About Gomoku Guide
Why This Site Exists
If you search "play gomoku online," most results are either generic gaming portals where gomoku is buried among hundreds of other games, or sites with a playable board but zero explanation of how to actually get better. We built Gomoku Guide because we couldn't find a single English-language site that combined a working game with serious strategy content and proper rules explanations.
The Renju International Federation has codified 26 professional opening patterns. Most gomoku websites don't mention a single one. Our openings guide covers all 26 with their Japanese names — information that, in English, was previously scattered across academic papers and forum posts.
What You'll Find Here
A Working Game
Play against AI at three difficulty levels (the Hard mode uses minimax search 3 moves deep), or switch to 2-player mode for local games. Three board sizes: 9×9, 13×13, and 15×15. No account needed.
Play now →Strategy That Actually Helps
Our beginner guide includes a 5-step board-scan method you can apply before every move. The openings reference covers all 26 RIF-designated patterns — the same ones used in world championship play.
Printable Boards
Free gomoku boards in 9×9, 13×13, and 15×15 that you can print and play offline with coins, buttons, or Go stones. No signup, no email gate.
Get boards →Three Rule Variants Explained
Standard gomoku, Renju (with forbidden moves for Black), and Free-style — with a comparison table showing how they differ. The rules page also explains why Renju's restrictions exist (hint: Victor Allis proved in 1993 that Black wins with perfect play under standard rules).
What We're Not
We're not a gaming portal with 500 games. We don't have leaderboards, matchmaking, or multiplayer servers (yet). This is a focused resource: one game, covered thoroughly. If you want to learn why the center opening is strongest, what VCF means, or how Renju's double-three ban changes the game — you're in the right place. If you want to play battle royale gomoku with strangers, not yet.
Contact
Found a bug? Have a strategy question? Want to suggest a topic for the blog? Reach us at our contact page.