Fox and Hounds

Fox and Hounds is an old hunt game played on the dark squares of a checkerboard. You control four hounds, which move one square diagonally forward and can never go back. The computer controls the fox, which moves one square diagonally in any direction. You win by trapping the fox so it has no move. The fox wins if it gets level with — or behind — your last hound, because then it can never be caught.

With perfect play the hounds can always win, but the fox looks further ahead on every difficulty, so one careless gap is all it needs.

1. Tap a hound, then a highlighted square diagonally ahead of it.
2. The fox moves after each of your moves.
3. Trap the fox so it cannot move to win.
4. Keep your line together — if the fox gets past, you lose.

• Advance as a line with no gaps.
• Move the hound that keeps the formation solid, often from the side the fox is not on.
• Don't rush — you have plenty of moves; the fox needs only one mistake.