The Magic Square

This Death Match is played on a 4x4 grid, that is initially completely blank, and will be played over the course of two phases. First, the grid will be filled in either red or blue, each colour representing one of the players. Then, the players will take turns to fill the grid with numbers from 1 to 16, trying to place higher numbers on spaces of their colour - however, the final square must be magic. The player with the higher score will win the game, and the Match will be played as a best of three.

Magic Squares

A magic square is a grid of numbers from 1 to 16, placed so that all of the rows, columns, and diagonals have the same sum. If you have any queries about the definition of a magic square, please let the Dealers know.

Colouring the Grid

The Death Match Opponent will choose whether they play first or second in this phase. During this phase, each player will simply select a square to be coloured in their colour. Once all 16 squares are coloured in, the main portion of the Match will commence.

Placing Numbers

This portion of the Match will be played over eight rounds, each divided into three steps.

First, the Lead Player will decide which player will play first, and which will play second for that round. The player that played second during the Colouring the Grid portion will be the first Lead Player, and the position of Lead Player will alternate in subsequent turns.

After the Lead Player has decided who will play first and who will play second, the first player will place a number in the grid, followed by the second player. When a player places a number, they place the number equal to the current turn - so the first player in the game will place a 1, while the final turn of the game will place the 16. When a number is placed, the player who controls the space the number is placed in will score points equal to the number. This will continue until either a challenge is called, or all 16 numbers are placed.

Challenging

If, after your opponent has placed a number, you believe it is no longer possible to fill the grid in such a way that will form a magic square, you may call a Challenge. If this occurs, challenged player will have five minutes to place the remaining numbers to form a magic square. If they succeed, the challenging player will lose the round. If they submit a non-magic square, five minutes elapses, or they concede to the challenge, then the challenged player will lose the round.

If All Numbers Are Placed

If this happens, the player with the higher score will win the round, unless the square is not a magic square. If the square is not a magic square, the player that placed the final number will instead lose, irrespective of points.

Future Rounds

If a round ends, and neither player has won the Match, a new round will commence. Instead of the Colouring the Grid portion from the first round, the previous round's losing player will have a special power, as well as being the first Lead Player in this round. The previous grid's colour distribution will be kept, and the losing player will be permitted two swaps, wherein they select two squares (one red, one blue), and make the red square blue, and vice versa. They may decline these swaps, but if so they are not offered to the previous round's winner.

Winning

Once a player has won two rounds, they will immediately be declared the winner of the Match, and advance to the 11th round of The Genius.

Timing

Each player will have a total of 12 minutes of thinking time to use during each round. If a player uses all of their thinking time, they will immediately forfeit the round. Warnings will be given when there are 9, 6, 3, 2, and 1 minutes remaining.

Communication

Safe players are free to discuss this Death Match with the Death Match participants, up to the commencement of the live match. At that point, the Death Match Participants ought to be treated as being totally incommunicado.

Stakes

As the penultimate Death Match, this is a vital game of strategy and memory. Do your best, and never give in. Best of luck.