Editing Pente (section)

== Strategy and tactics ==

=== Initiative ===
Initiative is a fundamental concept for winning Pente. Initiative is the ability to make a threat or move without having to respond to an opponent's play, while forcing them to respond to yours. A player with initiative essentially controls the state of the board and will eventually win if the other player isn't able to take it back and begin forming their own threats.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|title=Pente.org " Forums|url=https://pente.org/gameServer/forums/thread.jspa?forumID=27&threadID=4553&tstart=0|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101229041706/http://pente.org/gameServer/forums/thread.jspa?forumID=27&threadID=4553&tstart=0|archive-date=2010-12-29|access-date=2021-02-10|website=pente.org}}</ref>

=== Basic shapes ===
[[File:Pente Basic Shapes Ortho.jpg|thumb|Basic shapes used in pente tactics. From left to right top to bottom: A '''Pair''', a '''Stretch Two''', an '''Open Tria''', a '''Stretch Tria''', and an '''Open Tessera''']]
Certain basic shapes are fundamental to skillful Pente play. The most important are stretch twos, open trias, stretch trias, and open tesseras.

;Pair
A pair is a group of two stones directly adjacent. Pairs are the basis of Pente's capture rules and the only pattern in standard Pente susceptible to capture. Pairs are therefore very weak and vulnerable formations. Beginners are often told outright to simply avoid forming them in a game if they can due to their vulnerabilities. They can, however, be used to great advantage by intermediate and advanced players due to their ability to threaten to form open trias and their use in advanced tactics such as the wedge formation.<ref name=":6" /><ref>{{Cite web|date=2004-12-11|title=The World Pente Players Federation|url=http://www.playpente.com/pair_avoidance.html|access-date=2021-02-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041211233004/http://www.playpente.com/pair_avoidance.html|archive-date=2004-12-11}}</ref>

;Stretch two
A stretch two is a pattern with stones placed near each other with an empty space in between. Stretch Twos are an important skill to learn for beginners. They offer two main benefits for a player. They can threaten to form a line of three stones, an open tria, if unbound on either side by enemy stones, and they stop the player from forming a pair. A pair is vulnerable to capture by the opponent and therefore a liability to player that formed it. If the opponent places a stone adjacent to either side of the pair the defending player must now either sacrifice the pair to capture and play elsewhere, create a threat in another location that cannot be ignored by the enemy, or to protect it by extending it immediately and lose initiative.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|title=The World Pente Players Federation|url=http://www.playpente.com/shape_basics.html#list |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040628033738/http://www.playpente.com/shape_basics.html#list |archive-date=2004-06-28 |access-date=2021-02-10}}</ref>

;Open tria
An open tria is a line of three stones that are not bound on either side of the line by an opponent's stones. Open trias are powerful because they threaten to form an open tessera on the next turn if the opponent does not respond to block the tria. Open tesseras are the most powerful shape in Pente, short of the eponymous and winning "pente" pattern of five stones in a row. An open tria allows the player who placed it to create initiative for themselves because of how it forces the opponent to move to respond. The ability to form many open trias each turn forces the other player to respond and allows the placing player to form a powerful board presence with many options for attack, while the defending generally has to place stones in many locations all over the board that are disconnected and not immediately helpful for forming pentes and other powerful patterns.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":5">{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=2017|title=Deluxe Pente: The Classic Game of Capture and Five in a Row|url=https://winning-moves.com/images/PenteRules.pdf|access-date=2021-02-10|website=Winning Moves}}</ref>

;Stretch tria
A stretch tria is a shape formed by a single stone placed in line with a pair of stones and a single empty space between them. The stretch tria is vulnerable to counter because an opponent can place a stone between the single stone and the pair and threaten capture. It is powerful, however, because it threatens to form a tessera, and if unbound on either side forces the opponent to respond in a similar way to open tria, creating initiative and allowing play elsewhere on the board without the opponent interfering. The stretch tria can be a very powerful tool when used in conjunction with other stretch trias. A vertical stretch tria with the pair at the top and the single stone at the bottom can be combined with another stretch tria in a diagonal or horizontal line so that both stretch trias share the same single stone. If an opponent tries to stop one of them, then the very next turn, the player who formed the stretch tria can extend the other and turn it into a tessera. If the tessera is unbound the position is likely a winning one.<ref name=":4" />

;Open tessera
An open tessera is a line of four stones in any direction without any of the opponent's stones on either side. If the open tessera is not cut across with certain captures that dismantle it, it cannot be stopped from forming a pente and winning the game for the player who formed it. The reason for this is that if an opponent tries to place a stone on either of the sides, the attacking player can simply place a stone at the opposite end and form a pente.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":5" />

=== Advanced shapes ===
Advanced Pente play often utilizes more complicated shapes built from basic shapes in order to achieve initiative and positional advantage. Among the most common are the I, L, h, X, and H shapes along with the 4x3 pattern, the 5x3 pattern, and the Hat.<ref name=":6" /><ref name=":7">{{Cite web|date=2004-12-11|title=The World Pente Players Federation|url=http://www.playpente.com/cool_shapes.html|access-date=2021-02-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041211230652/http://www.playpente.com/cool_shapes.html|archive-date=2004-12-11}}</ref>

; The I
[[File:The I shape.jpg|thumb|'''The I shape''' is formed by an open stretch two.]]
The I shape is a stretch two unbound on either side and with the space to expand to an L shape in at least one of the applicable directions. The l shape, like the stretch two, protects your two stones from being captured as a pair, and has the ability to threaten to become an open tria or an L shape. It is the weakest of the "letter" shapes and is largely valuable for its potential rather than its strength as a pattern.<ref name=":7" />

;The L
[[File:The L shape.jpg|left|thumb|'''The L shape''' is formed by three stones in a 3x3 right triangle pattern. The L shape is built by forming another stretch two off of the I shape.]]
The L shape, pictured left, builds off the I shape by forming another split two using one of the stones from the I shape and forming an L shape. The L shape is protected from capture because of its utilization of stretch twos, but it also has more potential for threats than the I shape. The I shape can be blocked from forming an open tria by placing a stone in between it, however if the opponent tries to do the same with the L shape, then the player who formed can immediately use the stretch two not blocked to form an open tria in two different ways forcing the opponent to respond.<ref name=":7" />

;The h
[[File:The h shape.jpg|thumb|'''The h shape''' is created by placing a stone in the center of the L shape. Because the placement of the center stone creates an open tria, the opponent is forced to respond. This allows white to progress to the X shape.]]
A play that creates an open tria in the middle of the L shape forms the h shape. The h shape is powerful because when it has been formed the opponent must immediately respond to the open tria threat. This begins actively using the potential for threats that began with the I shape and gives the first player initiative. From the h shape a player can immediately form three other open trias. One of the open trias available forms the X shape. If the opponent fails to stop this from happening they will lose the game by allowing the attacking player to form an unstoppable open tessera.<ref name=":7" />

;The X
[[File:X shape Pente.jpg|left|thumb|'''The X shape''' is formed by two open trias crosscutting each other diagonally. This shape gives the player who forms it four options for building open trias.]]
The x shape continues the momentum given to it by the h shape. The x shape allows the player to choose from upwards of four open tria threats, but more importantly gives the player enough initiative to form the H shape.<ref name=":7" />

;The H
[[File:The H shape.jpg|thumb|'''The H shape''' is formed by creating two open trias out of the x shape on opposite sides of the formation. If it hasn't been effectively dealt with by the opponent it allows the forming player to create two open trias at the same time.]]
The H shape is the most powerful  of the advanced letter shapes. When done in the correct order the H allows the player who made it to end the sequence of letters in a double open three, at least one of which will end in an open tessera. The H shape is made by choosing two of the four open tria threats available to the player in the X formation. If an open tria is made on opposite ends of the X shape so that a pattern resembling a capital H is formed, then the middle of the H creates an open tria at the same time one of the ends does. The opponent cannot block both so one of them can be formed into an open tessera.<ref name=":7" />

;4x3 triangle
[[File:4x3 Pente Shape.jpg|left|thumb|'''The 4x3 triangle''' is formed by placing three stones so that a stretch two intersects a potential line formed from two stones and two empty intersections.]]
The 4x3 triangle is a triangle made of three stones. Two are spaced 4 intersections wide with two empty spaces in between with a third stone placed two intersections away from one of the stones with an empty space in between. This creates two perpendicular "potential" lines. The 4x3 triangle is powerful because it allows you to form an open tria, forcing the opponent to respond, and then form a stretch tria immediately after. Eventually, when played correctly it allows you to form an H shape along with its potential for a double tria threat.<ref name=":6" />

;5x3 triangle
[[File:5x3 Pente shape.jpg|thumb|'''The 5x3 triangle''' allows the player to form two trias and at least one open tria regardless of how the opponent responds.]]
The 5x3 Triangle, much like the 4x3 triangle, is a triangle formed by three stones. One side of the triangle is 5 intersections long while the other two sides are 3 intersections in length. The triangle makes use of two stretch twos that allows the player to form an open tria threat even if the opponent attempts to place a stone in between one of the two stretch twos.<ref name=":6" /> Rollie Tesh, the 1983 World Champion, argues that, while powerful, it is easier to see for advanced players and therefore easier to counter than several of the other triangle attack patterns that can be used.<ref name=":11" />

;The Hat
[[File:The Hat.jpg|left|thumb|'''The Hat''' is a powerful [[scalene triangle]] pattern formed by placing three stones. It gives non-obvious potential for creating initiative and forming open and stretch trias.]]
The hat is a scalene triangle formed by three stones that allows the player to form a stretch tria and then immediately after an open tria, forcing the opponent to respond. Once the open tria is formed, the player can make an X shape and proceed to making an H shape, sacrificing the pair made by its stretch tria in the process.<ref name=":6" />

=== Captures ===
In addition to shapes that provide strong positional advantage, there are several tactics that take advantage of Pente's capture mechanics. Notable among these tactics are the wedge and extension.

'''The wedge''' is the use of a pair to block a stretch two. Players will often place stretch twos near an existing line. If the owner of the original line attempts to block the stretch two by placing a stone in-between, they're forced to create a vulnerable pair to do so. The wedge takes advantage of this common protection tactic and flips it on its head setting up the wedge maneuver so that if the player who created the stretch two attacks the pair, the player who initiated the wedge can place a stone to immediately counter by capturing a different pair elsewhere on the board.<ref name=":6" />

'''Extension'''
[[File:Pente Extension.jpg|thumb|'''Extension''' White has formed a stretch tessera that black must block in order to stop a pente from being formed. Because of the location of their stone to the side of the line, when black places to block, white can immediately capture the pair that is formed.]]
Extension is a tactic used to force captures. Rather than extending a bound tria into a tessera to force the opponent to respond by blocking it, it is sometimes beneficial to "extend" the tria into what's called a "stretch" tessera. A stretch tessera is a line of three stones of one color broken by an empty space followed by another stone of the same color. If the opponent doesn't block or dismantle the stretch tessera, then the player who formed it can create a pente on the next turn. Extension into a stretch tessera is used because of how stones are aligned to the side of the line. If an opponent's stone is lined up so that when another of their stones is placed in the empty space to block, and it forms a pair, this pair can then be captured. Stretch trias can be utilized for this tactic as well so long as they're unbound and threaten to form an open tessera.<ref name=":6" />