How to Play Tic Tac Toe

Tic-tac-toe is a simple game for two players, if both players play optimally there will always be a tie. The game is also known as noughts and crosses, connect 4 or Xs and Os.

The goal of tic-tac-toe is to be the first player to score three consecutive points on a 3-by-3 grid, or four consecutive points on a 4-by-4 grid.

To start, a player draws a board, creating a grid of squares, usually 3 x 3 or 4 x 4.

In a 3-by-3 grid game, player "X" always goes first. Players alternately place X and Os on the board until either player has three consecutive tiles, either horizontally, vertically or diagonally, or until all the squares on the grid are filled. If a player can draw three Xs or three Os in a row, that player wins. If all the squares are filled and no player forms a complete row of Xs or Os, the game is a tie.

One of the game's best strategies involves creating a "fork," placing your mark in such a way that you have a two-way chance of winning the next turn. Your opponent can only block one, so you can win then.

The gameplay is the same if you are playing on a 4 by 4 grid. Player "X" goes first. And, players alternately place X and Os on the board until a row is completed either horizontally, vertically or diagonally, or all 16 squares are filled. If all 16 squares are filled and no player has four in a row, the game is tied.

The game can also be played on larger grids, such as 10 x 10 or even 20 x 20. For any grid of 6 x 6 or more, it's best to aim to hit five tiles. consecutive. This turns the basic game of tic-tac-toe into a much more complex game with similarities to the board game Pente, which means "five" in Greek. Similarly, Pente's goal is for the player to score five points in a row.