How to beat your idiot father at Connect Four

Connect Four – Reinforcing the idea of central dominance since… whenever it was invented.

Connect Four (the most common and Milton Bradley-trademarked name for the game, which is also known as Four-in-a-row or Four-in-a-line), is a game played on a vertical 7×6 board, like so:

The starting board.

The playing pieces are dropped in from the top of the board, like so: (while the pieces are traditionally black and red we’re going to use a pleasing seafoam green for the starting player, while retaining that fire engine red for the second player,  as a concession to tradition and ready visibility, despite my own aversion to such gaudy improprieties).

One of the few simple board games that takes gravity into account.

This twist on the physics of the board creates both a diversion from the regular tic-tac-toe format scaled up to 4-in-a-row from 3 and an interesting game in-and-of itself.

The object of the game is to achieve 4 of your pieces in a row, horizontally, vertically, or diagonally:

Possible winning combinations for green

Opening Strategy

As the game itself is very simple, it was mathematically solved in 1988 by two different mathematicians working separately. The first move for green defines the outcome of the game with perfect play. With a move in the center, green can force a win. With a move in either of the next two central  slots, the game is a draw. In any other slot, green allows red to force a win.

Green is a forced win for green, grey is a draw, red is a forced win for red.

It may be amazing to the uninitiated Connect-Four player that the game is decided on the first move, with many moves to come before the fourth is dropped. The principles underlying this analysis are very similar to the basics of tic-tac-toe. By taking the central place, green immediately gains access to winning methods including the base circles, the central line, and the diagonals that extend from the base of the center, while denying All of the same winning conditions to red. This is another example of prophylactic strategy, that is, denying moves to the other player while gaining other strategic considerations.

The angles of winning which a central move opens as options.

Because of the board, which has a width of 7 squares, any central move essentially removes the ability of the opponent to win in at least two ways. The central squares are therefore very valuable, and a game between two well-versed players frequently begins with a race for the center.

A normal start

You may notice here that each player has an equal number of central squares, and that would appear to be very significant. The problem that red runs into in this position is that green has achieved for himself a huge wealth of additional advantages. He has two extra diagonals from which to win, the most accessible row of squares (the bottom ones, which can be played to immediately, and the initiative (he gets to play next and force the action along the lines he wishes).

Showing green’s advantage

Because green has the advantage in the bottom half of the middle position, he has two additional diagonals from which to win. Red’s two pieces in the top have no upward diagonals they can be used for.

The ability to force the action from this point, however, is green’s more powerful advantage. He can immediately strengthen his position with a move that threatens to win on the spot.

The next move

This move is deceptive, but it does a lot of work for green. If red does something that ignores the danger he is in, such as:

No, idiot!

Then he loses because of the trap:

Which he cannot answer sufficiently.

If red plays to counter the threat, however, green gains a winning square:

And green can now use the leverage of that square to force a winning sequence.

And red is screwed.

Summary:

The main takeaway of this article should be that you can easily beat an opponent (including your idiot father) who lets you go first by playing in the center. If they’re really dumb and you let them go first, you can still beat them with perfect play by both sides (which is unlikely, give their stupidity) by tricking them into going into the outer two squares on either side.

For basic tactics in choosing those other moves, remember that lines are the important thing and not necessarily proximity to other pieces. There is also an excellent tutorial in basic Connect Four strategy and tactics available here.

Don’t forget to comment if there is a game you’d like to beat stupid family members at. Thanks readers, and I’ll see you next week.

Category : Games
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