Marienbad strategy - case of pre-finishing or finishing states

If you find the game in one of these states, you must adopt a particular algorithm if you have the option that the one who picks the last loses. With the other option you can continue to adopt the standard algorithm, but also take a simpler algorithm.

In the option that the one who picks the last loses, a winning situation in the finishing state is a situation where there is an odd number of rows with one match. If you find the game in the pre-finishing state, your stroke must bring it to the finishing state with an odd number of rows with one match. Following the case you have to remove all or all but one matches in the single row with more than one match. Then there will be only rows with one match and the only possible strokes will be to reset a row.

In the option that the one who picks the last win, a winning situation in the finishing state is a situation where there is an even number of rows with one match. If you find the game in the pre-finishing state, you have to do as above but to leave an even number of rows with one match.