How to Play Gomoku

Game Rules

  • Gomoku is played on a 15×15 board.
  • Black plays first, and players alternate in placing a stone of their color on an empty intersection.
  • The winner is the first player to form an unbroken chain of five stones horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.
  • Once placed, stones cannot be moved or removed from the board.

Basic Strategy

  • Attack and Defense: Always look for opportunities to create threats while defending against your opponent's threats.
  • Center Control: The center of the board offers more opportunities to create winning lines in multiple directions.
  • Connected Stones: Try to keep your stones connected as much as possible to create multiple threats.
  • Watch for Patterns: Learn to recognize common patterns like "open four" (four in a row with empty spaces at both ends) which are strong threats.

Example Patterns

Five in a Row (Win)

Open Four

Double Three