Gomoku strategy: how to win at Five in a Row

Gomoku looks simple, but strong players think in threats. Learn the shapes, the attacks that win and the defence that keeps you alive.

Know the shapes

• Open two: two stones with space on both sides. Building material.
• Open three: three in a line (or with one gap, like X X _ X) and empty on both ends. If ignored, it becomes an open four.
• Four (closed four): four stones with exactly one way to make five. Must be blocked immediately.
• Open four: four in a row with both ends empty. Two winning points – it cannot be stopped.

How games are actually won

A single threat is always blockable. Wins come from double threats:

• Four-three: one stone makes a four and an open three at the same time. Your opponent must block the four, and the three becomes an open four.
• Double four: one stone makes two fours. Only one can be blocked.
• Double three: two open threes at once. Strong, but your opponent may escape with fours of their own.

Advanced players look for continuous fours (a chain of fours, each forcing a block, ending in a double threat). Because every move forces a reply, the opponent never gets a free move to counter-attack.

Defence

1. First check: can your opponent make five next move? Block it.
2. Next: does your opponent have an open three? Block one end – preferably the end that also helps your own stones.
3. If you can make a four yourself, it may be better to counter-attack first: your four forces a reply and can disrupt their shape.
4. Don’t wait passively. A defensive move that also builds your own two or three is worth twice as much.

Opening principles

• Black should start in the centre; it gives the most room in every direction.
• White’s first reply is usually right next to Black’s stone, either orthogonally or diagonally, to stay in contact.
• In the first ten moves, prioritise stones that connect in several directions over long single lines.
• Remember that the first player has a big advantage in free-style Gomoku, so as White, solid defence is the plan until Black overextends.

Common mistakes

• Making a lone three far from your other stones – easy to block and useless after.
• Blocking a closed three while ignoring an open three elsewhere.
• Forgetting diagonal lines; most surprise losses come from diagonals.

Try these ideas against the Hard computer in Gomoku.