Umsindo ohlukanisiwe

Begin in the center square, while your rival claims a corner. You will both keep scrambling to shut down each other's chances, and that battle always finishes as a draw. But when they pick a side square instead, you can place your next mark above or below the first one. And even when your rival cuts off one winning path, the corner square lets you build another threat. So after they stop that line, you can still take the game on your next move.