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Lines of Action

Lines of Action
Lines of Action.svg
Lines of Action starting position
Designer(s) Claude Soucie
Genre(s) Board game
Abstract strategy game
Players 2
Setup time < 1 minute
Random chance None
Skill(s) required Strategy, tactics
Synonym(s) LOA

Lines of Action (or LOA) is a strategy board game for two players invented by Claude Soucie. The objective is to connect all of one's pieces into a single group.

The game was recommended by the Spiel des Jahres in 1988.

The game was given wide dissemination and positive publicity by its inclusion in Sid Sackson's book A Gamut of Games (1969), but for many years no stable playing community developed to explore the strategy to any depth. Only starting in the 1990s has any deep understanding of the game evolved.

In the last few years, not only has the play of the best humans risen dramatically, but simultaneously excellent computer programs have emerged. The level of play is improving both among humans and computers, but for the present the strongest LOA-playing entity in the world is the program MIA. MIA took first place in the 8th Computer Olympiad (2003), 9th Computer Olympiad (2004) and 11th Computer Olympiad (2006).

The Lines of Action world championships are held annually as part of the Mind Sports Olympiad, see below. Other notable players include Jorge Gómez Arrausi and Gianfranco Buccoliero (winner of the largest loa tournament to date). Jorge has played competitive games against top computer programs, but has not been triumphant in recent matches.

Claude Soucie, the inventor of LOA, died just as his game was beginning to reach a critical mass of interest. Some of the finer points of the rules are just now being standardized, without the benefit of appeal to Soucie. In all situations which were discussed by Sackson, his presentation is now generally accepted as authoritative.

Lines of Action inspired Sid Sackson to develop another game, entitled Fields of Action.

Lines of Action is played on a standard chessboard, with the same algebraic notation for ranks and files. Each player controls twelve checkers, which are initially arrayed as follows:


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