Since you want to avoid moving into a chain, both sides will
play quiet moves creating long chains until one player is forced
to move inside a chain.
You might be surprised that there is a much better way to play
Dots. Learning it will allow you to consistently beat all your
friends, at least, those who don't know about it.
You start off the same, by taking the first three boxes up top.
Now you know how to keep control and win the game once your
opponent has moved into a chain. Since there is a good chance
your opponent knows how to do that too, in a good game of Dots,
the loser will usually be the one who first had to move
into a chain.
That means that to win a game of Dots, you need to know how to
force him to be the first to move into a chain. This seems to be
a hopelessly complicated problem, but Amazingly, there is a very
simple way to tell which player will have to open up the first chain.
The Chain Rule: On the 5x5 board (4x4 boxes)
Note: When I say "no matter what the choice of moves",
I mean all moves which do not enter a chain if there is another
possibility open.
Since opening up the first chain usually loses, this gives the following
simple strategy for playing Dots.
The Chain Fight: On the 5x5 board (4x4 boxes)
Important Remark:
When I use the word "chain", it is
always about a chain of length 3 or more
and I don't count chains of length 2.
You should be able to see why: It is because
the chain should always be long enough to allow you to leave the
last two boxes as a doublecross. This is not possible with a
chain of length 2 since your opponent can give
up a chain of length 2 without allowing you a doublecross.
Chains of length 1 or 2 are called "short chains".
Mathematical Remark:
The chain rule is a mathematical result,
but it has nothing to do with
the chain rule that you may be forced to study in Calculus class.
First of all, the Dots chain rule will actually help you do
something useful, win Dots games. Secondly, you won't need to know
anything about its proof to use it and win games.
Go forth and win:
So now you know the most important facts about Dots strategy.
You should now be able to go back and amaze your friends!
Doublecrosses
Let's go back to the position.
Control and how to keep it
The doublecross is the basis of Dots strategy. Using it consistently
is called control.
For example, take this position where you are playing Green and
you managed to force Yellow to play into a chain.
The Chain rule
Next Section