Gomoku Rules: How to Play Five in a Row

What is gomoku?

Gomoku is a classic two-player board game, also called “Five in a Row”, where each player tries to be the first to place five of their stones in an unbroken line. It originated in Japan (the name means “five points”) and is played worldwide under names like Gobang, Wuziqi in China, Omok in Korea, and Renju in its professional form. Games are fast — usually under ten minutes — but every move matters.

What do you need to play gomoku?

You need a 15×15 grid and two colors of stones — traditionally black and white Go stones. That is all: there is no dice, no capturing, and no hidden information. Black always moves first. If you do not have a board, any graph paper and two pens work exactly the same way — or you can play gomoku online for free in your browser.

How do you win in gomoku?

You win by placing five of your stones in a row — horizontally, vertically, or diagonally — with no gaps and no enemy stones breaking the line. The line can point in any of the four directions, and the winning stone is always the one you place last. There is no “scoring”: the game ends the instant a five-in-a-row exists.

What are the three rule sets: freestyle, standard and Renju?

The difference is how strict the “five” must be. Freestyle is the casual default: five or more in a row wins. Standard requires exactly five — an overline of six or more does not count. Renju is the professional rule set for balanced play: black must win with exactly five and loses immediately by making a forbidden move.

Renju fouls (black only)

• Overline — six or more black stones in a row.
• Double-four — one move that creates two separate four-in-a-row threats.
• Double-three — one move that creates two open threes at once.

These fouls exist because moving first is a big advantage: played perfectly, freestyle gomoku is a proven win for black. The fouls restore the balance. You can try all three rule sets in our free gomoku game.

What are the basic tactics every beginner should know?

Winning gomoku is about threats: shapes that force your opponent to answer, or lose. Learn these four ideas and you will immediately beat players who only react:

• The open three (·XXX·) — a three with room on both ends becomes an open four, which is unstoppable. Block open threes immediately or lose.
• The four (XXXX·) — one move from victory. A four forces your opponent to block, which makes it a “free” tempo move you can chain.
• The fork (double threat) — one move that creates two threats at once, like a four plus an open three. Your opponent can only block one.
• VCF (victory by continuous fours) — a sequence of forcing four-moves that ends in a double threat. This is the checkmate of gomoku.

Is gomoku the same as Connect Four, Pente or Go?

No — they are relatives, not the same game. Go uses the same board and stones but is a territory game of surrounding, not lining up. Connect Four is gomoku with gravity: pieces stack in columns, so threats are narrower. Pente is gomoku plus pair-capture and is played on a 19×19 board. Omok is the Korean name for gomoku with Renju-style fouls. All share the “line up your pieces” DNA, which is why gomoku players tend to enjoy them all — you can also play Connect 4 free here.

Frequently asked questions