Chomp is a strategic game played on a rectangular grid resembling a chocolate bar.
Different variations of this game exist (e.g., board size, rules), but for the Chomp board attached, players take turns selecting a square to “chomp” (eat), removing that square along with all squares to its right and below it. The top-left square is considered “poisoned,” and the player compelled to consume it loses.
Interestingly, while it is proven that the first player can always secure a win through a strategy-stealing argument, the exact winning strategy remains complex and not fully understood.
JRMF freely provides this printable activity guide with questions to ask students, along with an app where students can play Chomp online (note that the poison in this version is located in the lower left corner of the board, and when you chomp a square, you remove all squares to its right and above it).
For a spicier version of Chomp, use the attached board and let players choose which corner contains the poison. The direction in which squares are removed after each chomp depends on the poison's location. For example, if the poison is in the lower-right corner, a player removes the chosen square and all squares to its left and above it. If the poison is in the upper-right corner, the player removes the chosen square and all squares to its left and below it.
For more information about this game, check out Martin Gardner’s column in Scientific American.
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