this post was submitted on 18 Jan 2025
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[–] BleakBluets 62 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (16 children)

Both surgeons are bad it seems. Assuming X went first and played in the middle (the most optimal and common move), He could have won a turn early because O would have had to miss a block on O's previous turn.

Edit: The only case where this isn't true is if X's most recent move was the X in the center which would mean that the center was open for every previous turn. That still doesn't bode well for either of their abilities.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 1 week ago (5 children)

The corner, where he played is actually more optimal because it is easier to force a fork from that position, though as you said the middle is the most common

[–] [email protected] -2 points 1 week ago (4 children)

100%. The only way to never lose when you go first is to always start in the corner.

[–] TempermentalAnomaly 0 points 1 week ago (1 children)

And your second move has to be another corner whose line hasn't been blocked.

[–] AEsheron 2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

While it is true that will always result in a winning line, it's not true that it is the only way to force a win. Half of their moves will allow you to play adjacent to you starting corner towards an open corner and still force a win, as long as their first play isn't the opposite corner or any of its 3 adjacent spaces. In fact, if they start in one of the adjacent sides or non-opposite corners, you have 3 winning moves. If they start on a side, you can take either the open, non-opposite corner, the side leading to that corner, or the middle. If they start in a non-opposite corner, you can take the first two moves above, or the opposite corner.

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