Bitboards also work fabulously on connect-4, encoding a 7x6 position in 7x(6+1)=49 bits [1] and allowing for a win test with 8 shifts/ands: // return whet

Bitboards also work fabulously on connect-4, encoding a 7x6 position in 7x(6+1)=49 bits [1] and allowing for a win test with 8 shifts/ands: // return whether newboard includes a win final boolean haswon(long newboard) { long y = newboard & (newboard>>HEIGHT); if ((y & (y >> 2*HEIGHT)) != 0) // check diagonal \ return true; y = newboard & (newboard>>H1); if ((y & (y >> 2*H1)) != 0) // check horizontal - return true; y = newboard & (newboard>>H2); // check diagonal / if ((y & (y >> 2*H2)) != 0) return true; y = newboard & (newboard>>1); // check vertical | return (y & (y >> 2)) != 0; } Dominikus Herzberg offers a more detailed explanation [2] for the benefit of his students. [1] http://tromp.github.io/c4/Connect4.java http://tromp.github.io/c4/Connect4.java [2] https://github.com/denkspuren/BitboardC4/blob/master/BitboardDesign.md https://github.com/denkspuren/BitboardC4/blob/master/Bitboar...