Tic-Tac-Toe Rule Theory by NunoCruz

For a long time I've been wondering if the Lost Bigger Game we've been shown between Jacob and MIB has some kind of simple Tic-Tac-Toe rule. I’m not trying to figure out the game itself yet, only the rules.

Reinforced by Hurley and Miles playing it in "The Lighthouse" episode, and knowing that there isn't one single of minute of film to be wasted this season, that particular scene is there for a reason: to show us that "the bigger game" has some similarities to the tic-tac-toe game.

First: Light vs Dark

The dark leaves/white branches Hurley and Miles use.. "The two sides", "Light vs Dark", "Good vs Evil" theme all over again..

Second: The tie-loop

The fact that, if both players know how to play, they'll always tie, until one gets distracted, till one "finds a loop-hole"

Third: You have to change sides each new iteration of the game.

This is what really caught my attention because my theory is that Jacob and Esau/MIB have to change sides each iteration of the game. When we first see them at the beach at the end of season 5, clearly Jacob is the white player, "Esau" the dark one.
The White player is the one responsible for bringing the pieces of the game to the island.
The Black is the protector of the Island.

Some iterations after the Black-Rock, in our Losties iteration, Jacob is White once again (the piece gatherer), and Esau/Smoke Monster is Black (the protecting mechanism of the island).

The white player can't be killed (like the "blond boy"/"3rd party referee" tells Flocke), only replaced, because the game always has to have two sides, two players.
So when Jacob gets burned in the fire under the statue, a new iteration is about to start ("They're coming") and Flocke/Smokie/Dark/Protector as to change sides, become the new White player and "pass the torch", the role Jacob would have (the protector role), to the best candidate: Sawyer. Symbolized by Flocke handing the torch to Sawyer.

Extra:

The game theory itself could be as simple as two sides, one trying to bring a group of broken people to the island so they could fix themselves without arming the island (with no external help, "staring at the ocean and figuring out things on their own" if needed), and the other protecting the chess board itself.

Thoughts?