By Noyon Rahman · Updated August 2026 · Reviewed for accuracy against the live game

About Gomoku

Gomoku — literally "five points" in Japanese, and known in the West as Five in a Row — is one of the oldest and purest abstract strategy games in the world. It has been played in Japan since at least the 1700s, and its rules have barely changed in centuries because they do not need to: players alternate placing stones on a grid, and the first to complete an unbroken line of five wins. There is no capturing, no movement, no hidden information — only the geometry of threats and counter-threats. Yet Gomoku is far deeper than it looks, and is a fully solved game: with perfect play, the first player can always win, which is exactly why the tactical fight over double-threats is so satisfying to learn.

How to Play Gomoku

You play the black stones and always move first. Click any empty intersection on the 15×15 board to place a stone; stones are never moved or removed once placed. The game is won by the first player to line up five of their own stones in an unbroken row — horizontally, vertically, or diagonally in either direction. Longer runs also count as a win in this version, so six in a row is still a victory. If every intersection fills without either player completing five, the game is a draw, which is extremely rare in practice. Three AI levels are available, from a casual opponent that plays one move at a time to a hard opponent that searches several moves ahead for forks and forced wins.

Tips & Strategies

An open three (three stones with both ends free) is a serious threat — block it immediately or you will lose.
The real winning idea is the fork: one move that creates two separate threats at once, so your opponent can only block one.
Play near the centre early. Stones on the edge have fewer directions available for building a line of five.
Watch for diagonal threats — beginners focus on rows and columns and miss the most dangerous lines.
If you must defend, defend at the open end of the line; blocking the closed end does nothing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does six in a row count as a win?

Yes. In this version any unbroken line of five or more stones wins the game. Some tournament variants play "exactly five" (where six is not a win), but the standard and friendlier rule is five-or-more, which is what is used here.

What is the difference between Gomoku and Four in a Row?

Four in a Row uses a 7×6 grid with gravity, so discs fall to the lowest empty slot and you need four in a row. Gomoku has no gravity at all — you may place a stone on any empty intersection of a 15×15 board and need five in a row, which makes the tactical branching far richer.

Is Gomoku a solved game?

Yes — it is proven that with perfect play the first player wins on a 15×15 board. In practice, that theoretical result rarely matters because human (and AI) play is imperfect, and most games are decided by whoever spots the first double-threat combination.

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Gomoku