7.1 Threads

It is often helpful to think of two pieces of the same color and stripe (pieces which can make connections) as attached by an invisible ``thread'' running through the center of the board. Ideally, the angle of this ``thread'' at the center of the board should be brought closer to 180$^\circ$ (a straight line) by a movement of one or both of these pieces, since such an angle is a prerequisite for a connection, and thus for resolution. At the beginning of the game, this generally means that moving ``forward'' (towards the opposing player's starting positions) is desirable.