How to Play Expert Minesweeper

Expert Minesweeper is played on a 30×16 grid — 480 squares — with 99 mines, the largest classic board and the one competitive times are set on. The rules match the smaller boards: reveal squares, read each number as its count of touching mines, and clear all 381 safe squares without detonating one. At this scale, pattern recognition, disciplined flagging and fast chording matter more than raw logic. This page covers the layout, the advanced patterns and how the no-guess option keeps even Expert fair.

Step by step

Open and spread out. Take your safe first click near the centre of the 30×16 grid to open the largest area, then expand along its edges reading the numbers.
Work the edges, then the middle. Clear the easy border regions to bank progress, then use number patterns to break into the dense interior where most of the 99 mines sit.
Flag lean, chord hard. Flag only the mines you need to open a number, then chord that number to sweep its neighbours. On Expert, disciplined chording is where all the speed comes from.
Clear all 381 safe squares. Reveal every square that is not one of the 99 mines to win. Your best time is saved so you can chase a faster clear.

Strategy

On Expert, efficiency wins. Clear the loose edges and corners first to bank easy progress, then attack the dense middle with pattern recognition rather than square-by-square logic — the 1-2-1, 1-2-2-1 and reduction tricks pay off constantly. Flag only what you need to chord; over-flagging costs time. Keep your opened regions connected so new numbers keep feeding your deductions, and when a corner truly reduces to a coin-flip on a random board, that is your cue to use no-guess boards instead. Above all, chord relentlessly once your flags are certain.

Frequently asked questions

What are the exact Expert dimensions?

A 30-wide by 16-tall grid, 480 squares in total, with 99 mines — leaving 381 safe squares. This is the standard Expert board from the original Windows Minesweeper and the one used for record times.

What advanced patterns matter most on Expert?

Beyond the 1-1 and 1-2-1 basics, learn the 1-2-2-1 (which clears the ends and mines the middle pair) and “reduction” — subtracting a known mine from a neighbouring number to simplify it. Recognising these on sight is what lets strong players move through the dense middle without stalling.

Why does the mine count make Expert distinct?

At 99 mines over 480 squares — roughly one in five — open cascades are small and short-lived, so nearly every square you clear comes from a deduction rather than a free reveal. That sustained density is exactly what separates Expert from the more forgiving smaller boards.

How long can no-guess generation take on Expert?

Longer than on the smaller boards, because far fewer random 30×16 layouts are fully logic-solvable. Minesweeper.Free spends a short time budget searching for one; if it cannot find a verified no-guess board in time it serves an ordinary first-click-safe board instead and leaves the no-guess badge off, so you are never left waiting.

Is chording worth it on Expert?

It is essential. Opening 381 squares one click at a time is far too slow; competitive times depend on flagging just enough and then chording satisfied numbers to sweep their neighbours in a single action. Just make sure your flags are correct first, because a wrong flag makes a chord open a mine.

Play Expert Minesweeper →