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Updated : Oct 2004
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Strategies For
Playing Kensington		 Please read the page about my notation system to understand the following.

I'll use the following terms;
HEX - the hexagon you are trying to complete
OPPO - your opponent
A MOVER - the 3 shapes which allow you to move your oppo's pieces, i.e. the triangle, the square and the house
THE HOUSE - the shape which combines the triangle & the square.
Kensington is played in 2 phases; the opening phase and the second phase. Obviously your strategy in the second phase depends on how the opening has gone and whether you are playing first or second. We will make an assumption then that blue is the first player and red is second (this is not part of the rules). But first, let us consider the board and the important positions.

Clearly it is better to try to complete a hex of your colour rather than one of the neutral white ones in the middle. If you go for a middle hex, your opponent can easily interfere with your efforts without its pieces straying too far from its own hex. Similarly, you are better off making your hex diagonally opposite from your oppo's if you can, thus putting the most distance between them. This means that your oppo must commit some pieces to your side with little chance of making them work on its side. Of course this applies to you as well, but heh ho.

 The Kensington Board
But typically, games progress with the chosen hexes being straight opposite, so this makes certain areas very powerful.

Let us consider then that Blue intends to make the left blue hex its goal and Red chooses the left red accordingly. This makes the key positions for Blue the triangles R & N and for Red J & G.

Next important for Blue are triangles U & Q (for Red F & D) and then for Blue T & W (for Red C & A).

notation It is important to point out that in your opening moves, you must put some pieces onto your oppo's hex as soon as possible, so Blue would want to get onto G1, D3 & J1, thus delaying the hex and also breaking up movers. Again, this is not in the rules, but is a key part of your strategy.

Pieces going onto D2, G2, G3, J2 would help stop movers but wouldn't stop the hex.

Pieces going onto F2, C2 & A3 would delay the hex, but these triangles are not often used for movers.

The outside triangles I, M, L, & P and for Blue X, V & S (Red H, E & B) do serve a good use as a dumping ground for moved pieces. Be careful to put only one or two pieces here, because 3 pieces can be brought together surreptitiously to make a mover. If this happens to you, don't despair. Forcing your oppo to break this up can even assist you.
Now, here are some sample games
to show winning ways;
 Sample Game 01
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Updated : Oct 2004
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