S and Z starts

Starting a game with a S or Z piece (known as S and Z starts) is a delicate way of starting, since it leaves a hole in the stack.

An S and Z start may be handled differently, depending on the player style, skill and the game mode (multiplayer, etc.).

Soft-drop method

This method consist in placing a tetromino under the first piece.

T-Spin Method

A T-Spin may be used to clear the first line of the stack. This has the same drawbacks as the soft drop method, and is unavailable (or, in the case of the "well-known twist", equivalent to the platform method as described below) in older games that have little or no wall kick, but other games reward a T-Spin with extra points or garbage.

This opening works in Tetris DX, SRS, and TGM rotation:

Place some tetrominoes

Soft-drop a T

Rotate left

T-spin single

Fiddlesworth discovered an expansion of the T-spin method: see T-spin single triple single.

Platform method

Since soft-drop method tends to slows the player, he may use the platform method. It consists in making a platform over the first line that clears out to reveal the space. This platform can be a single line, or it can be multiple lines:

A basic platform single on row 2:

Platform T-spin:

Place some tetrominoes

Soft-drop a T

Rotate left

T-spin single

Clearing four lines on a platform can prove especially effective in games that reward a back-to-back tetris: