Exact five
Exactly five in a row wins; a line of six or more does not. A simple compromise that weakens Black's overline attacks without forbidden moves.
Freestyle — first to connect five wins
Freestyle is the rule most people learn first. With no restrictions it is the easiest to read, and the best place to learn attacking shapes.
How you win
Connect five or more of your stones in an unbroken line — horizontal, vertical or diagonal. An overline of six or more still counts as a win.
Because nothing is forbidden, double threats like two open threes work exactly as taught: your opponent blocks one side, you complete the other.
Why Black has the edge
In 1993 L. Victor Allis proved that freestyle gomoku is a forced win for Black when both sides play perfectly. The first-move advantage is that large.
That is why casual games use freestyle while balanced play moves to rules that add a handicap: exact five, renju, or Swap2.
The other rules in one line
Exact five stops counting at the sixth stone, renju forbids Black's double-threes, double-fours and overlines, and Swap2 lets the opponent pick a color after the first three stones. The winning shape is five in a row in all of them.
Common questions
Does six in a row win?
Yes. In freestyle any line of five or more wins. Only exact five and Swap2 refuse to count an overline.
Is a double-three a foul?
Not in freestyle — it is the first winning technique to learn. Only renju forbids it, and only for Black.
Is this the tournament rule?
Official tournaments use renju or Swap2 to offset Black's advantage. Freestyle is the standard for casual and online play.
See the other rules
Caro · cờ caro
The Vietnamese gomoku rule. Exactly five in a row wins — unless the opponent has sealed both ends of the line.
Renju
The official RIF rule. Forbidden moves — double-three, double-four and overline — apply to Black alone to erase the first-move advantage. White is unrestricted.
Renju · official opening
Renju forbidden moves plus the RIF opening: first move on the center, second inside 3×3, third inside 5×5, then White may swap colors and Black offers two fifth moves.
Gomoku · Swap2
The world-championship opening. One side places black-white-black, and the opponent either picks a color or adds two stones and hands the choice back. Wins need exactly five.