Brain Test 5 Level 66

Overview

This is a tic-tac-toe strategy puzzle spread across three notebook pages. Each page presents a 3×3 board with some Xs and Os already placed, and the prompt tells you to make the game end in a draw — you are playing as X. The board on the first page shows two Os in the top row (with an X blocking the rightmost spot), two Xs in the right column, and an O in the bottom-left corner. The goal is to place your remaining Xs so that neither you nor O gets three in a row.

• Difficulty: Regular
• Estimated moves: 4

Step-by-Step Solution

1. First, scan the board for any line where O already has two pieces and an empty space. In the starting position, column one has an O in the top-left corner and an O in the bottom-left corner, with the middle-left cell empty. If O takes that middle-left cell, O wins the column. You must block it immediately by placing an X there.
2. Next, check your own lines. You have two Xs in the right column (top-right and middle-right). If you place an X in the bottom-right corner, you win the column — but the goal is a draw, not a win. So do not place X there; leave that spot for O.
3. After blocking the column, O will make its next move. Watch where O places its piece. If O threatens a new line with two pieces, block it the same way. If O takes a spot that does not threaten anything, you can place your X in a spot that blocks your own potential winning lines.
4. Continue responding to O's moves. The key rule is: never create a line where you could win, and always block O when it is about to win. Since you want a draw, both players must end up with two-in-a-row blocked lines.
5. Once the board is full and no one has three in a row, the game is a draw and the level advances. A green checkmark appears when the draw is confirmed.

Strategy & Reasoning

The puzzle reverses the usual tic-tac-toe objective. Normally you want to win, but here you must deliberately avoid winning while still blocking the opponent. The trap is seeing a winning move and taking it — placing an X in the bottom-right corner would give you three in the right column, but that triggers a loss because the goal is a draw.
The optimal strategy is defensive. Always block O first. Then, when it is your turn, choose a move that does not create a fork or a winning opportunity for you. The center cell is often a good choice because it controls many lines without committing you to any one of them. Alternatives like trying to win quickly fail because the level explicitly requires a draw.

Tips & Common Mistakes

• Do not take the winning move in the right column; the level requires a draw, not a win. Placing X in the bottom-right corner makes you lose the challenge.
• Do not forget to block O's column threat in column one; if O gets the middle-left cell, O wins immediately.
• Do not play aggressively; this is a defensive puzzle. Your goal is to neutralize every line, not to build your own.