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Dots and Boxes Strategy and Tips

Here is how to think about winning at Dots and Boxes, split into short lessons. Each one reads on its own, and each one comes with a real position: press Try it on the board and you play the move yourself.

Draw the fourth side to claim a square

Lesson 1

In Dots and Boxes you only score when you draw the fourth side of a square. The number of lines you have drawn does not matter; only closed squares count. So at the start of every turn, look for squares that already have three sides.

Here the square at the top left is missing only its top side. Drawing it closes the square and puts your icon in the middle. A player who claims a square draws again, so missing a free square also hands extra moves to your opponent.

A single tap draws a line, so take your time counting the sides of the squares it touches before you tap.

Claim two squares with one line

Lesson 2

Every line inside the board is shared by two squares. When the two squares on either side of it both have three sides, that single shared line closes both at once. You score twice and then draw again, which is where endgames are usually decided.

Here the middle vertical line is shared by the squares to its left and right, and it is the only side either of them still needs. Drawing the outer sides first would claim the squares one at a time and could hand the turn back to your opponent in between. Keep shared sides for last.

The same idea works in reverse: avoid a line that gives two squares their third side at the same time, because that offers your opponent exactly the same reward.

Do not give a square its third side

Lesson 3

Giving a square its third side lets your opponent close it and then draw again, handing over both a point and the turn. It is the move to avoid most in the middle game. Before drawing, count what the one or two squares beside that line would have afterwards; if any reaches three, hold that line back.

In this position only one line on the right edge is safe. Every other open line gives some square its third side. Positions with a single safe move are common, so as the board fills up, check the open lines one at a time.

When no safe move is left at all, pick the line that gives away the fewest squares. That idea is covered in the next lesson.

Take every free square before passing the turn

Lesson 4

A player who claims a square draws again, and free squares scattered around the board can all be collected in a single turn. If you leave one behind and draw somewhere else, your opponent takes it and keeps the turn as well.

Here the top-left and bottom-right squares each need one more side. Close the top left first, and while the turn is still yours, close the bottom right too. Only the line you draw after that is the one you actually hand over, so you can choose it calmly once the collecting is done.

Looking for a safe line before you have finished collecting is how free squares get missed. The order is simple: take every square you can, then pick the line you give away.

Try it on the board

Pick a lesson and the board starts from that position. Start over as often as you like.

Now put it to work

Play with friendsLearn how to play (3 min)

Last updated 2026-09-21 · Run by Qdan, Inc.