Strategy

The timeless
principles.

Four ideas that carry across every board on this site. Master them in one game and you carry them into them all.

First principle

Fight for the Centre

In almost every board game worth its salt, the middle is the high ground. A piece in the centre reaches more of the board than one stranded at the edge.

Central pieces influence more squares or points
The edge limits movement; the corner limits it more
Contest the centre before you commit to a wing
Even in Go, central influence balances corner territory

Second principle

Develop Before You Attack

A single hero rarely wins. Bring your whole force into play before you strike, and the attack will have weight behind it.

Get every piece doing something useful
Don't move the same piece twice for no reason
An attack with one piece is easy to repel
Coordinated pieces are far stronger than lone ones

Third principle

See a Move Ahead

Strategy begins the moment you ask what your opponent will do next. You needn't see ten moves deep — one honest move ahead already changes everything.

Before you move, ask what it lets your opponent do
Look for their strongest reply, not their weakest
Spot forcing moves — checks, captures, threats — first
If a move looks too good, check it twice

Fourth principle

Trade with Purpose

Exchanging pieces is never neutral. Every trade changes the shape of the game — make sure it changes it in your favour.

Trade off your opponent's most dangerous piece
Simplify when you're ahead; keep pieces on when behind
Don't swap an active piece for a passive one
A trade that opens lines can matter more than material

Put a principle to the test.

Pick a game, keep one idea in mind, and watch how much clearer your moves become.