By Yangqing

Gomoku First Move: Why Players Usually Start in the Center

For an empty 15×15 casual gomoku board, the center is a practical default first move: it leaves room in every direction and keeps your options open. It is not a universal theorem for every ruleset, board size, or opening system. Competitive Renju uses specific opening procedures, and good play after move one matters far more than memorizing one square.

Reason 1: Room on Both Sides

A gomoku line can be horizontal, vertical, or on either diagonal. From H8 on an empty 15×15 board, each line through the stone has empty intersections on both sides. At A1, the board edge closes several ends immediately. A corner still has playable lines, including its long diagonal, but a player has fewer choices about which side of a developing line to extend.

This is a geometric reason to try the center, not a percentage improvement in winning chances. Other stones can block a central line just as they can block a corner line. Read the board after every reply rather than assuming the first move has decided the game.

Reason 2: Room to Extend

To make 5 in a row starting from your first stone, you need 4 more stones in a line. From the center of a 15×15 board, you have 7 intersections of space in every direction. That's more than enough room to build a complete line of 5 without hitting the edge of the board — in fact, you have room for a line of 15 from end to end, plenty of flexibility for where within that line your 5-in-a-row ends up forming.

At A1, a player can still build toward the right, upward, or along the long diagonal. What is missing is room on the other side of that first stone. If an opponent blocks one of those rays, other plans may still exist; the corner is constrained, not automatically lost.

Compare these positions as empty-board geometry only. The diagrams are not game evaluations, and the red rings mark possible areas to inspect rather than mandatory next moves.

What the Solving Result Does - and Does Not - Prove

Victor Allis's published work on 15×15 gomoku established a first-player win for the relevant unrestricted rule setting using threat-space search. That result explains why competitive variants add balancing rules. It does not establish that the center is the only winning first move, nor does it turn a center opening into a guaranteed win in a human game.

Use the center recommendation as practical opening advice: it maximizes symmetry and extension room on an empty board. For the scope of the solving result and the difference between standard, free-style, and Renju rules, see our sourced explanation of whether gomoku is solved →.

What If Your Opponent Doesn't Play Center?

Consider it. On this casual board, taking the center gives you symmetric room to build in every direction, but it is still an opening preference rather than a guaranteed advantage. A stronger player can make a non-center opening work through better threat reading and defence.

Formal Renju does not use this casual opening sequence as a universal template. Its opening procedure and any event-specific rules determine how the early moves work, so check the current RIF rules before applying advice from this page in a tournament.

What White Should Do After a Center Opening

If you're White (the second player), your response to a center opening determines the entire character of the game. Here are the principles, ranked by how often strong players follow them:

• Stay close enough to interact. A diagonal offset near the center often gives both players room to build and respond, but it is a practical pattern rather than a universally best reply.
• Choose a move with a purpose. An adjacent move can be useful in some tactical positions; evaluate the threats it creates and allows instead of treating it as automatically wrong.
• Avoid disconnected moves without a plan. A far-away stone may be slow in a casual opening, though its value depends on the position and ruleset.

The First 3 Moves of a Typical Game

Here's what a solid opening looks like on a 15×15 board, with the reasoning behind each move:

1. Black plays near the center. On a casual 15×15 board, the center is a simple default because it preserves space in every direction.
2. White answers nearby. A diagonal offset is one practical way to create interaction near the center. In formal Renju, use the prescribed opening procedure instead of this example.
3. Black develops more than one possibility. A follow-up that supports multiple lines can be harder to defend than simply extending a single obvious row.

After these 3 moves, the game opens up. Both players have a foothold near the center, and the real tactical battle begins — blocking threats, creating double threats, and fighting for positional dominance. This is where gomoku stops looking like "big tic-tac-toe" and starts becoming the game that has world championships. See the beginner strategy guide for what to do next →

What About on Smaller Boards?

On a 9×9 board the center is E5; on a 13×13 board it is G7. These intersections leave room in every direction, but a smaller board also makes nearby replies and edge constraints arrive sooner. Avoid comparing a raw count of nearby squares as if it were an engine score. The useful check is whether your next planned line still has legal extension points after the opponent responds.

If you are learning on 9×9, try the center for several games, then try a near-center first move and compare the positions after three turns. Record where the first concrete threat appears. That exercise tells you more than memorizing a universal first-move rule.

The Swap Rule in Competitive Play

Some competitive formats use a swap-style opening procedure to reduce first-player advantage, but the procedure varies by ruleset and event. Treat "swap" and "Swap2" as named tournament formats, not as automatic rules for every Renju game. Check the current RIF rules and the event regulations before relying on a specific sequence.

What Not to Do on Move 1

Just to be thorough, here are common first-move mistakes and why they fail:

• Opening in the corner without a plan. A corner has less room to extend than the center, so it is harder for beginners to use well.
• Opening on the edge by habit. Edge moves have asymmetric space. They can be playable, but the player should know what threat or response they are pursuing.
• Opening off-center without considering the board. A near-center move can be viable; compare its extension room and tactical purpose with the center before choosing it.

Key Takeaways

Frequently Asked Questions