Constellations, the space age version of noughts and crosses, still has only two players but a computer keyboard replaces pen and paper. The Adelaide game was played with appropriate symbols on the south side of the Grenfell Tower.

The game is the brainchild of Darryl Hemsley, a maths teacher at the city's Kensington Senior Special School. It was a highlight of the Fifth International Congress of Mathematical Education, organised by the State's Education Department and attended by about 2000 maths teachers from Australia and 40 other countries. Computer programmer Paul Schubert helped Darryl Hemsley set up the game and trained Darryl's daughter, Alison, to operate the switching panel.

First off the board were Adelaide's Lord Mayor Wendy Chapman and the Director General of Education John Steinle. The pair made their opening moves on the board set up in Victoria Square, and watched as the symbols lit up on the 16 window grid 200 metres away.

Despite bad weather during the congress, Darryl Hemsley says Constellations was a great success. Thousands of school children and members of the public took part - and Premier John Bannon was so impressed he nominated the game for an Australian Information Technology Award.

"If we take off the award it will be equivalent to winning a Logie," said a delighted Darryl. 

"We are thrilled with the game's attraction, and the concept is soon to be marketed by a large computer company."

Interested but don't have an office tower to play on?