Peg Solitaire & Reduction
📋 What it is
In peg solitaire you jump pegs to remove them, aiming to leave just one; smart play “reduces” the board toward the goal.
🗣️ Coach says
You jump one peg over another to capture it, trying to end with a single peg. The trap is making jumps that strand pegs in corners. Good players think about which pegs the endgame needs and reduce toward THAT, not just capture greedily.
🧠 Memory hook
Don’t just capture — reduce toward the ONE peg you want left standing.
😂 Giggle
Why did the maze feel misunderstood?
Because everyone kept trying to rush through it!
😲 Whoa!
On the standard 33-hole board, most random players get stuck with several pegs left — but it’s possible to finish with exactly one peg in the centre, and finding that path is genuinely hard.
✅ Quick check: Why can greedy capturing get you stuck in peg solitaire?
Say your answer out loud first — then reveal.
Random captures can strand pegs where no jump can reach them; you must plan reductions toward the goal, not grab every jump.
Greedy moves ignore whether remaining pegs stay reachable.
🧪 Try it! (2 minutes)
Play a small peg-solitaire (or draw one) and try to plan the LAST move first, then work backward.