Tic Tac Toe Game in Python

Last Updated : 5 Sep, 2026

Tic-Tac-Toe is a two-player game played on a 3×3 grid. Players take turns placing X and O on the board and the first player to get three symbols in a row wins the game.

Winning Rules

  • Player X and Player O take turns making moves.
  • A player wins by placing three of their symbols in a row.
  • The three symbols can be in a row, column, or diagonal.
  • If all 9 positions are filled and no player wins, the game is a draw.
  • A position already occupied by a player cannot be selected again.

Algorithm

  1. Create a 3×3 board with numbered positions.
  2. Display the board and ask the first player to choose a position.
  3. Validate the user's input and check whether the position is available.
  4. Place the player's symbol on the selected position.
  5. Check all possible winning combinations.
  6. If a player has three symbols in a row, declare that player the winner.
  7. If all positions are filled without a winner, declare the game a draw.
  8. Switch to the other player.
  9. Repeat the process until the game ends.

Implementation

Python 
board = ["1", "2", "3",
         "4", "5", "6",
         "7", "8", "9"]

players = {
    "X": "Player 1",
    "O": "Player 2"
}

winning_combinations = (
    (0, 1, 2),
    (3, 4, 5),
    (6, 7, 8),
    (0, 3, 6),
    (1, 4, 7),
    (2, 5, 8),
    (0, 4, 8),
    (2, 4, 6)
)

occupied = set()

def display_board():
    print()
    print(board[0], "|", board[1], "|", board[2])
    print("--+---+--")
    print(board[3], "|", board[4], "|", board[5])
    print("--+---+--")
    print(board[6], "|", board[7], "|", board[8])
    print()

def check_winner(symbol):
    for combination in winning_combinations:
        if all(board[position] == symbol for position in combination):
            return True
    return False

def make_move(symbol):
    while True:
        choice = input(
            f"{players[symbol]} ({symbol}), choose a position (1-9): "
        )

        if not choice.isdigit():
            print("Please enter a valid number.")
            continue

        position = int(choice) - 1

        if position < 0 or position > 8:
            print("Please choose a position between 1 and 9.")
            continue

        if position in occupied:
            print("This position is already occupied.")
            continue

        board[position] = symbol
        occupied.add(position)
        break

print("Welcome to Tic-Tac-Toe!")

current_player = "X"

while True:
    display_board()

    make_move(current_player)

    if check_winner(current_player):
        display_board()
        print(players[current_player], "wins!")
        break

    if len(occupied) == 9:
        display_board()
        print("It's a draw!")
        break

    current_player = "O" if current_player == "X" else "X"

print("\nThanks for playing!")

Output:

Screenshot-2026-09-05-120705
Tic Tac Toe Game

Explanation:

  • Program starts with a board containing positions from 1 to 9 and displays it in a 3×3 format.
  • Each player is assigned a symbol, with Player 1 using X and Player 2 using O.
  • Game accepts a position from the current player and checks whether the input is valid and the selected position is free.
  • After every valid move, the board is updated with the player's symbol.
  • Program checks the predefined winning combinations after each move to determine whether the current player has won.
  • If all 9 positions are filled without a winner, the game ends in a draw.
  • Players take turns until one player wins or the game ends in a draw.
  • Final board and game result are displayed when the game ends.
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