Minesweeper Chording and Speed Tips: How to Clear Boards Fast

Watch a really good Minesweeper player and it looks like the board is melting. Squares open in clumps. Flags appear and the area around them clears in a flash. The timer barely gets going.

They're not guessing faster than you. They're using one trick you may never have been shown: chording.

What is chording?

When a number already has the right number of flags around it, you can click on the number to open all of its other covered neighbours at once.

For example: a 2 with two flags next to it. Click the 2, and every other square around it opens in one go.

In the classic Windows game, chording was done by clicking both mouse buttons together on the number. In our Minesweeper, just click the number.

Be careful

Chording trusts your flags completely. If one of your flags is wrong, chording will open a mine. So only chord when you're sure.

Speed habits

• Start in the middle. It gives you the best chance of a big opening.
• Flag only what you need. Some fast players don't flag at all. Others flag only where they plan to chord. Either way, don't waste clicks.
• Work in one area. Clear a region fully before moving on. Jumping around the board wastes time.
• Learn the patterns. The patterns guide does half the thinking for you.
• Guess early, not late. If a guess is unavoidable, take it while the board is fresh, not after five minutes of work.

Start on Beginner

It's tempting to jump straight to Expert. Don't. Get Beginner under a minute, then 30 seconds. Then move up. The levels are explained in Minesweeper difficulty levels.

Back to the complete Minesweeper guide.