In a game of Take Away, two players alternately remove one to three stones from a pile. In Last Wins, whoever takes the last stone wins; in Last Loses, that player loses. In Even Wins, whoever takes an even number of stones wins; in Even Loses, that player loses. To start a new game, click its name at the bottom of the screen.
The game of Take Away provides a simple example for discussing how computers can be programmed to play games of strategy. This program lets two users play the game. More sophisticated programs would give users hints about good moves or make moves automatically for one or both programs. If you want to try writing a more sophisticated program, first think about these questions. Who do you think has the advantage in Take Away? Would you rather move first or second? Can you devise a winning strategy? That's easier to do for Last Wins/Loses than for Even Wins/Loses.
