How to play Gomoku: rules and strategy for Five in a Row

What is Gomoku?

Gomoku is the traditional name for Five in a Row. Two players take turns placing stones on a grid, and the first to make an unbroken line of five wins. The name comes from Japanese, where the game has long been played with Go stones on a Go board, and it's also known as Gobang. Think of it as Tic-Tac-Toe on a giant board, with five to win instead of three.

On PlayTrova the game is called Five in a Row. You can play it free in your browser against the computer, against a friend on the same device, or with a friend online using an invite link.

Gomoku rules (the way PlayTrova plays it)

1. Choose a board: 11×11 for quicker games that fit nicely on phones, or the classic 15×15 board.
2. Coral goes first, then teal. On your turn, place one stone on any empty point.
3. Make five in an unbroken line, across, down or diagonally, to win.
4. Stones never move and are never captured.
5. If the board fills up with no line of five, the game is a draw.

PlayTrova uses freestyle rules: six or more in a row also wins, and there are no forbidden moves for either player. Some tournament versions add rules to hold back the first player (the best known is Renju), but you don't need to worry about any of that here.

On a phone, tap a point to aim, then tap it again to place your stone. With a mouse, one click places it.

The Gomoku shapes you need to know: threes and fours

Five in a Row strategy comes down to a handful of shapes. Learn to spot them for both colours:

• Open three: three stones in a row with an empty point at both ends. If nobody blocks it, it becomes an open four on the next move.
• Broken three: three stones with one gap between them (stone, stone, gap, stone) and both ends empty. It's just as dangerous, because filling the gap makes an open four.
• Four: four stones that need just one more point to make five. That includes a broken four with a gap in the middle. It must be blocked at once.
• Open four: four in a row with both ends empty. That's two winning points, so it can't be stopped.

That gives you the two golden rules of defence: always block a four immediately, and block an open three before it turns into an open four.

How to win at Gomoku: the double threat (worked example)

Just like a fork in Tic-Tac-Toe, you win Five in a Row by making two threats with one stone. Your opponent can block one, but not both. The most common winning shapes are:

• Four-three: one stone makes a four and an open three at the same time.
• Double four: one stone makes two fours.
• Double three: one stone makes two open threes. It's slower, but allowed for both players under PlayTrova's freestyle rules.

Here's a four-three on the 11×11 board. You have stones on row 6 at columns 4, 5 and 6, and your opponent has already blocked the left end at column 3. You also have two stones in column 7, at rows 4 and 5, with empty points above and below them.

1. You place a stone at row 6, column 7. Across, that makes a four (columns 4 to 7). Down, it makes an open three in column 7 (rows 4, 5 and 6).
2. Your opponent must block the four at row 6, column 8, or you make five next turn.
3. You add a stone at row 7, column 7. Now column 7 has an open four (rows 4 to 7) with both ends empty.
4. Your opponent can block only one end. You complete five at the other.

Notice the trick: the four forced your opponent's reply, so they never had time to deal with your three. That's the heart of attacking play in Gomoku.

Five in a Row strategy tips

• Start near the middle. Stones there can join lines in all four directions. If you go second, place your first stone right next to your opponent's, touching it straight or diagonally.
• Keep your stones close together. Stones one or two points apart can grow into lines in several directions at once, which is where double threats come from.
• Attack with fours. A four forces a block, so a chain of fours can steer your opponent's stones while you set up the double threat that wins.
• Block with purpose. When you have to block, choose the point that also extends one of your own lines.
• Mind the edges. On the 11×11 board the walls come quickly, and a three with no room to grow into five isn't a threat at all.

Common Gomoku mistakes

• Ignoring an open three. Next turn it's an open four, and the game is over.
• Missing broken shapes. Stone, stone, gap, stone is just as dangerous as three in a row.
• Making fours too early. A four with no follow-up just gets blocked, and you've used up a strong shape.
• Scattering stones around the board. Stones far apart rarely join up into threats.
• Forgetting diagonals. They're the hardest lines to spot, so scan both directions every turn.

Next steps: daily puzzles, computer characters and friends

Start with the daily puzzles in Five in a Row: five new "win in 2" positions every day on the 11×11 board, the same for everyone. You play coral and must make five within 2 moves, whatever teal does. Every one is a double-threat hunt.

Then climb the computer ladder: Rookie Robo, Clever Cat (who keeps a close eye on your threes), Sly Fox and Grandmaster Owl, who counts every four before moving. The first player has a big advantage in Gomoku. On an empty 15×15 board with freestyle rules it has been proved that the first player can always force a win, so against the computer you take turns going first.

Want more line-up games? Four in a Row adds gravity, which makes threats much sneakier; read our Four in a Row strategy guide. Younger players can learn forks on the small board in Tic-Tac-Toe Plus, and you'll find more thinking games in board games.

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