Gomoku guides
A learning path for five in a row, from your first stone to double threats. New to the game? Start with the basics. When you want to try something out, play a game on 5Row.
Start here
What Gomoku is, the rules, and your first game.
What Is Gomoku? A Beginner's Guide to Five in a Row
A two-player game with one goal: be first to line up five. What Gomoku is, where the name comes from, and why a one-minute rule set keeps players hooked.
Gomoku Rules: How to Play Five in a Row
Board, turn order, winning lines, overlines and draws — the full rule set, how freestyle, standard, Renju and Caro rules differ, and the rules 5Row uses.
How to Play Gomoku: A Step-by-Step Beginner's Guide
From the first stone to the winning line: a practical walkthrough of a Gomoku game, with an annotated example and the mistakes that cost beginners most.
Understand the board
Board sizes and how the shape of the grid changes play.
Gomoku Board Size: 15×15, 19×19 and What Changes
15×15 is the competitive standard, 19×19 is the Go board, and online boards vary. What each size changes, why the centre matters, and the board 5Row uses.
Improve your game
Strategy, openings, tactics and better decisions.
Gomoku Strategy: 10 Principles to Play Better
Ten principles behind strong Gomoku play — why each one works, where it stops working, and two checklists to use during your games.
Gomoku Opening Strategies: How to Start Strong
The first few stones decide who gets to attack. How to place them as the first or second player, which shapes stay flexible, and the mistakes to avoid.
Gomoku Tactics: Open Threes, Fours and Double Threats
Every tactical shape in Gomoku, from the open two to the double four, with diagrams — what each one threatens, how to spot it, and how to defend.
How to Win at Gomoku: A Practical Guide to Better Decisions
No trick wins every game. What wins more of them: a move-selection routine, forcing sequences, the right blocks, and a training plan that fits in ten minutes.
Compare rulesets
How Gomoku relates to Caro and Renju.
Caro vs Gomoku: What's the Difference?
Same family, same goal — but Caro is usually played with a rule that a five blocked at both ends does not count. What differs, what doesn't, and why it matters.
Gomoku vs Renju: Rules, Forbidden Moves and Key Differences
Renju keeps Gomoku's goal but restricts the first player and fixes the opening. Every forbidden move explained with diagrams, and why the rules exist.