Gomoku guide

History and origins of Gomoku

Five-in-a-row games have many origin stories. Gomoku's clearest documentary trail leads through Japan, where it became a popular pastime and later inspired the competitive game of Renju.

An old idea with an uncertain beginning

Placing pieces in a line is such a simple idea that related games have appeared in different places. Sources sometimes give Gomoku a very ancient Chinese origin, but the surviving evidence does not support one universally accepted invention story. It is safer to separate broad five-in-a-row traditions from the documented history of the game known in Japan as gomoku narabe.

The Japanese documentary trail

Japan's Renju association describes five-in-a-row play as a long-established pastime and records books on the game from around 1850, near the end of the Edo period. One surviving work, Itsutsu-ishi Jōsekishū, dates to 1856. Printed analysis shows that players were already treating the game as more than a casual pencil-and-paper diversion.

The familiar equipment also connects Gomoku visually with Go: black and white stones are placed on line intersections. The objective is completely different, however. Go is about surrounding territory and capturing stones; Gomoku is a race to form one unbroken line.

Why Renju appeared

Moving first gives Black a strong advantage in unrestricted Gomoku. In 1899, Japanese journalist Kuroiwa Ruikō introduced the name Renju for a more formal competitive tradition. Over time, Renju developed restrictions for Black and specialized opening procedures to make serious play fairer.

Modern Renju is related to Gomoku, not simply another name for every five-in-a-row game. Its official 15 by 15 board has 225 intersections and five reference points. Black is also restricted from certain patterns, while this site's freestyle Gomoku deliberately keeps the rules simpler.

From a Japanese pastime to international competition

The Renju International Federation was founded in 1988, and world championships began in 1989. Today, international players compete in both Renju and Gomoku formats, with opening rules used when organizers want to reduce the first-player advantage.

Sources and further reading

• Japan Renju Association: history
• Japan Renju Association: what is Renju?
• Renju International Federation rules

Play Gomoku against the computer