Player who takes the last match wins
Source: Baltic Way 2010
November 19, 2010
combinatorics proposedcombinatorics
Problem Statement
There is a pile of matches. Two players each take turns and can take to matches. It is also allowed at most times during the whole game to take matches, for example exceptional moves can be done by the first player and moves by the second and then no more exceptional moves are allowed. Whoever takes the last match wins. Determine which player has a winning strategy.