How it plays
Quoridor is a race to the edge opposite your starting side. Each turn you either move your pawn or place a fence. Ordinary steps are horizontal or vertical; fences force detours. A legal fence must leave every player some route to their destination, so you cannot win simply by enclosing an opponent.
Your fence supply is limited, and each placement also uses a turn you could have spent walking. The question is not just whether a barrier lengthens another route, but whether that delay improves your race after accounting for your own missed step. Existing fences affect everyone moving through that area.
Decisions you’ll make
Compare remaining routes before spending a fence. A barrier that sends both players around the same obstacle may achieve less than advancing your pawn.
When pawns meet, check the jump rule before building a plan around blocking a single space. An adjacent opponent can sometimes become a way forward.
Learning the game
Light: teach legal fence placement, jumping, and the requirement to preserve a route for every pawn.