Play Gomoku Online
Free five in a row game — play against AI or a friend, right in your browser.
What Is Gomoku?
Gomoku — also called Five in a Row, Gobang, or Wuzi Qi (五子棋) in Chinese — is a two-player strategy board game where the goal is to be the first to place five stones in an unbroken line. The line can be horizontal, vertical, or diagonal. The game is played on a grid of intersections (usually 15×15), and players alternate placing one stone per turn. Black goes first.
The rules take about 30 seconds to learn, but the strategy runs deep. Gomoku has professional world championships organized by the Renju International Federation, with codified 26 opening patterns that professional players study for years. At the casual level, gomoku is a fun, fast-paced game that anyone can pick up immediately. At the competitive level, it's a game of multi-move calculations, double threats, and positional warfare.
The game originated in ancient China over 4,000 years ago and spread throughout East Asia — it's called Omok (오목) in Korean and Renju (連珠) in Japanese competitive play. In the West, most people know it as "five in a row" or simply "gomoku." Learn more about gomoku's different names →
Playing Gomoku Online: What You Need
To play gomoku online, you need exactly two things: a device with a screen and a web browser. That's it — no app to download, no account to create, no payment required. The game above runs entirely in your browser using HTML Canvas, which works on phones, tablets, and laptops from the last 10 years.
Here's what makes online gomoku different from playing on a physical board:
- Always available. You don't need a partner sitting next to you. The AI opponent plays 24/7 at whatever difficulty you choose — Easy, Medium, or Hard. No waiting, no scheduling.
- Instant setup. Open the page, click "New Game," and you're playing. Compare that to a physical board: unpack the stones, set up the grid, sort black from white, and find someone willing to sit across from you for 15 minutes.
- Undo and learn. Made a move you immediately regret? Hit the Undo button. On a physical board, you can't take back a stone without arguing about it. Online, you can rewind, try a different move, and see what happens — it's how you actually get better.
- Multiple board sizes. Play 9×9 for a quick 3-minute game, 13×13 for something in between, or 15×15 for the standard competitive experience. On a physical board, you're stuck with whatever size you bought.
- Free. A decent Go board with stones costs $20–50. This costs $0 and works on the device you already own. If you want a physical board, print one free →
The only real downside of online play: you need an internet connection, and you miss the tactile satisfaction of placing a real stone on a wooden board. For casual play and practice, online wins. For the full sensory experience, nothing beats a real board.
Start Playing in 30 Seconds
Pick Your Mode
Click the ⚙️ Settings button above the board. Choose vs AI to play against the computer, or 2 Player to play against a friend sitting next to you.
Place Your Stones
Black goes first. Click any intersection on the board to place your stone. In vs AI mode, the computer plays White and responds after each of your moves.
Make Five in a Row
The first player to get 5 stones in an unbroken line (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal) wins. If the board fills up with no winner, it's a draw.
Choose Your Game Mode
🤖 vs AI — Three Difficulty Levels
Play against a computer opponent that uses minimax search with alpha-beta pruning. Each difficulty level increases how far ahead the AI calculates:
🌱 Easy
AI looks 1 move ahead. It occasionally plays random moves, making it beatable for first-time players. Good for learning how stones interact on the board.
⚡ Medium
AI looks 2 moves ahead. It consistently blocks your threats and builds its own lines. You need to create double threats (e.g., two open-threes at once) to win.
🔥 Hard
AI looks 3 moves ahead and evaluates every pattern on the board. It punishes unfocused play — if you don't block an open-three, it will convert it into an open-four and win next turn.
👥 2 Player — Local Multiplayer
Two players take turns on the same screen. Black places a stone, then White, alternating until someone makes five in a row. This is the traditional way gomoku is played — on a real board, face to face. No accounts, no waiting for a match.
Tip for fair play: In standard gomoku, Black (who moves first) has a proven advantage. For casual play, agree to swap colors after each game. The player who lost goes first next round.
Which Board Size Should You Play?
Unlike chess (one board) or Go (always 19×19), gomoku is played on different grid sizes depending on context. Here's what each size means for your game:
| Size | Intersections | Typical Game | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9×9 | 81 | 2–5 minutes | Learning the rules, quick breaks, teaching kids |
| 13×13 | 169 | 5–15 minutes | Intermediate practice — more room for strategy without the marathon |
| 15×15 ⭐ | 225 | 10–30 minutes | Standard tournament size. Used in all RIF world championships |
💡 Why 15×15 Is the Standard
The Renju International Federation (RIF) sets 15×15 as the official board for all competitive play. The 9 star points at coordinates (3,3), (3,7), (3,11), (7,3), (7,7), (7,11), (11,3), (11,7), (11,11) serve as visual anchors. On smaller boards, games are faster but the first-player advantage (proven by Victor Allis in 1993) becomes even more decisive — there's less room to recover from a bad opening.
Why Play Gomoku Online?
No Board or Stones Needed
A physical gomoku set (Go board + stones) costs $10–50 and is hard to carry around. This game runs on any device with a browser — phone, tablet, or laptop. No app to install, no account to create.
AI Opponent Always Available
Finding a gomoku partner isn't always easy, especially outside East Asia. The AI opponent is ready 24/7 at three difficulty levels. Start on Easy and work your way up — by the time you can beat Hard consistently, you understand the game's core patterns.
Switch Board Sizes Instantly
Physical boards are fixed at one size. Here you can play a 9×9 quick game during a coffee break, then switch to 15×15 for a serious session — no second board to buy. The board guide explains how strategy changes at each size.
Undo Moves and Learn from Mistakes
On a physical board, you can't take back a move. The ↩ Undo button lets you rewind (in AI mode, it undoes both your move and the AI's response). This is how you study what went wrong: undo a losing move, try a different response, see if the outcome changes.
Five Tips to Win More Games
- 1 Open in the center. On a 15×15 board, position (7,7) — called tengen in Go terminology — gives you 7 intersections of space in every direction. A corner stone can only build lines in 3 directions instead of 4. Why the center wins →
- 2 Block open-threes immediately. An open-three (e.g.,
_XXX_where_is empty) becomes an open-four on the next move, which is unblockable. If you see your opponent building one, place a stone on one of the two open ends right now. - 3 Create double threats. The only way to beat a competent opponent is to create two threats at once — for example, two open-threes that share no blocking point. Your opponent can block one, but not both. This is called a double-three or four-three combination.
- 4 Don't play isolated stones. Every stone should contribute to at least one potential line. A stone placed far from all other stones is wasted — it can't form part of any five. Keep your stones within 2–3 intersections of each other.
- 5 Scan the board in order. Before each move, check: (1) Can I win right now? (2) Can my opponent win next turn? (3) Can I create a double threat? (4) Can I extend an existing line? (5) Where is the most valuable empty intersection? This 5-step scan prevents blunders. Full strategy guide →
Online Gomoku vs. Playing on a Real Board
Both have their place. Here's an honest comparison:
| Online (This Game) | Physical Board | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | $10–50 for board + stones |
| Opponent | AI (3 levels) or local 2P | Need a friend present |
| Undo / Reset | ✅ One click | ❌ Have to reset all stones manually |
| Board size | Switch between 9/13/15 | Fixed — one board = one size |
| Portability | Any device with a browser | Bulky to carry |
| Tactile feel | Screen tap | The satisfying click of a Go stone on wood |
| Printable | — | Print a free board → |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I play on my phone?
Yes. The game works in any mobile browser — Safari on iPhone, Chrome on Android. The board scales to fit your screen. For the best experience on smaller phones, try the 9×9 board size.
Do I need to create an account?
No. There is no signup, no login, no personal data collected. Open the page and play.
How does the AI difficulty work?
The AI uses minimax search with alpha-beta pruning. On Easy it looks 1 move ahead and occasionally plays randomly. On Medium it looks 2 moves ahead and consistently blocks threats. On Hard it looks 3 moves ahead and evaluates every pattern — open-threes, closed-fours, double threats — to find the strongest move. At Hard level, you need to create double threats to win.
Can two people play on the same device?
Yes. Switch to 2 Player mode in Settings. Both players take turns clicking on the board to place their stones. Black goes first, then White, alternating until someone gets five in a row.
What's the difference between gomoku and five in a row?
They're the same game. "Gomoku" is the Japanese word (五目並べ, "five in a row"). "Five in a Row" is the English name. Other names include Gobang, Omok (Korean), and Wuzi Qi (Chinese, 五子棋). The rules are identical regardless of what you call it. More about the different names →
Why does Black always win against the AI on Hard?
In standard gomoku (no special rules), Black has a proven first-move advantage. Victor Allis proved in 1993 that Black can always force a win with perfect play on a 15×15 board. This is why competitive gomoku uses Renju rules with forbidden moves for Black (double-three, double-four, overline). Read about Renju rules →
Can I play gomoku online with a friend remotely?
The 2 Player mode on this page works on the same device (local multiplayer). For remote play with a friend, both of you can open this page on your own devices and share moves via text or video call — it's old-school but it works. Dedicated online gomoku platforms with matchmaking exist (like PlayOK), but they require account creation.
What browser do I need to play gomoku online?
Any modern browser works: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge. The game uses HTML Canvas, which has been supported by every major browser since 2014. No plugins, no Flash, no downloads. If you can read this page, you can play the game.
Is this gomoku game safe for kids?
Yes. There are no ads, no chat, no account creation, and no external links to other sites. The game is entirely self-contained. A child can open the page and play without any risk of encountering inappropriate content or interacting with strangers. Start on 9×9 board with Easy difficulty for the best experience.