Rules

The Hex board is composed of hexagons arranged in an n × n rhombus, where n is an integer greater than zero. This allows for Hex to be played on boards of various sizes, with the most common being 11 × 11, 13 × 13, and 19 × 19. The edges of the board are colored with two colors, with parallel edges having the same color. The board is empty at the start of the game. On the left you can see an empty Hex board.

Hex is played by two players, who take turns placing a single stone on the board. One player uses red stones and the other uses blue stones. The objective of the game is for a player to build a solid chain between their designated edges (red for one player and blue for the other). The game is guaranteed to end with a winner as it is impossible for one player to surround one edge of the opponent without connecting their own two edges. On the right you see an example of a win by the player who placed the red stones.

To balance the game, the "swap rule" or "pie rule" is used at the start of the game. The first player places a red stone on the board, and then the second player chooses which player will use the red stones and which will use the blue stones. This ensures that the first player does not have a significant advantage.

Overall, the strategy of the game is to connect one's designated edges while preventing the opponent from doing the same. Detailed strategies can be found on the strategy page.