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

The Basic Idea

Drop colored discs into a 7-column, 6-row grid. The first player to connect four discs in a row — horizontally, vertically, or diagonally — wins.

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: Set up two incomplete rows of three that share a common winning square. When your opponent blocks one, the other becomes unstoppable.

3. Control the Even/Odd Rows

Here’s an advanced concept: since discs stack from the bottom, the player who goes first will always place the last disc on even-numbered squares (rows 2, 4, 6 from bottom), and the second player will fill odd squares.

If you go first: Build threats that resolve on even rows. If you go second: Build threats that resolve on odd rows. This maximizes the chance that your winning square will be available when it matters.

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 7-trap: Build a horizontal row of three with both ends open. 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 vertical threats in the same column, with your disc above and an empty space below. Your opponent fills the space below, giving you the win above.

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.