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Five in a row on a 15×15 board

Gomoku online

Play Gomoku online with a friend or against a bot. Five in a row on a 15×15 board — tic tac toe grown up, free and in your browser.

The board is far too large to calculate, so Gomoku is played on threats instead: build two open threes at once and you have won, because your opponent can only answer one of them.

Players2 players
Game length5 minutes
H
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How to play

  1. The board has 15×15 intersections. Players place stones on empty points.
  2. Player one moves first.
  3. The first player to line up five or more stones in any direction wins.
  4. A completely full board is a draw, though it almost never happens.

Strategy

  • Play near existing stones. A stone far from the action is a wasted move.
  • An open three is a threat, an open four is a win. Two open threes at once cannot be defended.
  • Watch your opponent’s twos. A three must be blocked; a two can still be outraced.
  • A run blocked at both ends is worth nothing at all.

Frequently asked

How is Gomoku different from Tic Tac Toe?

Tic Tac Toe is 3×3 with three in a row and always draws. Gomoku is 15×15 with five in a row, which makes it incomparably deeper.

Does Black have an advantage?

Yes — in free-style Gomoku the first player has a proven win. Tournament play uses Renju rules that forbid Black certain shapes.

What is an open four?

Four stones in a row with an empty point at both ends. Only one end can be blocked, so the other wins next move.

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