Connect Four looks like a children’s game, but it has surprising strategic depth. With the right approach, you can win far more of your games. Here’s how.

Connect four board

New to the game? The Connect Four rules are on its game page; this post is about how to win.

Winning Strategies

1. Control the Center Column

The center column is the most important column on the board. A disc in the center can contribute to horizontal, vertical, and diagonal connections in every direction. Always prioritize the center column in the opening.

First move: Drop in the center column. If your opponent takes the center, take one of the two columns directly beside it.

2. Build Multiple Threats

The key to winning Connect Four is creating a position where you have two ways to win simultaneously. Your opponent can only block one, so the other completes your connection.

How to do it: Build two threes that each need a different empty square to become four. Two lines that need the same square are only one threat: a single disc there blocks both. The strongest pairs are two winning squares side by side in the same row, or one directly above the other in the same column.

3. Control the Even/Odd Rows

Here’s an advanced concept. Number the rows 1 to 6 from the bottom. A threat only wins if your opponent is forced to play the square directly below it, which usually happens late in the game when the other columns are full. When columns fill up that way, the player who went first ends up with the odd-row squares (rows 1, 3, 5) and the second player with the even-row squares (rows 2, 4, 6).

If you go first: Build threats on odd rows. If you go second: Build threats on even rows. That way, when the board fills up, the square you need is the one that falls to you.

4. Don’t Play Directly Below Your Opponent’s Winning Square

If your opponent needs a specific square to win, don’t place a disc directly below that square. Doing so gives them the square on their next turn. Force the column to fill in a way that benefits you.

5. Force Your Opponent to Play Where You Want

Once you have a strong position, you can often force your opponent into columns that either help you or avoid giving them what they need. Every disc they’re forced to play defensively is a disc that isn’t building their own threats.

Common Patterns to Know

  • The open three: Build a horizontal row of three with an empty, playable square at both ends. Your opponent can only block one side.
  • The diagonal setup: Stack two discs diagonally and build in a direction your opponent isn’t watching.
  • The stacked threat: Create two winning squares for yourself, one directly above the other in the same column. When your opponent blocks the lower one, their disc lets you play the upper one and win.

One More Tip

Connect Four is a solved game — the first player wins with perfect play by starting in the center column. So always go first if you can, and always take the center.

Ready to Play?

Put these strategies to the test. Play Connect Four online and focus on building multiple threats from the center.