Finesse

An optimization technique that helps you reduce your keypresses per piece placed. Referred to as "2-step finesse" because you can reach every position in the playfield with no more than "2 steps" by utilizing SRS. Because every placement for each piece has an optimal sequence of key inputs, once you memorize them by learning finesse, you won't have to think about how to place your piece.

finesse is cool cause it means you dont need to think once you decide where to place a piece

Dagero

General Principles

Before we start, some terminologies: DAS means delayed-auto-shift. It is the number of milliseconds before the button you hold down starts to repeat itself. In finesse, it means to hold your direction button until the piece hits either side of the wall.

Here are some general principles to keep in mind while learning finesse.

As mentioned above, by definition, you place every piece in your field with no more than 2 steps. Therefore, the first principle to keep in mind is never to tap 3 times in a row. For example, let's say that we want to place the T 1 row away from the right wall:

Without finesse, you would have to tap right 3 times in a row, which would be an inefficient way to place the piece at that position. With finesse, you would DAS right and then tap left, which would only take 2 keypresses.

Second, you generally want to rotate later (after the DAS) if you want to leave a space between the piece and the wall. If you're placing the piece up against the wall, the order does not matter. Here, you rotate CCW after the DAS because you want to leave a space between:

The final general principle is to rotate in the direction you want to move the piece after the DAS. For example, if you're going to place an S piece in column 8 with 1 space left from the wall, you rotate left (CCW) after DAS:

However, if you don't want to leave a space, you rotate the piece right (CW), towards the wall, after DAS.

Credit to Kitaru for his original explanation on finesse. Credit to baseballboy for his explanation on DAS

Useful Tools for Practicing

This page lists the proper finesse for each piece, but it would be better to learn finesse by practicing firsthand while using it as a reference, rather than reading through and trying to memorize all of these at once. Here are some useful tools for practicing finesse:

• Tetresse: the game will let to place the piece again whenever you make a finesse error. Recommended if you have never learned finesse before.
• Jstris with finesse fault on: Click Settings, click the + tab, and check finesse fault. The game will reset whenever you make a finesse error. Recommended for perfecting your finesse.

O Finesse

The last move is always hard drop.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

T Finesse

Last move is always drop. T finesse also applies to J and L finesse.

North

North part of T finesse also applies to S and Z finesse.

N-1

N-2

This can be done in two ways. One way can be faster than the other depending on situations.

N-3

N-4

N-5

N-6

N-7

N-8

South

S-1 to S-9

South part of T finesse is just combining 180-degree rotation with the North part of T finesse. For example, S-5 would be:

East

E-1

E-2 to E-9

From E-2 to E-9, just do a CW rotation after North side of T finesse. For example, E-9 would be:

West

W-1 to W-8

From W-1 to W-8, do a CCW rotation after North side of T finesse. Example with W-1:

W-9

S Finesse

The last move is always hard drop. Placements that should be done step by step are marked as 🔢. Common finesse mistakes are marked as ⚠️. S finesse also applies to Z finesse.

Horizontal

H-1 to H-9

Check out the North part of T finesse

Vertical

V-1

Because you want to leave no space between the piece and the wall, you rotate towards (CCW) the wall.

V-2 🔢⚠️

Because you want to leave one space between the piece and the wall, you rotate away from (CW) the wall.

V-3

V-4 ⚠️

V-5 ⚠️

V-6

V-7

There are two ways to do this.

V-8 🔢⚠️

V-9

I Finesse

Last move is always hard drop. Placements that should be done step by step are marked as 🔢. Common finesse mistakes are marked as ⚠️

Horizontal

H-1

H-2

Two ways to do this.

H-3

H-4

H-5

H-6

Two ways to do this one as well.

H-7

Vertical

V-1

V-2 🔢

Because you want to leave one space rather than two spaces between the piece and the wall, you rotate towards (CCW) the wall.

V-3 🔢⚠️

Because you want to leave two spaces rather than one space between the piece and the wall, you rotate away from (CW) the wall.

V-4

V-5

V-6

V-7

V-8 🔢⚠️

V-9 🔢

V-10