Quoridor strategy: 10 tips to win more games

Every turn in a Quoridor-style game is the same question: run or build? These tips help you answer it. New to the game? Start with the rules.

The one number that matters

Before every move, count two things: how many steps you need to reach your goal, and how many steps your opponent needs. The player with the shorter path – after accounting for whose turn it is – is winning the race. A wall is only worth placing if it makes your opponent's path longer by more than it costs you (one turn).

10 practical tips

1. Don't spend walls too early

A wall placed in the first few moves is easy to walk around. Walls are strongest when your opponent is already committed to a route and close to the goal.

2. Move forward in the opening

Most strong players simply advance for the first few turns. Moving is never wasted; a bad wall often is.

3. Aim for walls that add 2+ steps

A wall that adds only one step to your opponent's path is an even trade at best – you used a turn, they lost a turn. Look for placements that force a detour of two, three or more steps.

4. Build walls in pairs and lines

A single wall is a speed bump. Two or three walls in a line become a long barrier your opponent has to walk all the way around.

5. Watch out for walls that help you both

Before placing a wall, check how it changes your own path too. A wall that blocks your opponent but also blocks your best route can lose the game.

6. Keep walls for the endgame

If you have walls left and your opponent doesn't, you control the end of the game. Try to finish with more walls in hand than your rival.

7. Use the edges

Walls that connect to the edge of the board can't be walked around on that side. Building out from an edge is an efficient way to create long detours.

8. Leave yourself a "door"

Experienced players build corridors with a single gap that only helps them. When the opponent has to go the long way round and you have a shortcut, you win the race.

9. Think about the jump

When pawns meet face to face, the player to move can jump. Sometimes stepping next to your opponent gives them a free extra square – check who will be able to jump before walking into contact.

10. Practise against the computer

The fastest way to improve is to play many games. Try BeeFree's computer on Hard and note how it saves its walls for the right moment.

Common beginner mistakes

• Using all walls in the first ten turns.
• Placing walls that add only one step to the opponent's path.
• Forgetting to check your own shortest path after placing a wall.
• Running straight forward into a corridor the opponent can easily close.

Smaller boards, faster lessons

The 5×5 and 7×7 boards in BeeFree are great for practising tactics: games take a few minutes and every wall matters. The 11×11 board rewards long-term planning.