Gamehelpgomoku

Gameplay

Gomoku, also called Five in a Row, is an abstract strategy board game. It is traditionally played with Go pieces on a Go board.

Players alternate turns placing a stone of their color on an empty intersection. Black plays first.

The winner is the first player to form an unbroken chain of five stones horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.

Options

Default options are bolded. Training mode only options are in italic type.

Board size

• 9x9: Small board size for quick and casual games.

• 13x13

• 15x15: Standard Gomoku board size.

• 19x19: Standard Go board size.

Variant

Winning conditions of a game are displayed above the game board.

• Standard: To win, form an unbroken chain of EXACTLY five stones horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. Forming a line of six or more stones DOES NOT WIN the game.

• Caro: To win, form an unbroken chain of five stones horizontally, vertically, or diagonally that is not blocked at either end. Forming a line of six or more stones also wins the game regardless of blocked ends.

• Freestyle: To win, form an unbroken chain of five or more stones horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.

Opening rule

The first three options are unavailable in ranked games due to first player advantage.

• None: The game starts without any opening restrictions.

• Pro

- The first stone of the first player must be placed in the center of the board.

- The first stone of the second player may be placed anywhere on the board.

- The second stone of the first player must be placed at least three intersections away from the first stone.

• Long Pro

- The first stone of the first player must be placed in the center of the board.

- The first stone of the second player may be placed anywhere on the board.

- The second stone of the first player must be placed at least four intersections away from the first stone.

• Swap

- The first player places three stones, two black and one white, anywhere on the board.

- The second player then chooses which color to play as.

- Play proceeds from there as normal with white playing their third stone.

• Swap2

- The first player places three stones on the board, two black and one white.

- The second player then has three options:

1. choose to play as black
2. choose to play as white and place a second black stone
3. place two more stones, one white and one black, and pass the choice of which color to play back to the first player