From d88a23bd5ce57d0a673f1951982fd3ccd223065c Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Seppe De Loore <seppe@smashconsult.be>
Date: Fri, 27 Mar 2026 17:24:02 +0100
Subject: [PATCH] [update] Improve heuristic.

---
 connect_four.js | 27 ++++++++++++++++++++++-----
 src/game.cpp    | 33 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++----
 2 files changed, 51 insertions(+), 9 deletions(-)

diff --git a/connect_four.js b/connect_four.js
index 4be09ac..fdd4850 100644
--- a/connect_four.js
+++ b/connect_four.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /* ============================================================
  *  Connect Four — Browser Edition
- *  A single-file game: AI (minimax + alpha-beta), demo mode,
+ *  A single-file game: AI (minimax + alpha-beta + heuristic), demo mode,
  *  game log (localStorage), blunder mode, idle timeout.
  *
  *  Include this script in an HTML page that has:
@@ -168,6 +168,7 @@ function scanBoard(b) {
 
 function evaluateBoard(b, aiP, huP) {
     let score = 0;
+    let aiThreats = 0, huThreats = 0;
 
     // Center column bonus
     for (let r = 0; r < ROWS; r++) {
@@ -177,16 +178,27 @@ function evaluateBoard(b, aiP, huP) {
 
     // Score a window of 4 cells by piece counts
     function scoreWindow(c, r, dc, dr) {
-        let ai = 0, hu = 0;
+        let ai = 0, hu = 0, emptyC = -1, emptyR = -1;
         for (let i = 0; i < 4; i++) {
-            const v = b[c + i * dc][r + i * dr];
+            const cc = c + i * dc;
+            const rr = r + i * dr;
+            const v = b[cc][rr];
             if (v === aiP) ai++;
             else if (v === huP) hu++;
+            else { emptyC = cc; emptyR = rr; }
         }
         if (ai > 0 && hu > 0) return 0;
-        if (ai === 3) return 50;
+        if (ai === 3) {
+            aiThreats++;
+            const playable = emptyR === 0 || b[emptyC][emptyR - 1] !== 0;
+            return playable ? 100 : 40;
+        }
         if (ai === 2) return 5;
-        if (hu === 3) return -50;
+        if (hu === 3) {
+            huThreats++;
+            const playable = emptyR === 0 || b[emptyC][emptyR - 1] !== 0;
+            return playable ? -100 : -40;
+        }
         if (hu === 2) return -5;
         return 0;
     }
@@ -208,6 +220,10 @@ function evaluateBoard(b, aiP, huP) {
         for (let c = 0; c <= COLS - 4; c++)
             score += scoreWindow(c, r, 1, -1);
 
+    // Fork bonus: multiple threats are disproportionately dangerous
+    if (aiThreats >= 2) score += 200;
+    if (huThreats >= 2) score -= 200;
+
     return score;
 }
 
@@ -324,6 +340,7 @@ function checkGameEnd() {
 
     if (gameState !== State.DEMO) {
         games = logGame(games, gameMenuMode, gameLevel, won ? w : 0, currentMoves);
+        console.log(`Game: ${currentMoves} → ${won ? playerName(w) + " wins" : "Draw"}`);
     }
     gameState = won ? State.FINISHED_WIN : State.FINISHED_DRAW;
     demoResetTimer = performance.now() / 1000;
diff --git a/src/game.cpp b/src/game.cpp
index 9617e0b..639f7f5 100644
--- a/src/game.cpp
+++ b/src/game.cpp
@@ -189,25 +189,50 @@ int8_t scanBoardB(const int8_t b[][ROWS])
 int evaluateBoardB(const int8_t b[][ROWS], int8_t aiP, int8_t huP)
 {
     int score = 0;
+    int aiThreats = 0, huThreats = 0;
+
+    // Center column bonus
     for (int r = 0; r < ROWS; r++) {
         if (b[3][r] == aiP) score += 3;
         else if (b[3][r] == huP) score -= 3;
     }
+
+    // Score a window of 4 cells — playability-aware for 3-in-a-row
     auto sw = [&](int c, int r, int dc, int dr) -> int {
         int ai = 0, hu = 0;
+        int emptyC = -1, emptyR = -1;
         for (int i = 0; i < 4; i++) {
-            int8_t v = b[c + i*dc][r + i*dr];
-            if (v == aiP) ai++; else if (v == huP) hu++;
+            int cc = c + i * dc, rr = r + i * dr;
+            int8_t v = b[cc][rr];
+            if (v == aiP) ai++;
+            else if (v == huP) hu++;
+            else { emptyC = cc; emptyR = rr; }
         }
         if (ai && hu) return 0;
-        if (ai == 3) return 50;  if (ai == 2) return 5;
-        if (hu == 3) return -50; if (hu == 2) return -5;
+        if (ai == 3) {
+            aiThreats++;
+            bool playable = (emptyR == 0) || (b[emptyC][emptyR - 1] != 0);
+            return playable ? 100 : 40;
+        }
+        if (ai == 2) return 5;
+        if (hu == 3) {
+            huThreats++;
+            bool playable = (emptyR == 0) || (b[emptyC][emptyR - 1] != 0);
+            return playable ? -100 : -40;
+        }
+        if (hu == 2) return -5;
         return 0;
     };
+
     for (int r = 0; r < 6; r++) for (int c = 0; c < 4; c++) score += sw(c,r,1,0);
     for (int r = 0; r < 3; r++) for (int c = 0; c < 7; c++) score += sw(c,r,0,1);
     for (int r = 0; r < 3; r++) for (int c = 0; c < 4; c++) score += sw(c,r,1,1);
     for (int r = 3; r < 6; r++) for (int c = 0; c < 4; c++) score += sw(c,r,1,-1);
+
+    // Fork bonus: multiple simultaneous threats are disproportionately dangerous
+    if (aiThreats >= 2) score += 200;
+    if (huThreats >= 2) score -= 200;
+
     return score;
 }