Quoridor - Strategies

Strategies

• Reed opening: This opening consists in placing, during the first two moves of the game, two walls on the third row in front of the opponent with a single gap in the middle (c3h and f3h). This opening is attributed to Dr. Scott Reed (Edinburgh, UK), a known military strategist and frequent player. A counter-strategy to the Reed opening is to place two horizontal walls on the third row, one at the extreme left and one at the extreme right, which effectively reduces both players' path counts to one. The game would start as follows: 1. c3h a3h 2. f3h h3h

• Shiller opening: Both players advance their pawns three times (1. e8 e2 2. e7 e3 3. e6 e4). Then the first player places one wall vertically in the row closest to him (c8v, d8v, e8v, or f8v), providing two paths for the other player while maintaining just one path for herself. The Shiller opening implements the strategy of maximizing the opponent's path count and of minimizing one's own path count. Larry Shiller (Wilton, CT) is a known math educator, software author and consultant, and author of an upcoming book on Quoridor strategy.
• Ala opening: Both players advance their pawns three times (1. e8 e2 2. e7 e3 3. e6 e4). then the first player places one wall horizontally behind their pawn (d6h). Next turn the first player places their second fence next to their first fence (f6h) and creates a wall behind them. In their third and fourth turns they places their fences perpendicular to their previous fences (c5v and g5v). By this opening the first player provides two paths at the corners of the board for the other player while maintaining one easy path for themselves.