Gomoku Basics

The goal of Gomoku is to be first to connect five of your own stones horizontally, vertically or diagonally. BluffKing uses a 15×15 board and freestyle rules, with no chips.

Rules

Black moves first, and players alternate placing a stone on an empty intersection; placed stones do not move. Five or more in a line wins, so an overline of six also counts, and black has no double-three or double-four restrictions, which matters if you know Renju. A full board with no five is a draw, and players swap colours between games in the same room. Each move has 40 seconds: if you are connected when it runs out, the system plays a move for you, and if you are disconnected on your turn, you have 12 seconds to reconnect or you forfeit.

Learn the open four first

Label seven intersections on a horizontal line A through G. If black holds C, D, E and F while B and G are empty, black wins next move at either B or G, and white blocking one end is too late. So start defending when your opponent has three in a row with both ends open, but first check whether you have a winning move yourself.

Ask three questions every move

1. Can I win now? Check all four directions for a move that completes five.
2. Can my opponent win next? Find fours and gaps that demand a response, not just threats near the corner you are attacking.
3. If neither, what has the most follow-up? Prefer moves that connect your stones and keep space in several directions.

Beginners most often miss diagonals, or build a dense cluster that blocks the ends of their own attack. Practise first against an easier level of the three computer strengths: in solo bot play you can take back a move on your turn once you have made one, while human games have no take-back.

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