A revealed number counts mines in the eight surrounding squares, including diagonals. The simplest patterns follow two rules: when every required mine is accounted for, the other neighbors are safe; when the number still needs as many mines as there are unopened neighbors, those neighbors must all be mines. Learn these rules before memorizing longer number patterns.
Count the whole neighborhood
For a revealed clue, count its confirmed adjacent mines and its remaining unopened neighbors. Subtract confirmed mines from the clue to find how many mines remain. Flags only count as confirmed when you placed them using valid logic. The game does not turn a guess into proof just because it has a flag.
Suppose a 3 touches two proven mines and one other unopened square. That last square must contain the third mine. If there are three other unopened squares instead, exactly one of those three is a mine; the clue alone does not tell you which.
Example 1: a satisfied clue gives safe squares
This original teaching fragment shows all eight neighbors of the center clue. F is a mine already proven by another deduction; question marks are unopened squares. The two 0 cells are revealed. This is a local example, not today’s Daily board.
- Read the center clue: it requires exactly one adjacent mine.
- Count confirmed mines: F already supplies that one mine.
- Subtract: 1 − 1 = 0 mines remain among the other neighbors.
- Open the five question-mark squares. None can contain a mine if the flag is correct.
The zeros are consistent with the diagram: they do not touch the flagged top-left square. They also provide independent safety information about their own neighbors. Always use the full neighborhood rather than reading the diagram as a horizontal strip.
Example 2: every remaining square must be a mine
A revealed 2 has exactly two unopened neighbors, A and B, and all six other neighbors are revealed safe squares. There are no adjacent flags. The clue needs two mines and has only two places to put them: both A and B are mines.
- Check all eight neighboring positions, not just the visible pair.
- Verify that A and B are the only unopened neighbors.
- Flag both. The remaining mine count and remaining square count are equal.
- Recheck nearby clues: those new confirmed mines may make another clue satisfied.
Connect clues without guessing
Two clues can share unknown squares. If a 1 has only unknown neighbors A and B, exactly one is a mine. If a nearby 1 has only A, B and C as unknown neighbors, with no adjacent confirmed mines for either clue, C must be safe: A and B already provide the second clue’s required mine. You still cannot decide whether A or B is the mine.
This subset deduction works only when those are the complete unknown-neighbor sets. An extra unopened diagonal square changes the equation. Before applying a remembered pattern, verify its boundary and subtract any proven flags.
A practical scanning routine
Start at the edge of the revealed area. For each clue, compare mines still needed with unopened neighbors. Mark certain mines, reveal certain safe squares, then revisit the clues affected by each change. Use the Minesweeper controls guide to learn flag mode and chording. A chord relies on your flags being correct; matching the flag count alone is not proof.
Common mistakes
- Ignoring diagonal neighbors. A clue counts up to eight squares.
- Treating a guessed flag as a known mine. Recheck its reasoning before using it to open other squares.
- Reading a pattern without its boundary. The same numbers can mean different things when additional unknown neighbors exist.
- Assuming every position has a logical safe move. If your deductions stall, these basic rules do not guarantee a win.
Frequently asked questions
Does a 1 beside one unopened square always prove a mine?
Only if it is the clue’s sole unopened neighbor and no adjacent confirmed mine already satisfies the 1. Check all surrounding positions first.
Can basic patterns solve every board?
No. They prove many useful moves, but some positions need more involved reasoning or contain uncertainty. Do not describe a guess as guaranteed safe.
Practice explaining one move
Open Minesweeper and say why a square is safe or mined before acting. Try Daily Challenges when you want a shared board. This article contains no Daily solution.