Connect Four
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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|---|---|
| Publisher | Milton Bradley |
| Players | 2 |
| Age range | 7 and up |
| Playing time | 10 minutes |
| Random chance | None |
Connect Four (also known as Plot Four, Four in a Row, and Four in a Line) is a two-player board game in which the players take turns in dropping alternating colored discs into a seven-column, six-row vertically-suspended grid. The object of the game is to connect four singly-colored discs in a row -- vertically, horizontally, or diagonally -- before your opponent can do likewise.
The game was published under the famous Connect Four trademark by Milton Bradley in 1974; however, the much older original version is known as "The Captain's Mistress".
[edit] Perfect play
Connect Four has been solved by James D. Allen (1 October 1988), and independently by Victor Allis (16 October 1988).[1] With perfect play, the first player can force a win by starting in the middle column. By starting in the two adjacent columns, the first player allows the second player to reach a draw; by starting with the four outer columns, the first player allows the second player to force a win.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Multiplayer Interactive Java Connect Four Applet
- Victor Allis's Master's Thesis containing the solution of the game
- James D. Allen's page on Connect 4, his Expert Play in Connect 4, and John Tromp's history of solutions
- Connect Four, Score Four aka Connect Four Advanced and Connect Four Flip at BoardGameGeek
- Zero Gravity Connect Four Variation at The Problem Site
- Play connect 4 against other human players at www.4-in-a-row.com
