Knight's Tour Strategy

A knight's tour looks like trial and error, but one rule solves nearly every board. New? Read the rules.

1. Warnsdorff's rule

Before each move, count how many unvisited squares each option can reach next. Go to the option with the smallest count. Squares with few exits are visited before they become unreachable.

2. Corners and edges first

Corner squares have only two knight moves, edge squares three or four. Warnsdorff's rule sends you there early; if you ignore it, a lonely corner at the end will strand you.

3. The centre keeps

Central squares have up to eight moves and are easy to reach late. Leave them for the finish.

4. Breaking ties

When two squares tie on the count, the rule is silent. On big boards prefer the one nearer the edge; on small boards either usually works, and undo is cheap.

5. Dead ends

If you are stuck, undo a few steps, not just one: the mistake is often three or four moves back, where a low-exit square was skipped.

The hint applies Warnsdorff's rule and then checks that a complete tour is still possible from the suggested square.

Last updated 2026-10-21