Looking for Connect 4 cheats, Connect 4 tricks or four in a row tricks? There’s no secret button, but there are tricks most players don’t know. Each one sets up a double threat your opponent can’t stop. New to double threats? Start with How to Win.
Trick 1: The open-ended three on the bottom row
Get three discs in a row on the bottom row with both ends empty. Your opponent can block only one end, and you win at the other. Block this early when your opponent tries it; once three are down, it’s too late.
Trick 2: The “7” trap
Arrange your discs in a shape like the number 7: a horizontal line of three along the top, with a diagonal running down from one end. This creates two winning spaces at once, one finishing the row and one finishing the diagonal.
Trick 3: Stacked threats
Make two threats in the same column, one directly above the other. When your opponent blocks the lower one, their disc lets you drop into the upper one and win.
Trick 4: Force their move
Make a threat they must block, and plan where their blocking disc will land. A good forcing move leaves their disc somewhere useless, or lifts the column so you can reach a space you need.
Trick 5: Use the computer as a coach
Our free solver is the next best thing: after a game, put the position into it and see where you could have won. It’s the closest thing to a real cheat, and it’s how strong players learn. (Please don’t use it during online games.)
Practise these traps against the Hard computer.
Keep reading
More in Four in a Row Strategy: How to Win at Four in a Row · Best Opening Moves in Four in a Row · Four in a Row Cheats and Tricks · Seven Common Four in a Row Mistakes · How to Beat the Computer at Four in a Row · Odd and Even Threats in Four in a Row
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