Problem

Source: Baltic Way 2018, Problem 9

Tags: geometry, rhombus



Olga and Sasha play a game on an infinite hexagonal grid. They take turns in placing a stone on a free hexagon of their choice. Olga starts the game. Just before the $2018$th stone is placed, a new rule comes into play. A stone may now be placed only on those free hexagons having at least two occupied neighbors. A player loses when she or he either is unable to make a move, or makes a move such that a pattern of the rhomboid shape as shown (rotated in any possible way) appears. Determine which player, if any, possesses a winning strategy.


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