Remove the immediate danger
Orange to move. There is no immediate win for you. Which columns avoid handing the opponent a win on their next move?
PRACTICE COLLECTION
Four in a Row — Decisions: compare what happens next
Four studies in future consequences. Distinguish a verified finish, a short tactical proof and a useful feature that does not establish a win.
Print these four studies with answers
Use a prediction, a test and a reason
- Read the task before opening the answer. Say where a move lands or what it changes.
- Test it on the playable board. In two-player studies, play both sides to inspect a reply.
- Undo and compare one alternative. Use the answer’s stated search limit when explaining the result.
- Repeat the decision on paper, where the move cannot be checked for you automatically.
These are teaching groups, not a player-tested difficulty ladder. The four board IDs match the technique examples, individual study pages and print pack.
Compare safe and unsafe drops
Orange to move. There is no immediate win for you. Which columns avoid handing the opponent a win on their next move?
A reply cannot cover every threat
Violet to move. Find a move after which every legal opposing reply leaves you an immediate winning move.
Prove the fork against each reply
Orange to move. Find a move after which every legal opposing reply leaves you an immediate winning move.
Bring the idea to a fresh round
An immediate win can be checked exactly by making a legal drop and inspecting all lines. A forced defensive move or fork claim must also check the opponent's immediate winning replies. A local threat calculation is not a full-game solver or a promise of perfect play. Statements about central control or future shapes are strategic guidance unless a complete response analysis is supplied. The regular game has two local human players, not a computer opponent.
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