Between matches

The TwoSide blog

How to win the games on this site, the maths hiding inside them, and how to get the best from HTML5 games for two players.

  1. Strategy · 4 min readHow to Win Last Stone Every Time: Nim in Plain WordsThree rows of stones and a game that was solved in 1901. Learn a short list of positions and you will beat anyone who has not read this.4 October 2026
  2. Strategy · 4 min readDots and Boxes: Why Giving Away Two Squares Wins the GameMost people play this game by grabbing every square they can. The strongest move in it is to refuse two of them. Chains, and how to use them.4 October 2026
  3. Game maths · 4 min readHold at Twenty: The Arithmetic Behind Greedy DiceRoll again or bank it? There is a number that settles the argument, a reason it works, and three situations where you should ignore it.4 October 2026
  4. Game maths · 4 min readRock, Paper, Scissors Is Not Random, Because People Are NotOn paper nobody can beat a random player. In practice nobody is random. What studies of real players found, and how to use it in Throw Down.4 October 2026
  5. Game maths · 4 min readHigher or Lower: Why Seven Guesses Are Always EnoughAny number from 1 to 100 can be found in seven guesses. The method is one of the most useful ideas in computing, and it changes how you hide.4 October 2026
  6. Game maths · 4 min readThe Game the First Player Always Wins, Though Nobody Knows HowPoison Square has a proof that the first player can always win, and no recipe for doing it. A lovely argument, and the endgames you can learn.4 October 2026
  7. Game history · 4 min readSeeds and Pits: A Short History of MancalaNot one game but a family of hundreds, played with seeds, shells and stones across much of the world. Where Seed Pits comes from.4 October 2026
  8. How to play · 5 min readTwo Players, One Screen: How to Set Up for a Fair GameWhere to sit, which device to use, which keys each player gets on a computer, and why some keyboards quietly ignore one of you.4 October 2026
  9. How to play · 4 min readSix Games Where a Child Can Beat a Grown-Up, Fair and SquareChildren know when you are letting them win. Better to pick games where they have a real chance. Six that work, and ways to level the others.4 October 2026
  10. Strategy · 4 min readDoes It Matter Who Goes First? An Honest Look at Ten GamesIn some games the first move is a real advantage. In others it is a burden. Where each of our turn-based games stands, and how to keep it fair.4 October 2026