At what point in a match is the winner already clear, but play goes on?

If the outcome is settled long before the end, the last part of the match is a formality for the loser. This entry shows how to find the moment of no return from a simple lead curve, and what to do with moments where nobody leads.

Why this works

A match is over for the mind the moment the lead stops changing hands, even if play goes on. Finding the last switch tells you when it was settled. Ignoring exact ties avoids calling a pause in the lead a comeback.

When not to use it

Early decisions are normal in short or lopsided matches, and a fair measure when the lead is only a guess at who is winning. If the lead number is a poor guide, judge by what players say or when they leave.

In the full entry

• What to build, step by step
• Starting values and the reason for each
• 3 common mistakes and the fix
• 32 lines of example code with 4 checks that pass
• How your AI shows you that it works

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Use the Spielerando entry "At what point in a match is the winner already clear, but play goes on?" (read_entry strat-match-decided-early) in my game. Build it step by step, and show me how you checked that it works.

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