Tetris Concept

J-piece      Disconnected left side results in less aggregate placements due to having four 2-high edges No vertical Z placement. Z on the right will open up options, but an S can cause instability as shown below:      Five +1 adjacent height difference (AHD) patterns, a staircase/bumpy pattern that reduces options No vertical Z placement. Two Zs cause a nasty staircase pattern and do not allow placement for a third Z.      Sustains S and Z combinations No staircase pattern Three 2-high edges instead of four L-piece      Although not the ideal surface, a second L in both options result in an identical outcome that supports S- and Z-pieces as well as provides flatness for O- and J-pieces S- and Z-pieces The middle empty 2x2 cannot support S and Z combinations for long.       ` Supports multiple S- and Z-pieces, and future ones afterward. T-piece Both options result in challenging follow-ups when T comes. Conclusio...

Creating a temporary gap and then soft dropping a piece under it allows players to get out of some tricky situations. In a way, it functions similarly to holding a piece. Players are able to place pieces out of order. Examples of sliding It is not always necessary to have a plan in advance if you have a good feel for it. This is an interesting dilemma. The first is fine--if you happen to get another L- or J-piece in time. The second one forces you to depend on the J-piece instead of either J or L. However, the second is not a bad choice since it allows you to connect the 7th and 8th columns to the left side of the field. This gives you additional options to stack over. Below is a very useful tactic, pioneered by player Integration. It is more useful to have nine connected columns compared to eight. If you create a 4x1 indention next to the Tetrising column, you will always be able to fill in that I-piece later. In the meanwhile...

To "skim" means to clear Singles, Doubles, or Triples over the Tetrising column. You can lower the stack's height without covering the Tetrising column. It also helps in handling awkward pieces that may not fit otherwise. Leave an empty nook alongside the edge. This provides a safety net against overstacking. Even a shallow notch enables skimming opportunities. Here are some examples. It is usually better to maintain a notch even after you skim. Avoid raising the surface next to the Tetris column when possible. You don't always need to immediately clear away residue when covering the Tetrising column. Sometimes you know a piece will work, but you get early in the sequence.  But there is a trade-off between temporarily covering the Tetrising column and ensuring skimming ability. You must weigh the risk of not being able to Tetris (should an I-piece come) against the risk of not having placed a fail-safe skimming piece when yo...