The Secrets of Notakto: Winning at X-only Tic-Tac-Toe

TL;DR

This paper explores the strategic complexity of Notakto, an impartial misere version of tic-tac-toe where players aim to avoid completing three-in-a-row, providing insights into optimal play and game theory.

Contribution

It offers a detailed analysis of Notakto's game structure and strategies, revealing novel insights into misere play of tic-tac-toe.

Findings

Identifies winning strategies for Notakto

Characterizes positions leading to forced wins or losses

Provides a framework for analyzing misere impartial games

Abstract

We analyze misere play of impartial tic-tac-toe---a game suggested by Bob Koca in which both players make X's on the board, and the first player to complete three-in-a-row loses. This game was recently discussed on mathoverflow.net in a thread created by Timothy Y. Chow.