Four in a Row strategy: play the centre column
Why the centre column is the best place to start in Four in a Row: more winning lines run through the middle than through any edge. Winning ideas · lesson 1 of 4.
The lesson in words
Every line of four across the board has to pass through the middle column, because the grid is only 7 wide.
Discs in the middle take part in more lines than discs at the edges.
That’s why strong players open in the middle.
Try it: Make the best first move.
Start in the middle and keep coming back to it. Next: making two threats at once.
Questions
How many different lines of four go through the bottom middle space?
Seven. The bottom corner space is in just three. A middle disc works more than twice as hard.