Strategy

Connect 4

Get four in a row to win

Advertisement

About Connect 4

Connect 4 is played on a seven-column, six-row grid standing upright. Players take turns dropping discs into a column, where they fall to the lowest free slot. The first to line up four of their colour wins.

Because gravity decides the row, your only real choice is the column, and every disc you drop also determines what square sits above it. Many losses come from handing the opponent that square.

How to play

  1. 1Choose a column and drop your disc, which settles on top of whatever is already there.
  2. 2Line up four of your colour in a row, a column, or a diagonal to win.
  3. 3Block your opponent when they reach three in a row with an open end.
  4. 4The game is drawn if the grid fills with no line of four.

How stronger players think

  • Take the centre column early. It participates in more possible fours than any other column on the board.
  • Look at what your move sets up above it. Filling a square often gifts your opponent the winning square directly on top.
  • Build threats in two places at once. A single threat gets blocked, but two threats that cannot both be answered win outright.
  • Watch the diagonals. They are by far the most commonly missed line, both in attack and defence.
  • Count odd and even rows in the late game. Whoever can force the winning square onto a row they will reach first controls the outcome.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a winning strategy for Connect 4?

Yes. Connect 4 is a solved game, and the first player can force a win with perfect play by opening in the centre column. In practice, games are decided by who spots double threats first.

Why is the centre column so important?

Because it takes part in more potential lines of four than any other column. Controlling it increases the number of ways you can win and limits your opponent's.

Can Connect 4 end in a draw?

Yes. If all forty-two slots fill without either player forming a line of four, the game is a draw.