Here are the rules of a very simple game of removing chips from a pile of chips.
- There are two players. We label them I and II.
- There is a pile of 186 chips in the center of a table.
- A move consists of removing one, two, or three chips from the pile. At least one chip must be removed, but no more than three may be removed.
- Players alternate moves with Player I starting.
- The player that removes the last chip wins. (The last player to move wins. If you can’t move, you lose.)
If you were player I what is the least number of moves it will take you to win the game?
Assume the two players are extremely intelligent and don't play with luck.