GETTING STARTED

Each player chooses a colour, black or white. White moves first. After that the loser moves first. Players take turns clicking on an empty space to mark it with their colour. The colours stay where they are placed until the board is cleared at the end of the game.

The object of the game is to create a solid line from one edge of the board to the opposite edge. The line does not have to be straight. Players will know which edges are theirs because the colour bars indicate their edges. Corner spaces belong to either player.

If one player completes a solid line from one edge to the other, the other player can not create a solid line. Therefore, there is always only one winner in each game.

Have fun!

STRATEGY

In order to simplify the description, we'll call two empty side-by side spaces a 'double'.

Players will soon discover that leaving a double between their placements can be considered a solid line. If your opponent places a colour in one of the empty touching spaces, you can place your colour in the other one, maintaining your line. Don't waste a move into one side of a double yourself. Wait until your opponent moves there. Then you can counter that move by filling the other touching space with your colour. Making placements with doubles between them is the fastest way to make a line across the playing area.

Players need to know how to stop such a line. One method is to place your colour in the space directly in front of your opponent's most recent placement, touching that colour. Then when your opponent turns to one side leaving a double to make a placement, you can place your colour in front in a direct line to the nearest edge, leaving a double between your opponent's placement and yours. That stops the line. Any move your opponent makes to try to go around your colour can be easily blocked. If your opponent keeps trying to go around, your line will be formed in the direction you want.

Another method of stopping a line is to place your colour in the direct line to the edge that your opponent hopes to reach, but leave a double between your opponent's last placement and yours. Then, when your opponent turns to one side, placing a colour by leaving a double, you can place your colour touching that placement, in a direct line to your opponent's edge. If your opponent tries to place a colour between your two colours, a placement of your colour a double away will stop the line completely.

These two methods are easy to remember. One uses a placement close and then a double away. The other uses the double away placement first and then one close.

Even though one of your lines has been stopped, there is a method for making it useful. A good strategy would be to start a new line nearby going in the opposite direction. This gives your opponent two tasks, the first being to stop the new line and the second task being to prevent the new line from being connected to the old one. Defending against this double threat is very difficult. The player who executes this strategy best will win.

As more colours are placed, the game becomes more complex. You will find there is an ebb and flow. Sometimes, you will have the initiative and at other times you will be defending. Good luck!