Light to move on the 3 × 3 board. 13 of 24 lines are drawn, Dark has 0 boxes and Light 0.
9 boxes are still unclaimed. With best play you can take 5 of them, 1 more than the opponent gets, and exactly one line achieves that.
What the position is about
- double-dealing — The key line declines the last boxes of a chain so that the opponent has to open the next one.
- keep control — With best play you stay in control and collect more than half of what is left.
Finding the way in
Before taking anything, ask who will have to open the next chain. Two boxes given away now can buy every box later.
Before you touch a piece, list every forcing move you have and every threat the opponent has; the answer is almost always on that short list.
Show the first move
Start with d3-d4. Played out against the stiffest resistance, the whole line goes: d3-d4 c3-d3 a2-b2 a1-a2 c1-c2 b1-c1 c1-d1 a3-b3 b2-b3 b3-c3 b3-b4.
Solve it and the next puzzle of the same game is one tap away. Your solved puzzles are ticked in the list, in this browser only.