Quick script to generate good moves in Calculords

calculords.py

#!/usr/bin/env python

import sys, argparse, itertools

operators = [
    ('x', lambda x, y: x * y),
    ('+', lambda x, y: x + y),
    ('-', lambda x, y: x - y)]

def calculords_recurse(card, numbers, stack):
    if len(numbers) == 1:
        if numbers[0] == card:
            for operation in stack:
                print ' '.join(map(str, operation))
            return True
        else:
            return False

    for i, j in itertools.combinations(xrange(len(numbers)), 2):
        first = numbers[i]
        second = numbers[j]

        new_numbers = []

        for index, number in enumerate(numbers):
            if index != i and index != j:
                new_numbers.append(number)

        for symbol, operator in operators:
            new_numbers.append(operator(first, second))
            stack.append((first, symbol, second, new_numbers))

            if calculords_recurse(card, new_numbers, stack):
                return True
            else:
                new_numbers.pop()
                stack.pop()


def calculords(card, numbers):
    numbers = map(int, numbers.split(','))

    return calculords_recurse(card, numbers, [])

def main():
    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="solve Calculords puzzle")
    parser.add_argument(
        'card', help="the cost of the card you're trying to play", type=int)
    parser.add_argument(
        'numbers', help='comma-delimited list of available numbers')
    args = parser.parse_args()

    return calculords(**vars(args))

if __name__ == "__main__":
   sys.exit(main())