Tic-Tac-Toe: Advanced Gaming

by George Szekely

In the first book of my current painting series, I described the first weeks of coming to America and the use of Tic-Tac-Toe to communicate with classmates in the absence of language. The memory of the play and the ability to use its symbols as a means of fitting in, being able to assimilate in a new classroom and new world, stayed with me and became an inspiration for the painting series. As a young child, I was very excited to first learn to play Tic-Tac-Toe in Budapest from neighborhood friends. It allowed us to spend a lot of time in a seemingly endless battle, at a time when neither board games nor video games were available after the Second World War. Friends and I played for long periods, testing strategies, trying to unravel the game’s secret formulas for winning.

Hardcover

Published June 17, 2019