Psellos
Life So Short, the Craft So Long to Learn

Schnapsen Log Archives

Columns for May, 2012

It All Depends

Martin Tompa
May 3, 2012

You are playing a match against your sister Emmi and the stakes are high. Although you are convinced that you play better than she does, you have had trouble keeping up with her this game. Let’s see what you can do about it….

From a Position of Strength

Martin Tompa
May 10, 2012

The rivalry with your sister Emmi continues. She is annoying you by once again being ahead, against all reason. Let’s see what you can do about it….

Forcing the Issue

Martin Tompa
May 16, 2012

It’s raining outside, but you and your good buddy Peter are warm and dry, back inside the Café Abeles. You have a steaming cup of coffee, a piece of delicious Topfentorte, and the cards are dealt out. Life is good….

Counterforce Play

Martin Tompa
May 24, 2012

Let’s return to the Café Abeles and the last deal you played, but this time let’s look at it from your buddy Peter’s point of view….

On the Brink of Defeat

Martin Tompa
May 31, 2012

It’s Thursday evening, so we know where to find you. You’re playing the weekly tournament at your club, the Black Eagle. The tournament is always exciting, with lots of tables of Schnapsen going on, but it’s not relaxing. Particularly when you are losing badly to your arch-enemy Itell Reding, as is happening right now….

About the Author

Martin Tompa

Martin Tompa (tompa@psellos.com)

I am a Professor of Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Washington, where I teach discrete mathematics, probability and statistics, design and analysis of algorithms, and other related courses. I have always loved playing games. Games are great tools for learning to think logically and are a wonderful component of happy family or social life.

Read about Winning Schnapsen, the very first and definitive book on the winning strategy for this fascinating game.

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Recent Columns

September
Sidestep a Few Landmines, Sep 2
June
Two Last-Trick Problems, Jun 27
May
More Extremes of Luck, May 21
April
Grasping at Straws, Apr 4
March
A New Scheme for Remembering Cards, Mar 23
September
As Luck Would Have It, Sep 9

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