Gomoku: Rules and How to Play
Gomoku is a board game for 2 players that takes about 10 minutes. The first player to line up five stones wins. Free. In-browser. No account.
Setup
- Two players. You need a 15×15 board (fifteen lines each way) and black and white stones. A party can switch to a 19×19 board.
- Black plays first, white second. The site picks who starts, and if you keep playing, the first player swaps after every game.
- The board starts empty. Stones go on the crossings of the lines, not inside the squares.
How to play
- Starting with black, take turns placing one stone on any empty crossing. You cannot pass.
- A stone never moves again, and it can never be captured. There is no capturing in this game (the version with captures is Capture Five).
- The game ends the moment either player has five stones in an unbroken line — across, down or diagonal. A line with a gap or an enemy stone in it does not count.
- Six or more in a row is called an overline. By default it wins here for both black and white. With the overline switched off, only exactly five wins for either colour, and a longer line does not end the game.
- The restrictions on black (double three, double four, overline) are off by default. With them on, black cannot place a stone on a point that makes any of the three. Such a point is simply not playable, so you never lose by playing one. A move that makes exactly five is always allowed, even if it also forms a double three or double four, and it wins. White is never restricted.
Winning and scoring
- The first player to line up five stones wins.
- If the board fills with no line of five, the game is a draw. With the restrictions on, it is also a draw when black has no playable point left.
- You may give up at any time; giving up loses the game.
- Renju is gomoku made into a competitive game: it adds restrictions and opening rules to curb black's first-move advantage. In renju only black is restricted (double three, double four, overline), and white wins even with an overline. Turning the restrictions on here gives black the same three restrictions, but renju's opening rules are not included.
Defaults on this site
| Item | Default on this site |
|---|---|
| Players | 2 players (set automatically by the party size) |
| Turn time limit | None by default (the host can set 30 or 60 seconds) |
| If someone drops mid-game | Reopening on the same device returns you to your seat. If you do not return, the CPU plays in your place. |
| Draws | In ranked play, a draw counts as halfway between a win and a loss for your rating. |
| Source of the rules | Based on the standard reference rules |
Rules supervised by Qdan, Inc. (based on the standard reference rules)
House rules
Defaults follow the standard reference rules. The party can change these.
| Name | Description | Default | Changeable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Board size | Choose between 15×15 and 19×19. | 15×15 | Yes |
| OverlineOverlineAn overline is six or more stones of one colour in a row. With this on, an overline wins; with it off, only exactly five wins and an overline does not count (for both colours). When the restrictions are used, black can never play a move that makes an overline, whatever this setting says. | Six or more in a row also wins. | On | Yes |
| Opening restrictions (double three, double four, overline)Opening restrictions (double three, double four, overline)Black moves first and has the edge, so black alone gets moves it may not play. A double three makes two threes at once (a three becomes an open four with one more stone), a double four makes two fours (one move from five), and an overline makes six or more. A move that makes five is always allowed. Restricted points are marked on the board. | Restrict black's moves. A restricted move cannot be played. | Off | Yes |
| Swap who starts | Swap the first player after each game. | On | Yes |
Terms
- Row
- Stones of one colour standing in a line.
- Four
- A line that becomes five with one more stone.
- Three
- A line that becomes five with two more stones.
- Overline
- Six or more in a row. It wins on this site.
- Opening restriction
- A limit on black only. When it is on, black cannot play a double three, a double four or an overline.
FAQ
Can I change the board size?
Yes. The party settings offer 15×15 and 19×19. The default is 15×15.
Can I take a move back?
A stone stays where you put it and can never be captured. In games that show the Undo button you can ask to take one move back; against a person, it only goes back if they accept.
Can a game be drawn?
Yes. If the board fills with no line of five, it is a draw. With the restrictions on, it is also a draw when black has no playable point left. In ranked play, a draw counts as halfway between a win and a loss for your rating.
Who plays black?
The site decides. If you keep playing, the first player swaps after each game.
Can I turn off the overline win?
Yes, in the party settings. By default six or more in a row still wins. Switch it off and only exactly five wins, for black and white alike; a longer line lets the game go on.
What changes when the restrictions are on?
Black alone cannot place a stone that makes a double three, a double four or an overline. White is never restricted.
What happens if black tries a restricted point?
Nothing is placed. The point cannot be played and it stays black's turn, so you never lose a game by playing a restricted move.
What if a move makes five and a double three at once?
It can be played, and it wins. Making exactly five always takes priority over the restrictions.
How is this different from renju?
Renju is gomoku made into a competitive game with restrictions and opening rules. Only black is restricted (double three, double four, overline), and white wins even with an overline. Our default is unrestricted gomoku. With the restrictions on, you simply cannot play on a forbidden point — it does not lose the game as in renju — and no opening rules are added. For full renju, play our Renju game.
How is this different from Capture Five?
In Capture Five you can capture two adjacent enemy stones by closing them in at both ends, and taking five pairs (ten stones) also wins. In gomoku nothing is ever captured; the only goal is five in a row.
Play now with these rules
Last updated 2026-09-23 · Run by Qdan, Inc.