Good Four in a Row decisions combine line planning with reachable landing heights. An empty square can be the crucial finish yet remain unplayable. These tips put wins, blocks, support squares and double threats in the right order.
In this guide
Start every turn with immediate wins
Mentally try every non-full column for your side. If one immediately connects four, win now. Otherwise test the same legal drops for the opposing side. A long-term diagonal plan does not outrank an opposing win on the next turn.
If the opponent has two different winning columns, an ordinary block often covers only one. First seek an immediate win of your own or a move whose concrete effect changes both possibilities. Claim a defence only after checking the remaining legal replies.
A threat needs the right landing height
Three own discs horizontally on row two win only when the fourth can actually land on row two. If the base cell below is empty, the next disc lands there first. For every target, note the supporting cells still missing beneath it.
A move not only fills its own square but raises the next landing square in the same column. That can unlock an opposing attack, which is easy to miss when merely counting your own threes.
Original study: the wrong supporting disc
Light occupies a1, c1, g1 and g2. Dark occupies b1, a2, b2 and c2. Light is to move. Dark’s a2–c2 line looks dangerous, but d2 is not yet reachable because d1 is empty. If Light now fills d1, Dark can drop to d2 and win horizontally.
Light does not win with that d1 move. Checking Dark’s immediate wins only before your move is therefore insufficient. Recalculate legal opposing replies after the move you intend to make.
Position as text
Light: g2, a1, c1, g1. Dark: a2, b2, c2, b1. To move: Light. Rows count upwards from the base.
Prepare two distinct winning columns
An open three on the bottom row can have two finishes. In this study, Light occupies c1, d1 and e1, while Dark occupies a1 and g1. Dark is to move. Light can win at b1 or f1. Both are empty and immediately reachable on the base row.
A dark disc at b1 stops only the left finish, leaving f1; the reverse also holds. Dark has no immediate win here. This is a genuine double threat because there are two different legal winning moves, not merely two drawn lines ending at the same target.
Position as text
Light: c1, d1, e1. Dark: a1, g1. To move: Dark. Rows count upwards from the base.
Why the centre is often useful
On a seven-column board, central column d belongs to every horizontal four-cell window of a row. An outer column belongs to only one. Diagonals can also cross near the centre. This explains flexibility, not a win from blindly stacking in d.
An edge move that wins immediately or makes a necessary block is better than an ineffective centre move. Also check which central lines are already interrupted by opposing discs. Remaining opportunities matter more than a location label.
Plan diagonals from the base upwards
The a1–b2–c3–d4 diagonal requires different stack heights. You need not own every supporting cell; opponents’ discs can supply support too. What matters is whether the intended square is the actual landing cell on the decisive move.
For each diagonal target, record whether it is already yours, blocked by the opponent, reachable now or dependent on further filling. This separates an immediate tactic from a speculative setup.
Count rows instead of blindly applying parity rules
Who reaches a higher target depends on the move sequence in that column and available moves elsewhere. Even or odd row numbers alone do not prove a win. Begin with two or three concrete legal follow-up moves and check whether another column changes the anticipated order.
Check the opponent after each candidate
Before dropping, ask which square you actually occupy. Afterwards, ask which squares become newly reachable for the opponent and whether any complete four. Finally check whether your hoped-for two finishes remain different and legal. These questions make a lost practice round more informative than simply replaying an opening.