Go-Moku Rulebook

Table of Contents

Basic Rules
Variants

Basic Rules

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.

Variants

Three standard rule sets are commonly played. They differ in board size and in how the opening moves are handled, since the first player otherwise has a strong advantage.

Gomoku

Played on a 19x19 board.
The first black stone is always placed in the center.
Black's second stone must be placed outside a marked restricted region around the center (used to blunt Black's first-move advantage).
A line of five or more stones wins.
If the game reaches 150 moves without a winner, the game is declared a draw.

Gomoku Pro

Played on a 15x15 board.
The first player opens by placing 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 stones.
The stones placed in that opening alternate colors, starting with black.
The second player may then either accept the colors as placed, or invoke a swap, taking over the color with the advantage.
After the opening (and the optional swap), players place one stone per turn as normal.
A line of five or more stones wins.
There is no draw. If the player to move can no longer make a five-in-a-row anywhere on the board, that player loses.

Gomoku Pro 9x9

Uses the same Pro rules as above (opening placement, optional swap, no draws), but played on a 9x9 board.