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Minesweeper patterns: the shapes that solve most boards
Good Minesweeper players don't calculate every square. They recognize a handful of patterns at a glance. Learn these and you'll clear boards faster and guess far less.
How to read the diagrams
In the diagrams, numbers are opened squares, ? is an unopened square we're thinking about, F is a mine (flag), S is a safe square, · is an opened square that doesn't matter here, and | is the edge of the board. The unopened row is always on top. In the 1-2-1 and 1-2-2-1 diagrams, the squares to the left and right of the row are already opened.
1. The basic count
A number tells you how many of its (up to eight) neighbors are mines. Two simple rules follow:
- If a number has exactly as many unopened neighbors as its value, they are all mines.
- If a number already has as many flags as its value, every other neighbor is safe. Click the number to open them all at once (chording).
Most of every game is just these two rules. The patterns below are shortcuts for when neither rule applies on its own.
2. The 1-1 from a wall
| ? ? S | 1 1 · | · · ·
The left 1 sits against the wall, so it only touches the first two unopened squares. Its mine is in one of those two. The right 1 touches all three unopened squares, but it already shares the left 1's mine, so the third square is safe.
3. The 1-2-1
F S F 1 2 1 · · ·
Along a flat line of three numbers 1-2-1, the mines are directly above the two 1s, and the square above the 2 is safe. If the 2 had a mine above it, one of the 1s would have nothing left to explain.
4. The 1-2-2-1
S F F S 1 2 2 1 · · · ·
With 1-2-2-1 along a flat edge, the mines are above the two 2s and the squares above the 1s are safe.
5. The 1-2 against a wall
| ? ? F | 1 2 · | · · ·
If a 2 has three unopened neighbors and the 1 next to it can only account for one mine among the first two, the 2's second mine must be the third square. Flag it.
6. Reduce, then look again
The real trick is reduction. When a number already touches a flag, subtract it. A 3 next to one flag behaves like a 2 for the remaining squares. A 2 next to two flags is "done" and its other neighbors are safe. Many hard-looking spots turn into one of the patterns above once you subtract the flags you've already placed.
When you really have to guess
Sometimes the board truly offers no safe move, especially on hard. Before guessing, count the mines left (total mines minus flags) against the unopened squares: near the end of a game, this "mine count" often settles a spot that looks like a 50/50. If you still must guess, pick the square that will tell you the most if it's safe, usually one that touches many unopened squares.
Practice plan
- Play easy (9×9, 10 mines) until you never click a number's mine by mistake.
- Move to medium (16×16, 40 mines) and focus on spotting 1-2-1 and 1-2-2-1.
- Try hard (30×16, 99 mines) and use chording on every number you've finished.
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