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Nine Men's Morris strategy and tips
Nine Men's Morris is a draw with perfect play, but nobody plays perfectly, so there is a lot to win by thinking a move or two ahead. These are the habits that separate strong players from beginners.
1. In the placing phase, think about movement, not mills
Beginners rush to make a mill in the placing phase. Strong players care more about mobility: how many of your men can still move when placing ends. A man in a corner has two neighbours; a man at the middle of a side of the outer or inner square has three; a man at the middle of a side of the middle square has four. The most useful points are the four crossroads on the middle square. Take them early.
2. Do not stack men in one corner
Men that block each other are useless in the moving phase. Spread your men over the board so that every man has a free neighbour.
3. Always count your opponent's pairs
Before each move ask: does the opponent have two men on a line with the third point empty? If so, block it, unless you can close a mill of your own first. Then check the lines through the point you want to place on, to see if you are giving up something.
4. Build a fork
A fork is a placement that creates two threats at once, so that your opponent can only block one. For example, a new man lands on the crossing of two lines which each already hold another man of yours and an empty point. Forks win men in the placing phase and decide many moving-phase games.
5. Learn the double mill (the Zwickmühle)
The strongest pattern in Nine Men's Morris is the double mill, called Zwickmühle in German. You have one closed mill, and a man that can swing between two lines: whenever it steps out it closes the other mill, and when it steps back it closes the first again. Every single move takes an opponent's man. If the opponent cannot break it up at once, the game is usually decided. Look for ways to build one, and watch for your opponent building one.
6. Choose which man to take
After a mill you can pick any unprotected man. Good targets are: a man that blocks one of your mills or your own men, a man in a pair about to become a mill, and a man standing on a busy crossroads. Removing the enemy man that hems in your own group can free your whole game.
7. In the moving phase, keep one mill ready to open
An open mill is a closed mill with a free point next to one of its men. You step out, then close it again, and take a man every two moves. The opponent must either block the vacated point or counter with a threat of their own. Keep your mills where they can open, and fill the spaces beside your opponent's mills.
8. Mind the blockade
Because a player with no legal move loses, you can win by hemming the other side in. Late in the placing phase, consider placing men so that your opponent's men will have no free neighbours. And do not let it happen to you.
9. The three-man endgame
When you are down to three men and can fly, you become dangerous: you can block any threat, and you can threaten from anywhere. If you are the flyer, look for a fork: a move that leaves two mill threats at once, since your opponent can block only one. If you have more men, do not rush. Keep your men so that no single flying move creates a fork, and be careful: one careless move can let the flyer win.
10. Take the draw when it is the best you can get
Since perfect play gives a draw, a draw against a stronger opponent is a fine result. Repeating positions three times, or playing 50 quiet moves, ends the game as a draw in MorrisTalk, so be ready to use that.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best first move in Nine Men's Morris?
There is no single best move, because perfect play is a draw. In practice, placing a man on one of the four crossroads of the middle square, where it has four neighbours, keeps your options open.
What is a Zwickmühle?
It is the German name for a double mill: a setup in which one man moves back and forth between two lines, closing a mill with every move and taking a man each time.
How do you win with three men?
Fly. With three men you can move any man to any empty point, so you can threaten a mill from anywhere and block any threat. Look for a move that makes two threats at once.