Connect Four Rules and the 69 Ways to Win

In Connect Four, two players take turns dropping one checker into any slot at the top of an upright grid, and the first to get four of their own color in a row horizontally, vertically or diagonally wins. The box holds 21 red and 21 black checkers, and the grid in the rulebook's figures has 7 columns and 6 rows, so 42 holes in all, one per checker. As of October 2026, the rules below are those in the Hasbro-hosted PDF, which carries a 1990 Milton Bradley copyright.

1. Setup and turns

The contents are the grid, two end supports, 21 black checkers and 21 red checkers. To assemble, insert the grid into the end supports and push the end supports on, with the notched edge of each support facing the grid. Check that the sliding lever sits so its bars keep checkers from falling through. Each player takes all the checkers of one color, and the game sits between the two players.

To play, decide who goes first. Players alternate turns after playing one checker. On each turn you drop one checker down any of the slots at the top of the grid. The rulebook notes that the player who started the first game plays second in the next game, so the first move alternates between games.

2. How to win

The first player to get four checkers of their own color in a row wins. The rulebook shows three winning examples, each won by black: four in a row horizontally, four in a row vertically (stacked in one column), and four in a row diagonally. To start another game, slide the lever at the base of the grid to one side so the checkers drop out, then slide it back.

The rulebook does not describe what happens if all 42 holes fill without a four. Because each player has exactly 21 checkers, that situation means every checker has been played and no one has won.

3. Where the 69 winning lines are

A four-in-a-row is a line of four adjacent holes. On a 7 by 6 grid, counting every possible line gives:

The total was counted by listing every set of four holes in a straight line on the grid.

4. Why the center column matters

Not every hole is part of the same number of lines. Counting how many of the 69 lines pass through each hole gives this map, with the top row first:

A checker in the fourth column in rows 3 or 4 sits on 13 of the 69 lines. A corner hole sits on only 3. A checker in the center column is therefore part of more potential fours, which is the simple reason the middle of the board is worth more than the edges. The map shows a count of lines, not a guarantee about who wins.

5. The vertical twist

The rulebook describes the game this way: the rules are simple, but the vertical strategy creates a unique challenge, and you must think in a new way to block your opponent's moves. Because checkers drop to the lowest open hole, you cannot place a checker anywhere you like. A hole you want may not be reachable until the hole beneath it is filled, and filling it can hand the next hole to your opponent. This is why a threat that needs a particular hole can matter for many turns.

6. The fastest possible win

The first player plays checkers on moves 1, 3, 5 and 7, so the earliest a win can happen is the seventh checker overall, when the first player places a fourth checker. The second player cannot win before the eighth checker. A win on the seventh checker needs the opponent not to block, such as stacking four in one column, which the opponent can stop with one checker on top of the stack.

7. Key takeaways

• Two players, 21 checkers each, a grid of 7 columns by 6 rows (42 holes).
• Each turn drops one checker into any slot. Four in a row in any direction wins.
• The player who started the first game plays second in the next game.
• There are 69 possible winning lines: 24 horizontal, 21 vertical, 24 diagonal.
• Central holes lie on more lines (13 for the two middle holes of the center column) than corner holes (3).