Edge Stability: Step-by-Step Guide

Prerequisites

Corner Control

Key signals

• Stable edges are connected to a corner and cannot be flipped—prioritize building them from your corners.
• Wedge tactics let you flip an unstable edge by forcing the opponent to play into a trap square.
• Sometimes skipping an edge keeps your opponent starved for moves—tempo outweighs raw disc count.

Edge conversion walkthrough

1. Secure the corner at A1, then immediately extend along the A-file to A3.
2. When White answers with B3, reply at B4 to create a wedge—White’s only safe move becomes C3.
3. Use C4 to flip the entire row, locking in the edge from A1 to A8 while denying counter-play.

Count how many discs on the edge remain vulnerable after each move. The conversion is complete when every disc in the chain touches a corner or a disc that already can’t flip back.

Why it works

Stable edges reduce the risk of giving up corners and guarantee safe follow-up moves. Owning an edge can double as a launchpad for parity plays later in the game.

Hands-on practice

• Freeze the board once you own a corner and map every unstable edge—label them as “yours”, “theirs”, or “wild”.
• Play a midgame where you only move on the edge if it also removes a move from your opponent.
• Review an auto-play log and note when giving up an edge temporarily starves the opponent for moves.

Common pitfalls

• Taking an edge that gives your opponent immediate access to the adjacent corner.
• Ignoring parity—solid edges without move timing can still hand the opponent the final move.

Diagnostic drills