I have never seen a guide written specifically for pure TetriNET, and since this is our clan's speciality, I considered it my obligation. This guide is not written for total beginners. I assume you already know your way around the blocks. Maybe it isn't very helpful for experienced players either. At least I had fun writing it.

Starting out

Starting out is not as critical in pure setting as in 1:1 setting. In specials 1v1, it is in the first ten seconds of the game that the outcome of at least 50% of the games are decided. This is not the case in classic Tetris. However, the start is the easiest part to learn in pure, and without a good opening a poor player will always lose. We will discuss this first.

Handling the Z's

Any good 1:1 player know not to slide blocks under each other, especially not in the start since you have a long way to move the block. In my opinion, this is also true for pure Tetris. Sliding blocks is a dangerous thing to do and it slows you down. If caught by a line-add from an opponent, slides in the start can ruin your first tetris. The more opponents, the more dangerous the slide, because the risk for a line-add increases with the number of opponents. A great number of players do slides in 1v1 pure in the startup, even very skilled players. I will not dismiss the practice in all cases, but I can say in 90% of the cases you will be faster off to your first tetris by clearing the second line than by going for the slide. Also there is the problem with multiple Z's, making it necessary for the player to slide multiple times. Here it is clearly better to break the second line than to use a slide.

Placing the gap

The ideal way to stack is to place the gap for the tetrising stick in the middle. This allows for greater speed, keeps you from getting killed by a vertical stick and also eliminates the danger in the field rising too high for you to place the stick. However, stacking two chunks of blocks without making any holes is harder than stacking only one. This practice I only recommend for the additional tetrises, when the field is already quite high, or if the stick % is very high (high stick % makes for slightly easier stacking). In the start, you will be better off placing the gap on either side.

Middle Game

The mood of the pure game is determined by the number of players. The less the players, the more aggressive you must be. In 1v1, attack is best defense. That is not true for six player ffa. To get really good at anything, it must be made an instinct. To achieve and maintain a good instinct, the only way is hours and hours of practice. To achieve the correct instinct, you must play exactly the kind of game you wish to master. If you wish to become the ultimate 1v1 pure player, playing 6 player ffa for day after day at tetrinet.org will ultimately do you more harm than good.

The secret

The cardinal rule is simple in theory but hard to follow to perfection - never stack over holes. Always try to capitalize on your opponent's line-adds and use the gaps provided to send them back to him. This is the way to win and the key to victory. There is no substitute for wise down-stacking, without it you can never be a good pure player. Only getting down fast and easy won't help either, you also need to maximize damage while doing so.

Always think of leaving anchors for your next blocks. Try to build reasonably even, but not too even. Going for two-line-adds, one-line-adds and simple clears is still better than stacking yourself to death. If you need to leave holes, try to leave them all on the same horizontal line. Don't concern yourself with your field being pretty. Make it effective.

There are many ways to stack. Remember that all blocks can be used for offensive as well as for defensive purposes (Box, Z, T = 1 line add, L = 1, 2 lines add, I = 1, 2, 4 lines add). All blocks can be put in more positions than is first obvious. Look for the symmetry in the field you are given and mirror it with the symmetry of your stack. Look for vertical as well as horizontal match. Try not to get dependant on a single type of block (like stick or left L). Know when to give up your first plan.

More about the slides

In middle game and end game, sliding will often seem necessary. It is never absolutely necessary, and I have personally made it a practice never to use slides for other purposes than repairing misaims. As a key rule, before you attempt to slide, consider what will happen if you fail. If failure will only leave you with a hole in your field, go ahead. If it will mess up your field in a more serious fashion, find another solution. Also, some people do slides when it really will serve no purpose. Examples below:
 
 

Example 1	Example 2	Example 3
This slide is acceptable.	As you see, this slide is very dangerous.	This slide is not dangerous, but it is useless.

End game

The sensitive areas on your field are the top left and right 4x4 squares. Any blocks that get there with the gap set on the side of the field will kill you. This means you have to shift the gap from the side to the middle. Also in the end game, keep very close watch on the opponent. Defensive strategy is often necessary to win the end game, but there are many times when the only way to achieve victory is to go for the tetris even with a very high field. If you are trailing and in a desperate situation, you simply won't win by fighting defensively unless you have a very nice gap a little down your field that you can use. The only way to win is to put your opponent in as bad a position as yourself. Granted, you will probably still lose the game under these circumstances, but your chances are still greater this way.

Speed issues

Speed is overrated in TetriNET. In fact, speed isn't the main factor in either 1:1 or pure, although it is more important in specials. The most important thing is to know to place the blocks and to use the field.

As another approximation:

Intelligence is more important than accuracy.
Accuracy is more important than luck.
Luck is more important than speed.

Still, since speed is easy to gain and will give a slight advantage, we will discuss how to achieve it.

Use both rotating buttons. Some people remap their keyboard for greater speed, I have never found that necessary. However by using both rotating buttons you minimize the number of necessary keypresses to control the blocks. (max. necessary rotations will be 2 instead of 3, average will be 1 instead of 1.5.) If there are two equally good positions to place the given block, choose the one placing that requires the least number of keypresses to perform.

Always use space bar and disregard slides, set keyboard speed at max. and disable all sounds.

Most people find that relaxing the hands and using minimal force will make you faster than hammering away at the keyboard like you wanted to destroy it.

- note: since the arrival of TetriFAST, this underexaggeration of speed is no longer valid. Speed does count in T2net and TetriFAST. Remember - practice hard, and develop key reflexes to certain situations. You can always go faster. The trick is doing it without misaiming or stacking yourself to death, which means you need a sound, conservative basic technique. Do not try for monstrous adds unless you are certain that's your only hope (in other words, you're in way above your head against a player much stronger than yourself). Go for ones, twos and threes and stay low at maximum speed. -

spindizzy/HELLFIRE, 06/00

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