Mode:
P1 Wins0
P2 Wins0
Draws0
Games0
Player 1
Dark Stones ⚫
VS
Player 2
Light Stones ⚪
Phase 1 — Place your stones
Player 1 — place a stone on any intersection

Your 3 Stones Statistics

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Played
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P1 Wins
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P2 Wins
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Draws
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P1 Win Rate
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Streak

About 3 Stones (Taki Tak)

3 Stones — known locally across South Asia as Taki Tak — is one of the oldest and most beloved traditional board games in the world. Played on a simple 3×3 grid etched into the ground, a wooden board, or even scratched on paper, it has entertained children and adults for generations with almost zero equipment: just a board and three coins or pebbles per player.

While it shares the Tic-Tac-Toe grid, 3 Stones is strategically deeper. Once all six pieces are placed, both players must slide and manoeuvre their stones for position — transforming a familiar grid into a rapid, tactical battle of wits. Games are fast, rematches are irresistible.

How to Play

  1. Goal: Be the first to align all three of your stones in a straight line — horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.
  2. Phase 1 — Placement: Players alternate placing one stone per turn on any empty intersection of the board. Each player has exactly 3 stones. There are 9 intersections total.
  3. Phase 2 — Movement: Once all 6 stones are on the board, players alternate sliding one of their own stones to an adjacent empty intersection along any board line. You cannot jump over stones.
  4. Adjacency: Two intersections are adjacent if they are connected by a line on the board — including the diagonals. The centre is adjacent to all 8 other points.
  5. Win: The moment any player gets all three of their stones in a row, they win. A draw is declared if no win is possible after extensive movement.

Strategy Tips

  • In Phase 1, place your centre stone last — it gives maximum flexibility in Phase 2.
  • Try to create two simultaneous threats (a "fork") so your opponent can only block one.
  • In Phase 2, the centre intersection is the most powerful — fight for it.
  • Watch the diagonals carefully; diagonal wins are easy to miss when focused on rows and columns.