The one with the winning strategy is quite surprisingly >! X First, let us note that >! if X starts anywhere else than the center, 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 | |O X| |O X X| >! | X | -> | X | -> |\* X | >! | | |O | |O \* |</pre> Case 2 >! So O should go for the middle. Then, if X goes anywhere else than one of the more distant corners, O wins immediately like this >! <pre> | O | |X O | |\* O | >! |O X | |\* X | |X X O| >! |\* X \*| |\* O| |\* |</pre> Case 2.1 >! So X will go for one of the bottom corners. Then the game will end like this >! <pre> | O | | O O| |\* O O| >! | X | -> | X | -> | X | >! | | |X | |X X \*|</pre>