How to play Nine Men’s Morris: strategy

Nine Men’s Morris has three phases: placing, moving and flying. Each needs a slightly different plan.

The rules

Each player has nine pieces. First, take turns placing pieces on empty points. Then take turns moving a piece along a line to an adjacent empty point. Three of your pieces in a line form a mill, and each new mill lets you remove an opponent’s piece (not one in a mill, unless all their pieces are in mills). With three pieces left, a player may fly a piece to any empty point. A player with two pieces, or no legal move, loses.

Placing: stay flexible

The points where lines cross, especially in the middle ring, connect to the most other points. Mills made early are often easily blocked; flexible pieces that can form several mills later are worth more.

Block two-in-a-rows

Whenever your opponent has two in a line with the third point empty, block it, unless you can make a mill yourself first.

Moving: build a running mill

A running mill is a mill where one piece can step out and back in each turn. Every time it closes, you take a piece. Two mills side by side, sharing a moving piece, are even stronger.

Don’t get blocked in

In the moving phase, a player with no legal move loses. Keep some empty points next to your pieces, and try to crowd your opponent.

The flying endgame

With three pieces you can fly anywhere, which makes you dangerous: every empty point is reachable. When your opponent is flying, watch every one of your two-in-a-rows.