How to Play Gomoku

Gomoku is a two-player strategy game played with black and white stones. It is also commonly called Five in a Row. The rules are quick to learn, but every move can create several new ways to attack or defend.

The board and stones

Gomoku is commonly played on a 15×15 board. Stones are placed on the intersections of the lines rather than inside the squares.

One player uses Black and the other uses White. Black makes the first move, then the players alternate turns. Once placed, a stone does not move.

How to win

You win by connecting at least five of your stones in one straight, uninterrupted line. A winning line can run:

• horizontally;
• vertically;
• diagonally in either direction.

The casual rules used by Gomoku Zen count a line longer than five as a win and do not use forbidden moves.

What happens on each turn

Choose any empty intersection and place one stone. You are usually balancing two jobs:

1. extend a line that could become five;
2. block a line your opponent is building.

A move can do both at once. Those dual-purpose moves are often more valuable than a move that only adds another stone to an isolated line.

Three beginner habits

Look for immediate threats

Before planning an attack, check whether your opponent can win on the next move. A line of four with an open end must be answered immediately.

Keep useful space around your stones

A tightly blocked line has little room to grow. Early in the game, connected shapes with more than one possible direction are usually more flexible.

Read both ends of a line

A sequence that is open at both ends is harder to stop than one with only a single open end. When comparing moves, notice how many future placements remain available.

Start a game

The fastest way to understand the rules is to see them on the board. Return to the Gomoku Zen game, choose your side and difficulty, and try to connect five before the computer does.