How to always win at Connect Four?

Connect Four is a solved game — mathematicians proved in 1988 that the first player can always force a win with perfect play. Against human opponents, these strategies dramatically increase your win rate. Core principles: Control the center: The center column is the most valuable because it participates in the most potential four-in-a-row lines. Place your first pieces in the center. Think in odd/even: The board has 6 rows. Pieces in odd columns (1,3,5,7) land on odd rows, even columns (2,4,6) on even rows. This affects which lines are possible. Create threats at multiple levels: Don't focus on just one winning line. Create situations where you threaten two different lines simultaneously, forcing your opponent to block one while you win on the other. The double attack: The most powerful technique is creating a position where you have two different three-in-a-rows that can each be completed on your next turn. Your opponent can only block one, and you win on the other. Defensive strategy: Always check for opponent three-in-a-rows before making your move. Block horizontal threats first (they're harder to recover from). Watch for diagonal setups — they're easy to miss. If you're playing second, focus on blocking and creating counter-threats rather than attacking directly.