tria at the same time one of the ends does. The opponent cannot block both so one of them can be formed into an open tessera. 4x3 triangle The 4x3 triangle is a triangle made of three stones. Two are spaced 4 intersections wide with two empty spaces in-between with a third stone placed two intersections away from one of the stones with an empty space in-between. This creates two perpendicular "potential" lines. The 4x3 triangle is powerful because it allows you to form an open tria, forcing the opponent to respond, and then form a stretch tria immediately after. Eventually, when played correctly it allows you to form an H shape along with its potential for a double tria threat. 5x3 triangle The 5x3 Triangle, much like the 4x3 triangle, is a triangle formed by three stones. One side of the triangle is 5 intersections long while the other two sides are 3 intersections in length. The triangle makes use of two stretch twos that allows the player to form an open tria threat even if the opponent attempts to place a stone in between one of the two stretch twos. Rollie Tesh, the 1983 World Champion, argues that, while powerful, its easier to see for advanced players and therefore easier to counter than several of the other triangle attack patterns that can be used. The Hat The hat is a scalene triangle formed by three stones that allows the player to form a stretch tria and then immediately after an open tria, forcing the opponent to respond. Once the open tria is formed, the player can make an X shape and proceed to making an H shape, sacrificing the pair made by its stretch tria in the process. Captures In addition to shapes that provide strong positional advantage, there are several tactics that take advantage of Pente's capture mechanics. Notable among these tactics are the wedge and extension. The wedge is the use of a pair to block a stretch two. Players will often place stretch twos near an existing line. If the owner of the original line attempts to block the stretch two by placing a stone in-between, they're forced to create a vulnerable pair to do so. The wedge takes advantage of this common protection tactic and flips it on its head setting up the wedge maneuver so that if the player who created the stretch