Tips pente

Some strategy tips for pente:

Openings

Opening proposals for Swap and Swap2 pente should consider the following principles:

1. White has the advantage of playing first and is therefore the first player capable of making five in a row.

2. Stones which are all located near the center of the board generally favor white, because they allow room to expand in any direction. Stones placed strategically close to an edge or corner of the board can reduce white's first player advantage by limiting the directions in which white is able to build.

3. If white's stones are placed too far apart from each other and black's stone(s), black can often build potentials and shapes as though s(he) were white, because white will end up with a stranded stone which won't affect the game.

4. If either player's stones are placed next to each other, they form a pair which can be threatened with a capture, which generally weakens the position for that player.

5. Diagonally aligned stones are generally weaker than horizontally and vertically aligned stones because there are fewer stone placements which create strong shapes available with a diagonal alignment.

6. Any opening proposal will favor one side or the other, so the goal is to find a reasonably balanced position which one is comfortable playing from either side of the board.