How to center a label on a specific position?

What will be an algorithm which determines a series of jumps so that all of the pieces except one are eventually removed, and the final piece ends up at the center position in the game Hi-Q (or Brainvita)?

• Here is a game one can buy in most toy stores, it’s called Hi-Q (or Brainvita). 32 pieces are arranged on a board as shown below:        X X X        X X X X X X X X X X X X X O X X X X X X X X X X        X X X        X X X The rules are as follows: • In the beginning, only the centre position is unoccupied. • A piece is allowed to move by jumping over one of it’s neighbours into an empty space. • Diagonal jumps are not permitted. • When a piece is jumped over, it is removed from the board. Write an algorithm which determines a series of jumps so that all of the pieces except one are eventually removed, and the final piece ends up at the center position.

• Answer:

  Using search you could... Make random moves from your list of possible moves. Recording each move in a move list until no move are left. If the current game is less moves that the best game so far copy its redcorded move to best game. Otherwise keep playing random games until you arrive at the goal state of of one in the middle with a minimal amount of moves. There are probably more sophisticated heuristics you could add to eliminate moves that would strand pegs towards the end of the game but that would just reduce the amount of run time needed by a bit.