How to win tic tac toe when you go first. When you're the first one up, there is a simple strategy on how to win tic tac toe: put your 'X' in any corner. This move will pretty much send you to the winner's circle every time, so long as your opponent doesn't put their first 'O' in the center box.
The first player can't guarantee a win, and the second player can't guarantee a win either. This is assuming both players make no mistakes in their moves. Therefore, neither going first nor going second guarantees a win if both players are playing their best. Tic-Tac-Toe is a solved game.