Technique walkthrough

What is chording in Minesweeper?

Chording means activating a revealed number after the same number of adjacent cells have been flagged. The game then reveals every other covered neighbour in one action. A chord saves actions only when its flags are correct; a wrong flag can make the chord reveal a mine.

  1. How does chording work step by step?

    1. Reveal a number that still touches covered cells.
    2. Prove which adjacent cells contain mines.
    3. Flag exactly that many mine cells.
    4. Activate the revealed number. Minesweeper.now opens its remaining covered neighbours together.

    If the adjacent flag count does not equal the number, Minesweeper.now does not perform the chord.

  2. Why does chording save clicks?

    A number can touch up to eight neighbours. If a 3 touches three flagged mines and five other covered cells, one chord can reveal those five remaining cells together. Opening the same five cells individually would take five reveal actions. The efficiency guide explains how that difference affects the recorded action count.

  3. What is a worked chording example?

    Suppose a revealed 3 touches five covered cells. You have proved that three of them are mines, so you flag those three. The remaining two cells are safe. Activating the 3 reveals both safe cells in one chord instead of two separate reveal actions.

  4. How do you chord on Minesweeper.now?

    On desktop, activate the satisfied number after placing the correct flags. On touch devices, tap the satisfied number. The required result is the same on both: adjacent flags must match the number before the remaining neighbours open.

  5. What is the risk of chording?

    The game checks the number of flags, not whether each flag is correct. If the count matches but one flag marks a safe cell, an unflagged mine can open and end the game. Chord only after proving the flagged mines from the visible clues.

    Practise on the Intermediate board, review how flags work, or see chording without a mouse.