A game lasts no more than nine moves. X marks an empty square first, O follows, and the players alternate from there. A placed mark cannot be moved or overwritten. The first player to fill a row, column, or diagonal wins. Only when all nine squares are occupied and neither player has made three in a row is the game a draw.
How to Score a Move
Tap any empty square to place your mark. Marks already on the board cannot move or be overwritten.
If one row, column, or diagonal contains three marks from the same player, the game ends immediately.
Only then is the game a draw. If move nine also completes a winning line, it is still a win.
Score Each Move in This Order
- Place X or O in one empty square
- Check whether the move completes a winning line
- If it makes three in a row, award the win immediatelyIf there is no three-in-a-row and the board is full, award a draw
- Only hand the turn over if the board is not full
The Board and Legal Moves
The 3×3 board has nine squares. On your turn, you may place your mark in one empty square. A placed X or O cannot be moved, captured, stacked, or replaced. The first player is always X; the second is always O.
There are eight winning lines: three rows, three columns, and two diagonals. The center belongs to four possible winning lines, each corner to three, and each edge center to two. That is why the center and corners are usually more valuable than the edges.
How Results Are Decided
After every move, check all three rows, all three columns, and both diagonals. As soon as one player occupies every square in any one of those lines, the game ends. Empty squares may remain. If one move completes two winning lines, it still counts as a single win.
The ninth move follows the same order: if it both fills the board and completes a winning line, the result is a win, not a draw. A fork, or double threat, is another common route to victory. One move leaves two winning squares; the opponent blocks one, and the other remains open.
A Five-Move Win
The number beside each mark shows when it was played. This game ends on move 5:
- X takes the center.
- O takes the top-left corner.
- X takes the top-right corner.
- O takes the top edge.
- X takes the bottom-left corner, joining the center and top-right corner to complete the diagonal and end the game.
When the Game Is a Draw
A full board is not automatically a draw; first confirm that neither player has made three in a row. The numbered position below takes all nine moves to complete. No move forms a winning line, so the draw is declared only after the final square is filled.
From an empty board, perfect play by both sides also leads to a draw. In an online room, either player may offer a draw. The game ends if the opponent accepts and continues if they decline. Resignation is different: it awards the win to the opponent immediately.
Different Modes, Same Rules
All three modes use the same 3×3 board and the same rules for wins and draws. Games against AI include hints, undo, and move-by-move replay. Same-device games include undo and replay but do not suggest moves for either player. Online rooms synchronize both players' moves and allow resignation or draw offers, but not one-sided undo.
Those features change how you play and review a game, not the rules themselves. To study the center, forced blocks, and double threats, continue with Tic-Tac-Toe strategy.
Common Questions
Is three in a row on move nine a win or a draw?
It is a win. After every move, the game checks for three in a row before checking for a full-board draw. If move nine completes any winning line, that player wins.
What if one move completes two winning lines?
It is still one win. Both lines are valid, but the move ends a single game and is not scored twice.
Must the first move take the center?
No. The center is a common strong move, but the rules allow X to begin in any empty square. Taking the center is a strategic choice, not a restriction on legal moves.
Can a mark move after it is placed?
No. Each turn places one X or O in an empty square. Tic-tac-toe has no movement or capture phase.
Does X always move first on this site?
Yes. Every mode starts with X and gives O the second move. Against AI, you may choose X or O; if you choose O, the AI makes the opening move.
Why does perfect play always end in a draw?
O can hold the draw by blocking X's immediate threats and preventing a double threat; X can use the same discipline to stop O from turning the game around. When neither side misses a forced move or block, the board eventually fills.
