Gomoku
Place stones on a 15×15 grid — the first player to line up five in a row (any direction) wins.
👥1 per team🌤indoor
What is Gomoku?
Gomoku ("five stones") is a two-player abstract strategy game played on a 15 × 15 (or 19 × 19 Go board) grid. Players alternate placing black or white stones on the grid intersections; the first to make an unbroken row of five (horizontally, vertically or diagonally) wins. The competitive tournament form is Renju, which balances the first-move advantage with opening restrictions.
Quick facts
Category
Mind Sports
Type
Individual
Players
1 per team
Where played
indoor
Country of origin
🇯🇵 Japan
Estimated origin
Traditional Japan and China; renamed "gomoku" in the Meiji era
Olympic
No
Popularity
major
Sources & provenance
Last verified 2026-08-24.verified