Dark to move. There are 19 dark and 37 light discs on the board and 8 empty squares.
You have 7 legal moves and only one of them keeps the ending won: with perfect play on both sides it finishes 38–26. Each of the 6 alternatives was searched to the last disc and draws or loses.
What the position is about
- corner — The fight is about a corner square: once taken, it can never be flipped back.
- only winning move — Every legal move was solved to the end: this one wins, all the others draw or lose.
Finding the way in
With eight empties left, count where the last move in each region will fall; the winning move often gives up discs now to keep the final say.
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 a8. Played out against the stiffest resistance, the whole line goes: a8 h5 c2 b2 a1 a3 b1 a4.
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.