as possible has a good chance of winning. A beginner player sometimes feels that the opponent has more marbles than him, due to the more experienced opponent's ability to exert pressure.

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5) Cut the opponent's lines

Again, the advice may seem a bit elementary, but it touches on the very principle of the game: the numerical superiority that allows you to win.

Since the numerical superiority of the balls placed on the same line allows you to exert a push on the opponents' balls (3 against 2, 3 on 1, 2 on 1), it is obvious that one of your tasks will be to cut the opponent's lines that threaten you.

Very often, the first instinct of the inexperienced player, when he finds himself in a situation of numerical inferiority, is to try to place a ball to restore the numerical balance.

However, it is often possible and more effective to cut the opponent's lines, thus breaking his attack. These menacing lines of three marbles, I called spears. It is always important, when possible, to break the spears of the adversary, thus breaking the weapon he uses to attack us. In a word: fight back.

The principle of "breaking the spears" will be particularly useful in the middle and end of the game, when the respective positions seem "unstructured".

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6) Know how to choose between position and point

During the game, we will often find ourselves faced with a dilemma: eject an opponent's ball that is within our reach, but in return abandon a position that seems strong to us. The ejection always takes us away from the center – the safety zone – and closer to the edge – the danger zone. In addition, the displacement that allows us to eject can compromise the stability of our group, and cause our lines to be sinking, for example.

The best shot to play is not necessarily to catch the opponent's ball: sometimes it is better to save your position, or improve it.

I have often found that improving his position by increasing the pressure on the opponent (rather than ejecting) puts the opponent in front of a difficult choice: either he saves his own position, in which case the ball is often still possible, or he saves his ball and runs the risk of losing his position.

On the other hand, it may be interesting to sacrifice a ball if the opponent's capture of the ball implies that the opponent compromises his position.

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7) Don't hesitate to eject when possible

This Abonian principle was passed on to me in these terms by a player of a very peaceful character: "When you can kill, kill!"

This advice may seem to be in complete contradiction with the previous one, but this contradiction is only apparent. I will not elaborate here on why this contradiction is only apparent, and I will simply state that it is related to the phase of the game in which we find ourselves (beginning, middle, end), to the position of the marbles on the board, and to the know-how of the players.

Why this advice? The reasons are simple, even simplistic:

– To win, you have to push the opponent's marbles off the board, one by one. Every ball ejected brings us closer to victory. As one excellent player pointed out, 2 marbles doesn't seem like much, but it's already a third of the work to be done. Always remember that there are only 6 marbles to eject to win!

– Between players of equal strength, the game will often be played by one ball: ejecting a ball first is always an advantage. When the score is 5/5, the first player to throw an opponent's ball wins, regardless of whether one more shot would restore the balance

– Eliminating a ball almost always means giving yourself a psychological advantage over the opponent: you should never neglect the psychological aspect of this game.

There are, however, two important exceptions to this commandment:

– An isolated ball behind our lines does not necessarily have to be eliminated: very often, it offers a very interesting point of support and strengthens our own group

– an opponent's ball can be offered to us as a poisoned gift, bait that will make us fall into a trap (in particular by making us lose a good position)

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8) Dare to attack

"Memento audare semper – Remember to always dare" was the advice given to me by an excellent player, who thought my game was too timid and beat me to the punch. Another player put it this way: "Go for it!"

Remember that you can't win without attacking.

Of course, one can play defense to excess, and do nothing but preserve one's block against the attacks of the opponent: this is anti-game; It's endless, boring, and no one will enjoy it.

You can also play a very cautious, defensive game, with attempts to attack when an opportunity seems to present itself. But that's hardly productive against an experienced opponent. It has to be said, though, it's a style of play that most players go through at some point.

It must also be said that fear (fear of losing?) often paralyzes some players. So dare! Leave that fear in the locker room that, instead of making you rush forward, will often inspire you to make disastrous retreat maneuvers in the face of the opponent's attacks.

In this game more than in any other, offense is the best defense. You have to play aggressively, and not let the opponent build their game. The attack destabilizes the opponent and forces him to adapt his game to yours, or even awakens his fear. Don't forget the psychological dimension of this game, after all, your opponent is just a person like you, with his doubts and fears.

Certainly, the attack is a dangerous moment for the one who carries it out: it brings him closer to the edge, and can lead him to weaken his own position. But without attack, there is no victory!

And after all, if you lose, what does it matter?