{"product_id":"play-abalone","title":"Play Abalone","description":"\u003cp\u003eFrom the back cover: \u003cbr\u003e\n\"This must-have compendium is a guide to the classic board game of Abalone, a no-chance full information abstract strategy game, like Chess or Checkers, with simple rules that charm old and young alike into a lifetime of mastering this beautiful and quick-paced marble game of managing and directing your resources.\u003c\/p\u003e \n\n\u003cp\u003eIn 2023, Abalone celebrates its 35th anniversary. When it was first sold in 1988, the authorÑnow a Dan-level Go playerÑdeemed the game not too interesting as it invites inexperienced players to adopt a defensive no-lose strategy, resulting in a tie. But he found himself outmaneuvered against experienced human players, despite his best defensive efforts. This caused a conversion: he concluded that the subtleties of the game hide its true depth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eNow, he is on a quest to contribute original ideas to Abalone playersÑveterans and newcomersÑthat will hopefully launch Abalone into a new era of popularity, as the only way to win the game is through the art of gathering your army first and then outmaneuvering your opponent with superior skill.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe first part of the bookÑmore than halfÑcovers the rules of the original game of Abalone and its variants (including multiplayer variants for up to 6 players). But it also introduces new ideas, such as alternative setups, stratagems, and handicapping, to make the game more accessible to a wider audience. An essay about the future of Abalone and AI illustrates the ongoing quest for understanding this interesting game.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe second part of the book features the rules of 16 (!) other games playable on an Abalone board; just add marbles. Some games are ported (identical rules, played on an Abalone board), some are adapted (changed rules to accommodate a different board and marbles), and some are new.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis revised 6th edition features the original games Hexa and TaiHanGi from previous editions, and a bonus game Pinball, designed in 2019, just a week after the publication of the 5th edition.\"\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"CubeMan69","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":44927192563873,"sku":"9781111147106","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0462\/1120\/3233\/files\/ym2m45-front-shortedge-384.jpg?v=1747375517","url":"https:\/\/bookswholesale.myshopify.com\/products\/play-abalone","provider":"BooksWholesale","version":"1.0","type":"link"}