Want to know how to play Gomoku? The rules are easy to understand. Gomoku is a traditional Japanese game that is believed to have existed since before the Meiji Restoration. Gomoku, also known as Five in a Row, is a 2-player abstract strategy board game. The equipment for this game is a 15×15 or previously 19×19 Go board and black and white Go pieces. Players put their stones at the intersection of the lines. Anyone can play this game with pen and paper, as pieces don’t move like in other board games.
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How to Play Gomoku/Rules
Gomoku is a game for two players, and there are two types of go stones. Black and white. Black always plays first. Which can be an advantage to the player who chose black. Which undeniably gives the player some advantage, which is called the first-player advantage. Which can be tackled through the “Pro” opening rule or the “Swap2” opening rule. They’re described in the ‘First Player Advantage Section’.
The first player to match five go pieces horizontally, vertically, or diagonally in the form of line wins. Kind of like tic-tac-toe, but the board is bigger and the matching number is higher. And remember, this line must be exactly 5 stones; six or more stones in a row doesn’t count as a win. It is called an overline. If nobody is able to match five stones in a row and the board is filled completely and no intersection is left to put a stone on, it will result in a draw, and in some cases, if there is no draw, players start again.
First Player Advantage in Gomoku
When unrestricted the first player gets a huge advantage in Gomoku. So that’s why, to tackle this issue championships in Gomoku used the “Pro” opening rule. The rule is, “The first player places the first stone in the center of the board. The second player can place his stone anywhere on the board.”
Later, the Swap2 opening protocol was adopted in 2009. In Swap2, the first player places three stones, two black and one white, on the board. The second player selects one of three options: play as black, play as white, and place another white stone, or place two more stones, one white and one black, and let the first player choose the color.
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How to Play Gomoku on iMessage
iMessage is the go-to messaging app for iPhone and iPad users. Games features enable you to play games with friends within iMessage. That’s a great feature to have that Android user don’t. Let’s break down how to play Gomoku on iMessage.
- First, you & your friend have to install the game within the iMessage app.
- Open iMessage on your iPhone or iPad which one you own, after opening iMessage go to any old conversation or just start a new one.
- Check the left of messaging textbox, and tap the App drawer icon. You’ll see options for iMessage apps. Tap App Store.
- Tap the search icon, and search for “GamePigeon”. It is a collection of 2 player games that has Gomoku in it. You won’t separate the Gomoku app for iMessage.
- Tap the Get button. GamePigeon will be added to your iMessage apps collection.
- Now how to play Gomoku on iMessage? Just follow these steps
- After successfully installing GamePigeon close the App Store and come back to iMessage.
- Open the conversation with the person you want to play Gomoku, and go to the App Drawer inside the iMessage.
- Swipe left to navigate to the icons on the right and when you find the GamePigeon app then Tap to open it. GamePigeon’s icon is Green.
- In GamePigeon you will find Gomoku. Tap to open the game.
- After the game loads tap send button to send the invitation to play Gomoku with you. After the other person accepts your invitation he/she gets the first turn.
How to play Gomoku on iPhone
You can play Gomoku on iPhone very easily. Just go to Appstore and search for Gomoku. There you’ll find a lot of Gomoku games that you can play offline or online. Here is the one we can recommend you: Gomoku on App Store
How to Play Gomoku on Android
First, you have to go to the play store on Android and search for Gomoku. You’ll find a lot of options to choose from. Just install the game on your phone. Now you can enjoy Gomoku on your Android phone. Here is one we can recommend: Gomoku on Android Play Store
How to Play Gomoku on Mac & PC
To play Gomoku on Mac you need to go to Mac App Store and find the Gomoku Game for your game. If you don’t find any suitable or good enough game then wait a bit I have 2 good websites on which you can play games online.
Play on PaperGames: On this website, you’ll be able to play against robots, with a friend, play online with random opponents from worldwide, and then you can create tournaments here.
Gomoku Online: This website is minimal one. Only Vs computer mode is available. Can be a great time pass, and can be a good tool to practice solo.
To play Gomoku on PC you can install Gomoku game available on Microsoft Store if you’re on Windows or you can play the game on the aforementioned websites.
How to get better at Gomoku, Some tips:
Tip 1: Get to know your opponent before your match. What I mean by this is to check his reputation in Gomoku. Get to know his strengths, knowledge base, and playing style. Get to know him from others; ask them for relevant information on him.
Tip 2: Study great players. Watch great players in Gomoku, pause after each move, and try to think about why he moved the stone in that particular position. This way, you’ll learn a lot of moves and strategies from great players.
Tip 3: Play with better players. You should play with better players and challenge their minds so that you can improve. Playing with weaker players all the time will surely bring you wins, but you won’t reach your full potential.
Tip 4: If your opponent has already matched four stones and blocks them all the time, then think about what would happen after the move.
Tip 5: When your opponent makes a move, don’t play immediately. Try to think about what that move has changed and then think about how to outplay your opponent, but don’t take too much time if you’re playing with a timer.
Tip 6: The last tip is to be prepared both mentally and physically. Take fresh foods and make sure you get sound sleep every night. When you’re both mentally and physically fit, you can focus on your game and win more games.
Watch this video to learn more about Gomoku
What are the basic rules of Gomoku?
The rule is very simple, black goes first, and then white can put the stone anywhere on the board. Then, the player who can match 5 stones in a row horizontally, vertically, or diagonally wins.
What is the Winning Pattern in Gomoku?
Matching 5 stones in a row horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. Not a stone less or more. Exactly 5 stones. 6 or more stones means overline.
Is Gomoku a Strategy Game?
Yes. Gomoku is an abstract strategy board game.
What are the first moves in Gomoku?
The black stone goes first. But in this case, black stone can have a severe advantage. Then, players can use this “PRO” opening rule, “The first player places the first stone in the center of the board. The second player can place his stone anywhere on the board.”
What is the main goal of Gomoku?
The main goal of this game is to match five unbroken lines of stones of the same color horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.
