In 1988, James D. Allen proved that Connect Four is a solved game — the first player can always force a win with perfect play. In 1995, John Tromp independently achieved an even stronger result, computing the exact value of every possible position.
Then they sat down and played.
The Match
Six games. No draws. Every game ended in resignation or a forced win. The final score: 3-3.
Two people who knew the mathematical truth of Connect Four played each other — and neither could prove superiority over the board. The games are short, sharp, and full of concepts that define high-level play: J-configurations, odd threats, undercutting, positional squeezes, and triple threats.
Here is every game, analyzed move by move.
The Games
Game 1
The J-Configuration
Allen wins
17 moves
Allen builds a vertical threat pattern on column D and finds the only winning response to Tromp's defense.
Allen 1 – 0 Tromp
Game 2
Center Domination
Allen wins
19 moves
Tromp's weak second move lets Allen build unchallenged, then seize the center with a decisive J-configuration.
Allen 2 – 0 Tromp
Game 3
Tromp Strikes Back
Tromp wins
12 moves
The shortest decisive game. A drawish position collapses after Allen's E3, giving Tromp a diagonal rooted on row 1.
Allen 2 – 1 Tromp
Game 4
The Positional Squeeze
Tromp wins
19 moves
Tromp gradually tightens the positional grip, suffocating Allen's options until resignation is the only move left.
Allen 2 – 2 Tromp
Game 5
The G1 Blunder
Tromp wins
16 moves
Tromp sets a subtle trap with a1. Allen falls into it, and Tromp builds an unstoppable triple threat.
Allen 2 – 3 Tromp
Game 6
The 11-Move Decider
Allen wins
11 moves
With his back against the wall, Allen delivers the shortest game of the match to level the series.
Allen 3 – 3 Tromp
What the Match Tells Us
The Allen-Tromp match is proof that knowing a game is solved and playing it perfectly are two very different things. Connect Four has 4.5 trillion possible positions. No human can memorize them all. Even the two people who understood the game better than anyone else on earth made mistakes, set traps, and had to resign.
That's what makes Connect Four worth playing. The truth is out there, but it's too vast to hold in your head. Every game is a contest of pattern recognition, threat calculation, and nerve.
Want to improve your own game? Read our strategy guide or practice against the computer.