L Game

The L Game was invented by Edward DeBono to illustrate lateral thinking. It violates a number of classic assumptions concerning board games, to make a board game with very few pieces that remains interesting to play.

The game is played on a 4x4 board. Each player has an L-shaped piece, three spaces long and two wide. There are two 1x1 neutral pieces. The pieces are initially placed with the angle of each L on a central square, and each neutral piece in the crook of an L. On each move, a player must move first his L piece, and then may move a single neutral piece. The loser is the first player unable to move his L piece to a new position.

One basic strategy is to use a neutral piece and one's own piece to block a 3x3 square in one corner, and use a neutral piece to prevent the opponent's L piece from swapping to a mirror-image position. Another basic strategy is to move an L piece to block a half of the board, and use the neutral pieces to prevent the opponent's possible alternate positions.

These position can often be achieved once a neutral piece is left in one of the eight killer spaces on the perimeter of the board. The killer spaces are the spaces on the perimeter, but not in a corner. On the next move, one either makes the previously placed killer a part of one's square, or uses it to block a perimeter position, and makes a square or half-board block with one's own L and a moved neutral piece.

One of the problems with the game is that defensive play can continue indefinitely if the players are too cautious to move a neutral piece to the killer positions. If both players are at this level, a sudden-death variant of the rules permits one to move both neutral pieces after moving. A player who can look three moves ahead can defeat defensive play using the standard rules.

The author has seen no commercial versions. One of the best ways to make a board is to use a corner of a chess board. Pawns are used as neutral pieces. Stiff wire (e.g. from a coat-hangar) is used to construct the L pieces and an angle to mark two sides of the board.