Nine Men’s Morris is one of the oldest board games known to humanity. A board has been found carved into the roofing slabs of an ancient Egyptian temple at Kurna (often dated to around 1400 BCE, though scholars debate it), and the game turns up unmistakably scratched into Roman fort floors across Europe and etched into medieval cathedral cloisters. A game played for well over two thousand years is clearly doing something right.

New to the game? The Nine Men’s Morris rules are on its game page; this post is about how to win.

Winning Strategy

1. Prioritize Intersections

The four midpoints of the middle square, where the lines connecting the three squares cross it, are the most powerful positions on the board. Every point belongs to exactly two possible mills, but these four have four neighbors instead of two or three, so a piece there has the most ways to slide into a mill or block one.

During placement, claim these intersection points early. They give you the most flexibility to form and reform mills. Spreading across several lines also forces your opponent to spend moves blocking, and the best placement of all builds two lines of two at once, each with its own empty third point: your opponent can block only one.

2. Build Double Mills

A double mill (sometimes called a “running mill”) is a configuration where sliding one piece back and forth between two positions alternately opens and closes two different mills.

This is the most powerful structure in the game. Every slide of that piece closes a mill, so you capture an opponent’s piece on every turn, and there is usually little they can do to stop it. Building a double mill should be your primary strategic goal.

3. Keep Pieces Connected

Pieces that are adjacent to each other along a line are harder for your opponent to isolate and easier to reorganize into mills. Scattered pieces that aren’t connected to anything are dead weight.

When placing and moving, think about which of your pieces can work together. A cluster of pieces near an intersection has far more mill potential than pieces spread across the board.

4. Block Before You Build

Sometimes preventing your opponent’s mill is more important than building your own. If your opponent is one piece away from a mill, placing or moving into the blocking position takes priority.

Pay special attention to double mill threats — if your opponent sets up a double mill, the game is often already decided. When they are one move away from one, occupy the empty point the swinging piece needs before they can start.

5. Control the Switch to the Movement Phase

The move from placing to sliding is a critical moment. Before placing your last piece, look at the board and think about which pieces will be mobile and which will be stuck.

Ideally, your last placement should complete a mill or create a strong sliding position. The worst thing you can do is place your last piece in a spot where none of your pieces can move effectively.

6. Capture the Right Piece

When you form a mill, don’t remove a random straggler. Take a piece that is doing work: one that blocks one of your nearly complete mills, or one your opponent needs for their own next mill.

7. Squeeze Their Mobility

A player with no legal move loses, so crowding your opponent’s pieces into dead ends is a real winning plan in the moving phase. Occupy the empty points next to their pieces, and keep your own pieces free to move.

8. Use the Flying Phase Wisely

If you’re down to three pieces, don’t panic. Flying is a genuine advantage. Focus on forming mills quickly by jumping to unexpected positions. Your opponent has more pieces but less mobility per piece — use that.

If your opponent is the one with three pieces, stay calm and methodical. Try to control the board so that the flying player has fewer useful landing spots, and keep up a double threat: two mills that each need a different point, so a single flying move can block only one.

Common Mistakes

  • Chasing mills without a plan — forming a mill feels great, but if it doesn’t lead to a double mill or a strong board position, it may not be worth it.
  • Ignoring the opponent’s setup — always check what your opponent is building before you move. A mill you don’t see coming is the one that loses you the game.
  • Placing pieces on the outer square only — the outer ring has fewer connections than the middle one. Mix placements across all three squares, prioritizing the middle square’s midpoints.
  • Forgetting that mills can be reopened — once you form a mill, remember you can break it and reform it. A single mill that you can open and close is a repeating threat.

Ready to Play?

Thousands of years of history, and the game still has more to teach you. Play Nine Men’s Morris online and see how quickly the simple rules reveal deep tactical play.