The one with the winning strategy is quite surprisingly >! X and the strategy is >! Start in the center. First, let us note that if X starts anywhere else, O wins on their first move like this >! <pre> |X \*| |\*X | >! | | |O\* | >! |\* O| | |</pre> First options >! When X starts in the center, O has two options, corner, which gives X zero winning moves or middle, which gives X six winning moves >! <pre> |O | |\*O\*| >! | X | |\*X\*| >! | | |\* \*|</pre> Case 1 >! If O goes for the corner, X wins like this >! <pre> |O | |OX | |OXX| |OXX| >! | X | -> | X | -> | X | -> |\*XX| >! | | | O | |OO | |OO\*|</pre> Case 2 >! If O goes for the middle, X wins like this >! <pre> | O | | OO| |XOO| >! | X | -> | X | -> | X | >! | | |X | |X |</pre> Case 2 continued >! As we can see, X has now two possible winning lines but it is O's turn. If O tries to block one of the winning lines, X has exactly one winning move. However, if O doesn't block either of the lines, then X will eventually win with any of the three remaining cells so X has three winning moves. Thus, either way, X will eventually win.