Four (Mind Loft)
A won Connect Four position: find the one column that keeps the win.
Every day: One Connect Four position a day, the same for every player: a forced win in four is on the board, and only one column keeps it against a perfect engine. New puzzle: Midnight US Eastern Time.
Four is a free daily Connect Four puzzle from Mind Loft. Each position is a real, reachable board with you to move and a forced win already there, in four moves on weekdays. Exactly one column keeps the win, and the perfect engine will not give it back if you drop elsewhere.
About Four (Mind Loft)
Four turns the familiar dropping-discs game into an endgame study. You are given a board in the middle of a game, it is your move, and you can force a win in a set number of moves. Only one column keeps that win. Tap a column and the disc drops, so there is nothing to learn before you play.
Each board is checked by two independent solvers to have exactly one winning column, and the win takes exactly the stated number of moves against the best defence, never fewer. A wrong drop is not refused: the engine plays perfectly and carries on, so a careless move loses the win for good and leaves you playing for a draw. There is no take-back, but a hint, Give up and Restart are available.
A new position appears every day at midnight Eastern, and Sundays ask for a win in five. Four sits in Mind Loft's End Game set with Mate, Defend and Check.
How to play Four (Mind Loft)
- Open Four and press Start to see the position.
- Find the column that keeps the forced win; there is only one.
- Tap that column to drop your disc; the engine replies.
- Keep finding the winning drop until you connect four; there is no take-back.
Tips
- Look for squares where you would threaten two fours at once; a double threat wins.
- Check what each drop gives the engine on the square directly above it.
- Count to the end: the win must land in exactly the stated number of moves.
Questions
What time does Four reset?
A new Four position goes up every day at midnight US Eastern Time, the same for every player. Sundays step up to a win in five.
Is Four free?
Yes. Four plays in the browser on Mind Loft with no app and no account. Signing up with a display name (no password) puts your result on the daily leaderboard; an email is optional.
Can I play earlier Four puzzles?
Yes. Mind Loft keeps an archive of past Four boards together with each day's standings.
What happens if I drop in the wrong column in Four?
The engine plays on perfectly. The forced win is gone and the best you can usually do is draw.
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