 Matches set up in rows for a game of Nim. Players take turns to choose a row and remove any number of matches from it. | |
| Genres | |
|---|---|
| Players | 2 |
| Chance | None |
Nim is a mathematical game of strategy in which two players take turns removing (or "nimming") objects from distinct heaps or piles. On each turn, a player must remove at least one object, and may remove any number of objects provided they all come from the same heap or pile. Depending on the version being played, the goal of the game is either to avoid taking the last object or to take the last object.
Nim is fundamental to the Sprague–Grundy theorem, which essentially says that every impartial game is equivalent to a nim game with a single pile.