This process may be continued all the way back to 99 pennies, revealing that whoever is left with
99 pennies will lose the game. Thus, if Amy is moving first, she can simply remove 1 penny first, and
If both players play optimally, then Amy will win, because there is a first-mover advantage to the
game. By going first, Amy can always ensure that Beth is left with a multiple of 11 pennies.
(b) Amy should begin by removing 1 penny and then remove (11 – b) pennies thereafter. If
U6. (a) For this new game, if Amy is left with 1 penny, she loses, but if there are 2 to 11, she
wins, because she can remove enough to leave only 1 penny for Beth, forcing her to lose. But if there are
(b) As explained in part (a), each player is trying to leave the other with a multiple of 11 plus
Games of Strategy, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2015 W. W. Norton & Company