Printable tic-tac-toe sheets

How to never lose at tic-tac-toe

Tic-tac-toe is a solved game. Played correctly by both sides it is always a draw — so the only way to win is for your opponent to make a mistake, and the only skill is never making one yourself.

The strategy, in order

1. Win if you have two in a row with the third square open.
2. Block if your opponent has two in a row.
3. Take the centre if it is free.
4. Take an opposite corner to one your opponent holds.
5. Take any empty corner.
6. Take any empty side.

Follow that list from the top every single turn and you will never lose a game of tic-tac-toe.

Why corners beat sides

A corner square sits on three winning lines — a row, a column and a diagonal. A side square sits on only two. The centre sits on four, which is why it is the strongest opening move.

Forks

The way to actually win, rather than draw, is to create a fork: a position where you threaten two lines at once, so your opponent can only block one. Opening in a corner is the most common way to set one up against an inattentive player — and the reason the centre is such a good reply.

If you want the same idea with real depth, ultimate tic-tac-toe plays nine boards at once and is genuinely hard.

More free printables

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