Chomp Solver

A modern web-based implementation of the classic Chomp game with an intelligent computer opponent. Built with FastAPI backend and vanilla JavaScript frontend.

🎮 What is Chomp?

Chomp is a strategic board game played on a rectangular grid of chocolate squares. The top-left square (0,0) is poisoned, and players take turns removing chocolate squares. When a player removes a square, all squares to the right and below it are also removed. The player who is forced to eat the poison square loses the game!

✨ Features

• Interactive Web Interface: Clean, responsive design with visual feedback
• Intelligent Computer Opponent: Strategic AI that considers board positions and optimal moves
• Turn-Based Gameplay: Clear indication of whose turn it is
• Move History: Undo functionality to take back moves
• Customizable Board Size: Play on any size grid you prefer
• Real-time Game State: Dynamic board updates and game status
• Modal Notifications: User-friendly messages and game over alerts

🚀 Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Python 3.7+
• pip (Python package manager)

Installation

1. Clone or download the project files

   # Make sure you have all these files in your project directory:
   # - main.py
   # - app.py
   # - index.html
   # - styles.css
   # - script.js

2. Install FastAPI and Uvicorn

   pip install fastapi uvicorn

3. Run the server

   uvicorn app:app --reload

4. Open your browser Navigate to http://localhost:8000 to start playing!

🎯 How to Play

1. Set Up the Game

   • Enter the number of rows and columns for your board
   • Click "Start New Game"

2. Make Your Move

   • Click on any chocolate square (brown squares marked with 'C')
   • Remember: clicking a square removes it and all squares to the right and below
   • You cannot click the poison square (red square marked with 'P')

3. Strategic Tips

   • Try to leave your opponent in a losing position
   • The player who is forced to take the poison square loses
   • Think several moves ahead!

4. Game Controls

   • Computer Move: Let the AI make a strategic move
   • Undo Move: Take back the last move
   • New Game: Start over with a new board size
   • Quit: Return to the main menu

🏗️ Project Structure

chomp-solver/
├── main.py          # Core game logic and console interface
├── app.py           # FastAPI web server and API endpoints
├── index.html       # Web interface structure
├── styles.css       # Custom styling and responsive design
├── script.js        # Frontend game logic and API communication
└── README.md        # This file

🔧 Technical Details

Backend (Python)

• FastAPI: Modern web framework for the API
• Game Class: Handles all game logic, moves, and state management
• Strategic AI: Computer opponent with intelligent move selection

Frontend (JavaScript/HTML/CSS)

• Vanilla JavaScript: No frameworks, pure DOM manipulation
• Tailwind CSS: Utility-first CSS framework for styling
• Responsive Design: Works on desktop and mobile devices
• Real-time Updates: Dynamic board rendering and game state

API Endpoints

• GET / - Serve the main game interface
• POST /start - Initialize a new game
• POST /remove - Make a move (remove squares)
• POST /computer_move - Let computer make a move
• POST /undo - Undo the last move
• GET /get_board_state - Get current game state

🎲 Game Rules

1. Setup: The game is played on a rectangular grid of chocolate squares
2. Poison Square: The top-left square (0,0) is poisoned
3. Turn Taking: Players alternate making moves
4. Move Mechanics: Removing a square also removes all squares to its right and below
5. Winning: The player who forces their opponent to take the poison square wins
6. Losing: The player who is left with only the poison square loses

🤖 AI Strategy

The computer opponent uses a strategic approach:

1. Prioritizes moves that leave an odd number of squares
2. Avoids creating 1×N or N×1 board shapes (when possible)
3. Uses randomization when multiple equally good moves exist
4. Considers long-term positioning rather than just immediate gains

🎨 Customization

You can easily customize the game:

• Board Appearance: Modify styles.css to change colors and styling
• AI Difficulty: Adjust the computer strategy in main.py
• Game Rules: Extend the Game class for variants
• UI Elements: Update index.html and script.js for interface changes

🐛 Troubleshooting

Server won't start?

• Make sure you have FastAPI and Uvicorn installed: pip install fastapi uvicorn
• Check that no other service is using port 8000

Game not loading?

• Ensure all files are in the same directory
• Check the browser console for JavaScript errors
• Verify the server is running at http://localhost:8000

Moves not working?

• Make sure you're clicking on chocolate squares (not removed or poison squares)
• Check that the game hasn't ended
• Try refreshing the page if the game state seems stuck

🎓 Learning Opportunities

This project demonstrates:

• Web API Development with FastAPI
• Game Logic Implementation in Python
• Frontend-Backend Communication via REST API
• Responsive Web Design with CSS
• Strategic AI Programming for game opponents
• State Management in web applications

🤝 Contributing

Feel free to fork this project and make improvements! Some ideas:

• Add multiplayer support
• Implement different AI difficulty levels
• Add sound effects and animations
• Create additional game variants
• Improve mobile responsiveness

📝 License

This project is open source and available under the MIT License.

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Enjoy playing Chomp! 🍫