NEW YORKIn an unprecedented turn of events at a recent sporting competition, a throng of fans was first dismayed, then outraged, as a fellow New Yorker failed to execute sound strategy in the traditional child's game of Tic-Tac-Toe. During a commercial break in March 13's Knicks vs. Supersonics match at Madison Square Garden, coliseum workers activated a floor version of the game to entertain their captive audience. A large rubber sheet displaying a three-by-three grid was unfurled at halfcourt, and coliseum staff gave oversized X's and O's to two "lucky" fans as they prepared to compete for a $100 gift certificate and a chance to win a $10,000 grand prize at a drawing later in the season.
The sport of Tic-Tac-Toe dates back to 14th Century England. Rules require two players to alternately place their designated X or O within the grid of lines in an attempt to gain a coveted linear trifecta, thus winning.
On this night, the hallowed game had a twistbasketball skills were merged with strategic acumen. Each player could place one piece on the board only after making a basket and then running to center court where the board was positioned.
The scene quickly turned ugly. One participant was slightly better at basketball, thus allowing him the first move. He hastily threw the first X into the far corner, a move known as Tic-Tac-Toe's version of the Blackburne Gambit. His competitor quickly placed an O on the adjacent corner, leaving a diagonal move open to both. But after the fairly traditional opening sequence, the superior basketball player placed the X in the line already blocked by an Oa glaring misstep. The murmur of the confused crowd gained intensity. In the fourth move, his competitor took advantage, positioning the second O next to the first in a line across the side of the board.
His opponent had one more chance, but he placed his third and ultimately final X on the only other corner that did not block the two consecutive O'sa half-hearted attempt at the block, to say the least. The inevitable third O fell into place, ending the match.
The final configuration, with the number after each letter indicating the sequence in which the letters were placed:
X(5) | - | O(6) |
- | - | O(4) |
X(1) | X(3) | O(2) |
In a scene displayed too often at New York City sporting events, the crowd's murmurs turned to directed boos, which carried vociferously over the court. The targeted man, slowly understanding the state of the crowd and his poor play, displayed an all-American gesture. He shrugged his shoulders and slowly exited the floor.
Comment Rules
The following HTML is allowed in comments:
Bold: <b>Text</b>
Italic: <i>Text</i>
Link:
<a href="URL">Text</a>