Cat and Mouse
A small pursuit game from Conway, Berlekamp & Guy.
Three cats hunt one mouse on an 11-square graph. The mouse moves first.
A 19th-century classic
Sometimes called the French Military Game. John Conway, Richard Guy and Elwyn Berlekamp analysed it in Winning Ways (1982) and found a surprisingly elegant strategy. Sign in to learn it →
Sometimes called the French Military Game. John Conway, Richard Guy and Elwyn Berlekamp analysed it in Winning Ways (1982) and found a surprisingly elegant strategy they called Stay on the Trace.
Rules in one paragraph
Cats may move forward or sideways along the lines (never backward), one per turn. The mouse may move in any direction. No jumping. Cats win by trapping the mouse (no legal move). Mouse wins by reaching the leftmost square — or by the Stalling Rule, if the cats fail to advance for six consecutive turns.