My friends favorite game to play is checkers and tic-tac-toe

I think this will win in ten moves and never lose driver control (excuse the notation): C/C, C/SW, C/S,, C/SE, NE/SW, NE/S, NE/SE,, SW/SW, SW/S, SW/SE. It's not necessary to force your opponent to fill any of the miniboards, not even the center. That's no fun.ĮDIT: actually, you can win every time, in far fewer moves, and not using the Orwin gambit at all. So either player can force the other into a protracted certain loss, unless there's an agreement or a rule against it.

Otoh, the second player can use the same strategy with a little more carefulness, as long as they start early. Unlike regular tictactoe, the advantage can't be compensated for. Like regular tictactoe, there is an advantage to going first. Opponent is forced to play in SW corner again, already won by you. Opponent is forced to play in same SW miniboard, already won by you. Opponent now has taken two miniboards, and you have none, but you are one turn away from taking each of the remaining seven. Force opponent to fill (e.g.) northeast corner in the same way. Force opponent to fill center miniboard, as he describes. I think the Orwin gambit can be extended to win the game every time.

My friends favorite game to play is checkers and tic-tac-toe