Dots and Boxes
How to play Dots and Boxes
Dots and Boxes is the pencil-and-paper game every child learns in the back of a notebook, and it holds surprising depth for adults. It was first described by the French mathematician Édouard Lucas in 1889.
Rules
- Start with a grid of dots.
- Players take turns drawing one straight line between two neighboring dots, across or down.
- When your line completes the fourth side of a box, write your initial in it. You score a point and must draw another line.
- When every line is drawn, the player with the most boxes wins.
Strategy
- Don't draw the third side. In the opening, every line that doesn't create a three-sided box is safe.
- Think in chains. Eventually every move gives something away. Boxes connect into chains, and when you must open one, open the shortest.
- Learn the double-cross. When taking a long chain, leave the last two boxes by drawing the line that splits them off. Your opponent takes those two, then has to open the next long chain for you.
Questions
What is the trick to winning Dots and Boxes?
Avoid drawing the third side of a box, because that hands your opponent a free box. Near the end, count the long chains: the player who is forced to open the first long chain usually loses.
Do you get another turn when you complete a box?
Yes. Whenever your line completes one or two boxes, you claim them and must draw another line.
What is the double-cross in Dots and Boxes?
An advanced move where you take all but the last two boxes of a chain and give those two away with a single line, so your opponent has to open the next chain for you.
Can two people play on the same device?
Yes. Choose 'Friend on this device' in the settings and take turns clicking.