Connect Four Openings Tree
Every first move in Connect 4, evaluated by a perfect-play engine. Click a column to see how Player 2's responses fare with best play.
Pick Player 1's First Move
Each card below represents Player 1's opening move into one of the seven columns. Open a card to see all seven Player 2 responses, ranked by how well they hold against perfect play from Player 1.
How to Read the Verdicts
Each line in the table tells you the eval from Player 1's point of view after both moves are played. Positive numbers favor Player 1, negative numbers favor Player 2, and a zero means the position is a draw with perfect play. The magnitude correlates with the plies-to-mate, so larger absolute values mean a faster forced result.
Center-column openings (column 4) are the strongest. The corner openings (columns 1 and 7) are losing for Player 1 against best Player 2 defense. Everything in between sits on a continuum.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best opening move in Connect Four?
Column 4 (the centre) is the strongest first move. With perfect play from both sides, Player 1 wins by opening in the centre column. Any other first move either loses or draws against best play.
Are these evaluations from a perfect-play engine?
Yes. Every depth-2 position on this page was evaluated by the play4row solver, which combines alpha-beta search with a precomputed solution database. The verdicts are game-theoretic, not heuristic.
How do I read the evaluation numbers?
Positive scores mean Player 1 is winning, negative means Player 2 is winning, zero means the position is a draw with perfect play. The magnitude indicates how decisive the result is — higher absolute values mean a faster forced win.
Can I play out these openings?
Yes. Click any second-move card on a first-move page to see the full leaf evaluation, then use the "Play from this position" link to load the position into the analyzer and explore variations interactively.