Dots and Boxes

Dots and Boxes is a game that is usually played between two players, but it can be played with more. It is played on a grid of dots, of any size or dimension. A 3x3 grid is the smallest size that works, but these games are very simplistic and suitable for young children. A 6x6 grid is a common size that offers good opportunities for strategy. The larger the grid, the longer the game will take.

Players take turns drawing a line between two horizontally or vertically adjacent dots. If a player completes a box by drawing the 4th line, they claim that box as their own by placing their initial inside of it. Then they must take another turn. The game ends when every box has been claimed and the winner is the player with the most boxes.

Example Dots and Boxes game played on a 3x3 grid

Strategy

During the beginning part of the game, the strategy is mostly to avoid placing a third side to any box, as this would give your opponent the opportunity to claim the box. Play will continue this way until every box has 2 sides drawn, and many boxes will be connected into chains.

At this point, one player must place the 3rd line on one of the boxes and give their opponent a way to claim it. Because the player who claims a box gets an extra turn, they can claim every box in a chain. Thus, it makes sense to place a 3rd line on a box in the smallest available chain. This minimizes the number of boxes that your opponent can claim and forces them to open up a bigger chain for you to claim.

When faced with a situation where your opponent gives you the opportunity to claim a small chain, there is a counter move you can make to avoid giving them a bigger chain on their next move. This is called the double-cross strategy. Instead of claiming the entire chain offered to you, you would claim all but 2 boxes. This forces your opponent to claim those two boxes and then open a bigger chain for you to repeat the strategy.