Sad Little Solver

function [moves, vine] = solver(board, limit)
% SOLVER Sample solver for the MATLAB Vines Contest

% The MATLAB Contest Team
% Copyright 2011 The MathWorks, Inc.

moves = [];

bSize = size(board);

bestPath = [];
for ii = 1:bSize(1)
    for jj = 1:bSize(2)  
        source = [ii jj];
        path = source;
        visited = zeros(bSize);
        visited(source(1), source(2)) = 1;
        
        path = findVine(board, source, visited, path);
        if pathValue(board, path)>pathValue(board, bestPath)
            bestPath = path;
        end
    end
end
vine = sub2ind(bSize,bestPath(:,1),bestPath(:,2));


function value = pathValue(board, path)
bSize = size(board);
value = 0;

for ii = 1:size(path,1)
    bValue = board(path(ii,1), path(ii,2));
    value = value + bValue;
end


function bestPath = findVine(board, source, visited, path)

bestPath = path;
bSize = size(board);

validMoves = 1:4; % 1 up, 2 down, 3 left, 4 right
if source(1) == 1
    validMoves(validMoves==1) = [];
elseif source(1) == bSize(1)
    validMoves(validMoves==2) = [];
end

if source(2) == 1
    validMoves(validMoves==3) = [];
elseif source(2) == bSize(2)
    validMoves(validMoves==4) = [];
end

% validMoves

if isempty(validMoves)
    return
end

sourceValue = board(source(1), source(2));
newPath = path;

for ii = 1:length(validMoves)
    target = source;
    switch validMoves(ii)
        case 1
            target(1) = target(1) - 1;
        case 2
            target(1) = target(1) + 1;
        case 3
            target(2) = target(2) - 1;
        case 4
            target(2) = target(2) + 1;
    end
    
    targetValue = board(target(1), target(2));
    if targetValue > sourceValue && visited(target(1), target(2))~=1 % change to >= to catch repeats
        newSource = target;
        newVisited = visited;
        newVisited(target(1), target(2)) = 1;
        newPath = [path; target];
        newPath = findVine(board, newSource, newVisited, newPath);
        if pathValue(board, newPath)>pathValue(board, bestPath)
            bestPath = newPath;
        end
        
    end
end