How To Play Gomoku? Step by Step Explanation

Gomoku is a traditional Japanese two-player board game that is similar but more difficult than tic-tac-toe. During the game, players place black and white pieces on the board to form an unbroken line of five pieces in any direction. A standard Gomoku board features a 15×15 grid of lines, but it is sometimes played on a 19×19 grid Go board.

Method 1: Installing and Starting the Game

1.Divide the black and white pieces equally among the two players.

Gomoku is a game played with circular black and white stones. One player should collect all black pieces, while the other should collect all white pieces.

2. Roll a black stone to start the game

The player that uses the black stones starts the game by placing one of their pieces on the board. Stones are placed at the intersections formed by the grid of lines on the board (rather than inside the squares). During your turn in normal Gomoku, you can lay your stone at any intersection you want.

3. Players take turns alternately

The two players take turns during the game, each placing one of their stones on the board.

Turn length is typically measured using chess clocks during Gomoku tournaments. Most events have a time limit of 10 minutes per player for each game.

4. Try to get five pieces in a row to win the game

You must be the first player to line up 5 of your stones in an unbroken line to win. The line might travel horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.

While regulations vary, the basic variant of Gomoku requires winning lines to be precisely five stones long and no longer.

Method 2: Strategic Playing

1.Use your opposition’s turn to think to your benefit

You may be pressed for time during a live game, especially in a tournament, because each participant only has 10 minutes for their turns. Take advantage of your opponent’s turn to plan your next move. You can gain an advantage by maximising both your opponent’s and your own time, especially as the round progresses and you both run out of time.

2. Concentrate on the first ten moves

Because you have fewer and fewer options as the game progresses, the beginning of the game largely determines how it will conclude. If you put yourself in a terrible position within the first ten moves, it will be pretty tough to recover for the rest of the game.

3. Discover your opponent’s playing style and strengths

See what you can learn about your opponent’s Gomoku strategy if you play a live game. Try to figure out whether they are more aggressive or defensive. If you’ve played them before, check if you can recall whether they used specific sequences you could foil regularly. You can also request information from other players.

FAQ

  1. Can you include Gomoku?

    Ans: The referee will determine the time limit if the extra matches are to be played between three or more involved players using the same tie-break criteria. If the tie is not broken, extra matches will be played until the tie is broken.

  2. When did Gomoku come into being?

    Ans: Many consider the Gomoku board game one of the world’s finest strategic games. It was introduced to Japan around 270 BC under the name Kakugo (which means “five steps” in Japanese).

  3. Is Gomoku difficult?

    Ans: I’m astounded that Gomoku can be difficult to learn yet have rules that even a five-year-old can understand. And, unlike chess, where there are a hundred years of theories to learn before you can get started, Gomoku is still in its infancy.