Minesweeper keyboard shortcuts & controls
The fastest Minesweeper players barely move the mouse. Learn the core controls and gestures below to flag, chord and clear boards in a fraction of the time.
Controls at a glance
Chording is the big one
Chording opens every remaining square around a number in a single action — but only once that number has the right amount of flags beside it. It's the single biggest speed boost in Minesweeper. Pair it with pattern recognition and you can clear large open areas almost instantly.
On mobile
- Tap to reveal.
- Long-press to flag, or enable Flag mode for one-tap flagging.
- Tap a revealed number to chord.
Now put the speed to use in Classic Minesweeper, Infinite Minesweeper or the Daily puzzle. If you're still learning the basics, start with how to play Minesweeper.
Frequently asked questions
What are the basic Minesweeper mouse controls?
Left-click reveals a square, right-click places or removes a flag, and middle-click (or a left+right click together) chords — opening all safe neighbours of a satisfied number at once.
What is chording and how do I do it?
Chording opens every covered square around a number when that number already has the correct count of flags beside it. On desktop, middle-click the number; on Minesweeper Lab you can also just tap a revealed number.
How do I flag a mine on mobile?
Long-press a square to drop a flag, or switch on Flag mode so a single tap flags instead of reveals. Long-press again, or tap in Flag mode, to remove the flag.
Do keyboard shortcuts make me faster?
Yes. Right-click flagging and chording dramatically cut the number of actions per board, which is how speed players clear expert grids in well under a minute.
Explore more
Infinite Minesweeper
An endless board that never runs out of squares.
Classic Minesweeper
The timeless 9×9, 16×16 and expert grids.
No-Guess Minesweeper
Boards solvable by pure logic — no 50/50 guesses.
Daily Minesweeper
One shared puzzle for everyone, every day.
How to Play
Learn the rules in two minutes.
Patterns
1-2-1, 1-2-2 and other must-know patterns.
The Numbers
What each number is really telling you.