PlayInfoBox

Home /Games /Gomoku (Five in a Row): Basic Rules

Gomoku (Five in a Row): Basic Rules

Gomoku is simple to learn and easy to pick up, but once you actually start playing, you'll find there's a surprising amount of nuance in attack and defense. Learning the basic rules is the first step.

  1. The board and the stones

    Gomoku is usually played on a 15-by-15 line grid, though a 19-line Go board is sometimes used as well. One player plays black stones and the other white, and stones are placed on the intersections of the lines rather than inside the squares.

  2. Basic rule: players alternate turns

    Once the game begins, players take turns placing one of their own stones on any empty intersection. Once a stone is placed, it generally can't be moved or taken back, and play continues until someone wins or the board is full.

  3. Winning condition: five in a row

    As soon as a player lines up five of their own stones in an unbroken row β€” horizontally, vertically, or diagonally β€” they win immediately. Whoever forms an unbroken line of five first wins; there's no need to fill the whole board.

  4. Black usually moves first

    By convention, the player with black stones typically moves first. Moving first is generally considered to give an advantage in Gomoku, which is why many formal tournaments use forbidden-move rules or a swap rule to balance out the first-move edge.

  5. Watch out for open threes and open fours

    When an opponent has three or four stones in a row with open space on both ends, that often means they're one move away from completing five in a row. Recognizing this and prioritizing defense or blocking in advance is one of the most basic judgment calls in improving at Gomoku.

  6. Balancing offense and defense is the basic approach

    A common beginner mistake is focusing only on extending your own line while ignoring the opponent's threats. In reality, spotting and blocking the opponent's open threes and fours matters just as much as pushing your own attack β€” playing purely offensively makes it easy for your opponent to win first.

Simple rules, but far from simple gameplay

The rules of Gomoku can be explained in just a few sentences and a couple of minutes, but with so many intersections on the board and so many directions a line can extend in, actual games get far more complex than the rules alone suggest. That's why it works as a long-term strategy game rather than just something for children.

Why some formal tournaments restrict Black

Because moving first is widely believed to give a clear edge in Gomoku, some formal tournaments restrict certain opening moves for Black β€” commonly known as forbidden moves β€” or use rules like swapping sides or designated openings to make the first-move advantage more balanced. Casual games rarely bother with these rules.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do horizontal, vertical, and diagonal lines all count for winning?

Yes. As long as five stones of the same color line up in an unbroken row β€” horizontally, vertically, or along either diagonal β€” that satisfies the winning condition.

Does lining up six or more stones still count as a win?

Under the most common Gomoku rules, an unbroken row of five or more generally counts as a win. Some formal rule sets require exactly five, where a longer row doesn't count β€” this detail varies by rule set, and it's usually not worth worrying about in a casual game.