evaluating multiple possibilities

[Abrium]

Question,

I am making a checkers program and I am in the phase of starting to evaluate jumps. This is what I currently have so far and allow me to fill you in a bit before you look at the code. Checker pieces are white/green. Each checker is created as a label at runtime and in the tag property a struct is held that possesses all of the information reguarding current and previous checker state.

The problem I am having is that as this sub runs each opposing checker is evaluated for jump capabilites which is all fine and dandy. It is even alright that currently if a jump is executed that the same side will continue to evaluate through the sub looking for additional jumps and if they are found they will be made because that is how it is currently coded. What I am trying to do is find a way to evaluate each piece that can jump. So if checker1 can only make one jump and checker2 can make a triple jump checker2 needs to be the guy making the jump and I honestly don't know how do start that. I am forseeing global vars being created to hold information or even a structure and taking the one that changes the most. If two checkers can only make 1 jump then I will rand the one that gets to jump (not looking to win any awards for AI here). Anyhow, any suggestions on how to start this, at least saving the information throughout the sub even if it is called recursively?

Thanks a lot if you can help.

       Dim a As String = frmBoard.jumper
        'split the checkers into two arrays.
        For i = 0 To 23
            Dim testChecker As Label
            testChecker = frmBoard.checkersArray(i)
            Dim testTag As frmBoard.structChip = CType(testChecker.Tag, frmBoard.structChip)
            If testTag.chipColor = "white" Then
                white(count) = testChecker
                count += 1
            End If
        Next

        count = 0

        For i = 0 To 23
            Dim testChecker As Label
            testChecker = frmBoard.checkersArray(i)
            Dim testTag As frmBoard.structChip = CType(testChecker.Tag, frmBoard.structChip)
            If testTag.chipColor = "green" Then
                green(count) = testChecker
                count += 1
            End If
        Next

        count = 0

        'chip color
        If tag.chipColor = "green" Then
            'check for top or bottom
            If tag.boardPosition = "bottom" Then
                'loop white checkers
                For i = 0 To 11
                    whiteTag = CType(white(i).Tag, frmBoard.structChip)
                    Dim wchip As String
                    wchip = whiteTag.name
                    'loop green checkers
                    For j = 0 To 11
                        greenTag = CType(green(j).Tag, frmBoard.structChip)
                        Dim gchip As String
                        gchip = greenTag.name
                        'determine king status 
                        If whiteTag.kingStatus = False Then
                            'white checker position - 7
                            If whiteTag.currentTileLoc = greenTag.currentTileLoc - 7 Then
                                'test for opposite side
                                For k = 0 To 23
                                    Dim checkerTest As Label = frmBoard.checkersArray(k)
                                    Dim testTag As frmBoard.structChip = CType(checkerTest.Tag, frmBoard.structChip)
                                    If testTag.currentTileLoc = greenTag.currentTileLoc + 7 Then
                                        goJump = False
                                        Exit For
                                    Else
                                        goJump = True

                                    End If
                                Next
                                'evaluate the edge of the board
                                If greenTag.currentTileLoc = 2 Or greenTag.currentTileLoc = 3 Or greenTag.currentTileLoc = 4 _
                                Or greenTag.currentTileLoc = 5 Or greenTag.currentTileLoc = 6 Or greenTag.currentTileLoc = 7 _
                                Or greenTag.currentTileLoc = 1 Or greenTag.currentTileLoc = 8 _
                                Or greenTag.currentTileLoc = 9 Or greenTag.currentTileLoc = 16 _
                                Or greenTag.currentTileLoc = 17 Or greenTag.currentTileLoc = 24 _
                                Or greenTag.currentTileLoc = 25 Or greenTag.currentTileLoc = 32 _
                                Or greenTag.currentTileLoc = 33 Or greenTag.currentTileLoc = 40 _
                                Or greenTag.currentTileLoc = 41 Or greenTag.currentTileLoc = 48 _
                                Or greenTag.currentTileLoc = 49 Or greenTag.currentTileLoc = 56 _
                                Or greenTag.currentTileLoc = 57 Or greenTag.currentTileLoc = 64 _
                                Or greenTag.currentTileLoc = 58 Or greenTag.currentTileLoc = 59 Or greenTag.currentTileLoc = 60 _
                                Or greenTag.currentTileLoc = 61 Or greenTag.currentTileLoc = 62 Or greenTag.currentTileLoc = 63 Then
                                    goJump = False
                                Else
                                    'execute jump on - 7



                                    If goJump = True Then
                                        With whiteTag
                                            .previousTileLoc = .currentTileLoc
                                            .prevX = .currX
                                            .prevY = .currY
                                            .currentTileLoc = greenTag.currentTileLoc + 7
                                            detTileCords(greenTag.currentTileLoc + 7, x, y)
                                            .currX = x
                                            .currY = y
                                            .undo = True
                                        End With
                                        white(i).Tag = whiteTag
                                        white(i).Location = New Point(x, y)
                                        If whiteTag.currentTileLoc >= 57 Then
                                            whiteTag.kingStatus = True
                                            white(i).Image = Image.FromFile(whiteTag.kingImage)
                                            white(i).Tag = whiteTag
                                        End If
                                        'update jumped checker
                                        With greenTag
                                            .jumped = True
                                            .undo = True
                                            .previousTileLoc = .currentTileLoc
                                            .prevX = .prevX
                                            .prevY = .currY
                                            .currentTileLoc = Nothing
                                            .currX = Nothing
                                            .currY = Nothing
                                        End With
                                        green(j).Tag = greenTag
                                        green(j).Visible = False
                                        green(j).SendToBack()
                                        frmBoard.jumper = white(i).Name
                                        'ensure that all checkers have been looped through
                                        If j < 11 And i < 11 Then
                                            jumpAvailable(checkers)

                                        End If
                                    End If
                                End If

[jmcilhinney]

You should have a class that represents the possible moves a piece can make. That class would basically represent a tree, where each node is a square and each link to another node is a jump. There would be zero to four links from each node. That class would have a longest path and the piece with the longest longest path would be the one to move, following the longest path it can. Obviously you'd need other criteria to break a tie between two equally long paths.

[Abrium]

like a binary tree?

[Abrium]

sorry rusty on data structures

[jmcilhinney]

Similar, yes.