3 Ways to Win at Tic Tac Toe - wikiHow (2024)

  • Categories
  • Hobbies and Crafts
  • Games

Download Article

Explore this Article

methods

1Winning or Drawing when Playing First

2Winning or Drawing when Playing Second

3Tic Tac Toe Variations

Other Sections

VideoWATCH NOW

Tips and Warnings

Related Articles

References

Article Summary

Reviewed byAshton Wu

Last Updated: March 15, 2024Fact Checked

Download Article

ARTICLE

VIDEO

Tic Tac Toe—it's so simple, yet endlessly entertaining. But did you know that there's a mathematically proven strategy to follow that can help you win, or at least draw, every time you play? That's right; you never have to lose a game of Tic Tac Toe again, and we'll teach you exactly how. Keep reading to learn how to always win at Tic Tac Toe using a foolproof strategy.

Winning the Game Fast

If you’re the first player to go, put an X in any corner. So long as your opponent doesn’t put the first O in the center, it’s a solved win every single time. If they do play their first O in the center, place your second X in the opposite corner of your first X to establish an end-game.

Samples

Sample Tic Tac Toe Strategies

Sample Tic Tac Toe Game

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Winning or Drawing when Playing First

Download Article

  1. 1

    Play your first X in a corner. Most experienced tic tac toe players put the first "X" in a corner when they get to play first. This gives the opponent the most opportunities to make a mistake. If your opponent responds by putting an O anywhere besides the center, you can guarantee a win.[1]

    • In this example, you are going first, and using X as your symbol. Your opponent goes second, and uses O.
  2. 2

    Try to win if your opponent plays the first O in the center. If your opponent plays their first O in the center, you have to wait for them to make a mistake before you can win. If they continue to play correctly, they can guarantee a tie. Here are your two options for your second move, followed by instructions on how to win if they make certain moves (if they don't, just keep blocking their plays and the game will be a tie):[2]

    • Place your second X in the opposite corner from your first, so there's a line going "X O X" diagonally across the board. If they respond with an O in one of the other corners, you can win! Place your third X in the last empty corner, and your opponent won't be able to block you from winning with your fourth X.
    • Or, place your second X on an edge square (not a corner), not touching your first X. If your opponent puts down an O in the corner that's not next to your X, you can use your third X to block their move and automatically win with your fourth X.

    Advertisement

  3. 3

    Win automatically if your opponent plays their first O in any square besides the center. If your opponent puts his first O in any square besides the center, you can win. Respond by putting your second X in any other corner, with an empty space in between the two X's.[3]

    • For example, say your first X is in the top left square, and your opponent puts an O in the top middle square. You can put your second X in the bottom left corner, or the bottom right corner. Don't put it in the top right, since that would put an O between your two X's instead of an empty space.
  4. 4

    Place your third X so you have two possible winning moves. Most of the time, your opponent will see that you have two X's in a row and block you. (If not, just win by making a row of three X's.) After this happens, there should be an empty square that is in line with both your first and your second X, with no enemy O's blocking that line. Put your third X in this square.[4]

    • For example, take a piece of paper and draw a tic tac toe board with the top row "X O _", the middle row "O _ _," and the bottom row "X _ _." If you place your third X in the bottom right corner, it's in line with both of your other X's.
  5. 5

    Win with your fourth X. After your third X, there are two empty squares that will win you the game if an X goes into one of them. Since your opponent can only make one move, he can only block one of those squares. Write your fourth X into the square he didn't block, and you've won the game!

  6. Advertisement

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Winning or Drawing when Playing Second

Download Article

  1. 1

    Force a draw if the opponent starts in the corner. If the opponent plays first and starts with an O in a corner, always put your first X in the center. Your second X should be placed on an edge, not a corner, unless you need to block your opponent from getting three in a row. Using this strategy, every game should be a draw. Theoretically, you can win from this position, but your opponent would have to make a huge mistake, such as not seeing that you have two X's in a row.[5]

    • In this section, your opponent is still playing O's, but remember they get to play first this time.
  2. 2

    Force a draw when the opponent starts in the center. When your opponent starts by putting down an O in the center, place your first X in a corner. After that, just keep blocking your opponent from scoring and the game will be a draw. There is essentially no way for you to win from this position, unless your opponent stops trying to win or stop you from winning![6]

  3. 3

    Try to win if the opponent starts at the edge. Most of the time, your opponent will start with one of the moves above. However, if your opponent puts down the first O on an edge, not on a corner or center, you have a small chance to win. Put your first X in the center. If your opponent puts the second O on the opposite edge, making a row or column that reads O-X-O, put your second X in a corner. Then, if your opponent puts the third O in the edge that is adjacent to your X, making a line that reads O-X-O, put your third X in the empty square to block their row of two O's. From here, you can always win with your fourth X.[7]

    • If at any point, your opponent doesn't make the exact move described above, you'll have to settle for a draw. Just start blocking their moves and neither of you will win.
  4. Advertisement

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Tic Tac Toe Variations

Download Article

  1. 1

    Try these out if your tic tac toe games always end in draws. It might be fun for a while to be unbeatable at tic tac toe, but even without this article your friends might figure out how to stop you from winning. Once that happens, every single game of tic tac toe you play with them will be a draw — ugh. But you can still use basic tic tac toe rules to play games that aren't as easily solved. Try them out below.

  2. 2

    Play mental tic tac toe. The rules are exactly the same as tic tac toe, but there's no board! Instead, each player says their moves aloud, and pictures the board in their head. You can still use all the strategy advice in this article, but it can be difficult to concentrate on that when you're trying to remember where the X's and O's are.

    • Agree on a system for describing moves. For instance the first word is the row (top, middle, or bottom) and the second word is the column (left, middle, or right).
  3. 3

    Play 3D tic tac toe. Draw three tic tac toe boards on separate pieces of paper. Label one board "top," another "middle," and the third board "bottom." You can play anywhere on these boards, and they work as though they were stacked on top of each other to make a cube.[8] For instance, taking the center on all three boards wins you the game, since it makes a line standing vertical through the cube. Getting three in a row on any single board also wins. See if you can figure out how to win with a diagonal line across all three boards.

    • For a real challenge, combine this with the last variation and try mental 3D tic tac toe. The first word is the board (top, middle, or bottom), the second word is the row (top, middle, or bottom), and the third word is the column (left, middle, or right).
  4. 4

    Play five in a row. Play this game, sometimes called Gomoku, on a piece of graph paper, without even having to draw a board. Instead of marking X's and O's inside the squares, write them at the intersections where the graph paper lines meet. You can make each move anywhere on the graph paper. The first player to get exactly five in a row (not six or more) wins the game. This game is surprisingly complicated, despite its similarity to tic tac toe, and even has world championship tournaments.

    • In tournaments, players use a 15x15 or a 19x19 board, but you can use any size of graph paper for this game. You could even play on an infinite board, taping on more graph paper whenever you need to.
  5. Advertisement

Community Q&A

Search

Add New Question

  • Question

    Is it possible to always end in a tie?

    3 Ways to Win at Tic Tac Toe - wikiHow (28)

    Leonardy Cendana

    Community Answer

    Yes. Two good players playing perfect games will end in a tie every time.

    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support wikiHow

    YesNo

    Not Helpful 68Helpful 143

  • Question

    How often will putting your X or O in the center cause you to win and same for corners?

    3 Ways to Win at Tic Tac Toe - wikiHow (29)

    Community Answer

    It really depends on your opponent. Most people are quick-minded enough to play anybody to a draw.

    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support wikiHow

    YesNo

    Not Helpful 56Helpful 113

  • Question

    Can I try to make my opponent mad until he or she makes a wrong, fatal move?

    3 Ways to Win at Tic Tac Toe - wikiHow (30)

    Community Answer

    You could, but it's not good sportsmanship.

    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support wikiHow

    YesNo

    Not Helpful 99Helpful 161

See more answers

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

      Advertisement

      Video

      Read Video Transcript

      Tips

      • Be careful with your moves and think in advance.

        Thanks

        Helpful15Not Helpful4

      • For an even harder challenge, try to win after you go first and put an X in the center. If the opponent puts the first O on an edge (which rarely happens), you can guarantee a win. Can you figure out how?

        Thanks

        Helpful7Not Helpful3

      • Against a novice opponent, try this challenge. Go first and play the first X on the edge. You can only guarantee a win if the opponent's first O is on a corner not touching your X, or on an edge that is diagonal to your X. Can you figure out how to win in these two situations?

        Thanks

        Helpful6Not Helpful3

      Show More Tips

      Tips from our Readers 3 Ways to Win at Tic Tac Toe - wikiHow (31)

      The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

      • You don't actually need pen and paper to play tic tac toe! If you're stuck in a car or something and you don't have anything to write on, play in your head with another player. Imagine the keypad on a phone as a grid and treat each box like one of the numbers. So, #1 is on the top left, #2 is in the top center, and so on. When you make a move, just announce the number and track it in your head.
      • If you're playing to kill time, replace the circles and Xs with something more elaborate. You could doodle little faces, use more elaborate shapes, or just write out your name to claim spaces.

      Submit a Tip

      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

      Name

      Please provide your name and last initial

      Submit

      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

      Advertisement

      Warnings

      • Even someone who doesn't know these strategies will catch on quickly if you start from the same position each side. Even if you are practicing starting at the corner, for instance, try starting from different corners so it takes them longer to figure out the pattern.

        Thanks

        Helpful16Not Helpful3

      Advertisement

      You Might Also Like

      How toCalculate Your Name Number in NumerologyHow to Play Rock, Paper, Scissors: A Simple Guide
      How toWhistle With Your FingersHow to Play the Cat Scratch GameHow toWrite Words With a CalculatorM.A.S.H: A Silly Prediction Game for All AgesHow to Do Cat’s Cradle and Similar String Designs How toPlay PoolHow toPlay "Flame"No Supplies Needed: Easy Classic Games to Play With Your FamilyThe 25 Best (and Spiciest) Drinking Games to Play as a CoupleHow toPlay Snaps4 Mind-Blowing Calculator TricksIs It Possible to Beat Google’s Impossible Tic Tac Toe?

      Advertisement

      About This Article

      3 Ways to Win at Tic Tac Toe - wikiHow (46)

      Reviewed by:

      Ashton Wu

      Board Game Expert

      This article was reviewed by Ashton Wu. Ashton Wu is a Board Game expert at Shelfside. After delving into the Yugioh tournament community while growing up, Ashton launched himself into the board gaming community in 2014 and went into reviewing board games as a career full-time in 2019. His YouTube channel Shelfside has over 35K subscribers and over 4 million views, assisted by written reviews on the Shelfside website and BoardGameGeek.com. He also consults with gaming companies to build high-quality gaming products. Ashton is a tournament commentator, board game playthrough director, and host of the Shelfside Podcast, where he talks about board games with his business partner, Daniel. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics at the University of California, Santa Barbara, in addition to the Technology Management Certificate. This article has been viewed 3,401,267 times.

      231 votes - 67%

      Co-authors: 140

      Updated: March 15, 2024

      Views:3,401,267

      Categories: Featured Articles | Games

      Article SummaryX

      The right way to always win at Tic Tac Toe depends on whether you’re going first or second. If you’re going first, put your first “X” in one of the corners. If the other player puts their first “O” anywhere other than the center, you can win every time. Just put your second “X” in another corner so there’s an empty space between your two “X”s. Then, on your next move, put your third “X” in another corner. Now you’ll have two opportunities to win, and your opponent will only be able to block one of them. If your opponent does put their first “O” in the center, follow the same strategy to either win or tie. If you’re going second, there’s no guaranteed way to win unless your opponent makes a mistake, but you can play defense to force a tie. If your opponent plays their first “O” in a corner, always play your first “X” in the center so there's a chance of a tie. Then, watch your opponents moves and try to block them from getting three in a row. Keep reading to learn how to win variations of tic tac toe!

      Did this summary help you?

      In other languages

      Spanish

      Portuguese

      German

      Russian

      French

      Indonesian

      Thai

      Dutch

      Arabic

      Hindi

      Korean

      • Print
      • Send fan mail to authors

      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 3,401,267 times.

      Reader Success Stories

      • 3 Ways to Win at Tic Tac Toe - wikiHow (47)

        Faith Koh

        May 21, 2017

        "This article helped me to learn some techniques of winning tic tac toe, and it can help me be a better player...." more

        Rated this article:

      More reader storiesHide reader stories

      Did this article help you?

      Advertisement

      3 Ways to Win at Tic Tac Toe - wikiHow (2024)

      References

      Top Articles
      Latest Posts
      Recommended Articles
      Article information

      Author: Mrs. Angelic Larkin

      Last Updated:

      Views: 5689

      Rating: 4.7 / 5 (47 voted)

      Reviews: 86% of readers found this page helpful

      Author information

      Name: Mrs. Angelic Larkin

      Birthday: 1992-06-28

      Address: Apt. 413 8275 Mueller Overpass, South Magnolia, IA 99527-6023

      Phone: +6824704719725

      Job: District Real-Estate Facilitator

      Hobby: Letterboxing, Vacation, Poi, Homebrewing, Mountain biking, Slacklining, Cabaret

      Introduction: My name is Mrs. Angelic Larkin, I am a cute, charming, funny, determined, inexpensive, joyous, cheerful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.