Daily Connect Four puzzle
A new position every day. You are Red and it is your move: find the one move that forces four in a row in two or three turns, against a Yellow bot that always plays its best defence.
How the puzzle works
- You play Red and always move first. The badge above the board tells you how many Red moves you have: win in 2 or win in 3.
- Click a column to drop a disc. Yellow replies straight away, choosing whichever move holds out longest.
- If your move lets Yellow off the hook, the board resets and you try again. The share button counts your tries.
- Every position has exactly one first move that forces the win in time. Other moves may still win eventually, but not within the count.
- The puzzle changes at midnight UTC, and everyone gets the same one. Solve it on consecutive days to build a streak.
How to solve them
Almost every puzzle comes down to the idea at the heart of Connect Four strategy: the double threat. Yellow can only block one slot per turn, so a move that creates two ways to win at once cannot be defended.
- Count threats, not discs. A threat is three of your discs with an empty fourth slot. Look for the move that makes two of them.
- Check what Yellow's block does. A blocking disc lands on top of whatever is in that column. Sometimes the block itself gives you the platform for your next line.
- Don't build Yellow's floor. If Yellow has a threat waiting one row up, dropping a disc underneath it hands them the game. The solver never misses that, and neither does the bot.
- Look at diagonals last, then look again. Most missed solutions are diagonal, because the eye scans rows and columns first.
New to the game? Start with the rules, or warm up against the Easy bot.
Puzzle questions, answered
What does win in 2 mean in a Connect Four puzzle?
It means you can force four in a row using two of your own moves, whatever your opponent does in between. Your first move has to leave Yellow with no reply that stops your second.
Is there only one answer to each puzzle?
Yes. Every position was checked by a solver, and only one first move forces the win in the stated number of moves. Other moves may still win eventually, but not in time.
When does the daily puzzle change?
At midnight UTC, which is midnight in the UK during winter and 1am during British Summer Time. Everyone gets the same puzzle on the same day.
Can I play earlier puzzles?
Yes. Use the previous button to step back through earlier days, or the practice button for a random position from the collection.