How many rows and columns are there?

Seven columns and six rows. Discs drop to the lowest empty space in the column you choose.

Who wins with perfect play?

The first player. Analysis done in 1988 showed that the first player can force a win, provided they start in the centre column.

Why does the centre column matter?

It is part of more winning lines than any other column, so a disc there creates more threats.

A position where you can win on your next move. Block it at once unless you can win first.

What is a double threat?

Two winning squares at the same time. The opponent can block only one, so the double threat usually wins.

How do I play as the second player?

Block the first player's threats first, then build your own counter-threats. Against perfect play the second player cannot force a win.

Connect Four strategy: why the centre column matters and how to avoid the trap

Connect Four looks simple. Drop discs into columns, get four in a row, and you win. It is also a game that has been analysed closely enough to know the answer to a serious question: whether the first player can force a win. This guide covers the rules, the centre column, and the threat patterns that decide most games between people who know the basics.

The rules

The board has seven columns and six rows. Each player has a set of discs in one colour. Players take turns to drop a disc into any column that is not full. The disc falls to the lowest empty space.

You win by getting four of your discs in a line. The line can be horizontal, vertical or diagonal. If the board fills without anyone making four, the game is a draw.

Why the centre column matters

The centre column is part of more possible four-in-a-rows than any other column. A disc in the middle can take part in lines going left and right, up and down, and both diagonals. A disc at the edge can take part in far fewer.

A typical start: red takes the centre, and yellow answers next to it. The centre gives red more lines to build on.

Start in the centre. Almost every strong player does, because it keeps your options open while limiting the other player's.

Threats

A threat is a position where you can win on your next move. There are two kinds that matter.

A single threat. Three of your discs in a line with an empty space at one end. Your opponent must block it immediately, or lose.
A double threat. Two separate empty spaces where you could complete four on the next move. Your opponent can block only one, so you win.

Most games are decided by double threats, usually set up a move or two earlier. Look for positions where one disc creates two of them at once.

The trap of the low square

Do not drop a disc into a column that lets your opponent win on the square above it. Before every move, check the square you would be giving them. This is the most common way a careless player loses, and it is easy to avoid once you start checking.

Playing for a draw

Sometimes the board is filling up and neither side has a threat. A draw is a fair result. It is better than losing to a move you could have seen.

Who it suits

Connect Four is usually recommended from about six years old, when children can count across a row and plan one move ahead. Younger children can play it simply, with the aim of getting four in a row and no need to block.