Expert Minesweeper
Expert is the wide board: 30 columns, 16 rows and 99 mines. It is the level competitive players use for their best times, and it asks for both careful reading and quick hands.
Roughly one square in five hides a mine. Openings are small, patterns run together, and a single missed number can end a game that was going well.
Expect the odd forced guess. On Expert, a fair number of boards reach a point where logic runs out. Good players keep those guesses rare by clearing everything certain first, and by guessing where the odds are best.
Tips for Expert
- Chord as much as you can. On a board this size it cuts the number of clicks a lot.
- Learn the 1-2-1 and 1-2-2-1 patterns by sight. They appear constantly along straight edges.
- Keep an eye on the mine counter. Near the end, the number of mines left often decides the last corner.
- If you have to guess, choose a square far from any numbers, or one where the numbers make a mine unlikely.
Ready for more? Try Master. New to the game? The how to play guide covers the basics.
Other boards
Questions people ask
How many mines are on an Expert board?
Ninety-nine mines on a 30 by 16 board of 480 squares.
Why do records use the Expert board?
It is the hardest of the three original Windows levels and long enough to separate players, so it became the standard for timing.
Can I play Expert without guessing?
Yes. The No guess mode has an Expert size where every board can be cleared by logic.