Gomoku Glossary

Four stones of the same color in a line with a single gap in the sequence, for example ●●_●● or ●●●_●. Filling the gap completes five in a row. A broken four is often harder to spot than a straight four, making it a useful deception tool. Also called a jump four or skip four.

Three stones with a single gap, such as ●●_● or ●_●●. Filling the gap produces four consecutive stones in a row, which is an immediate threat. (Note: filling the gap gives a solid four, not another broken pattern.) Broken threes are harder to spot than solid threes and are useful for disguising your intentions. Also called a jump three.

A Gomoku variant popular in Vietnam and Southeast Asia. The rules are identical to freestyle Gomoku except that six or more stones in a row does not count as a win for either player. Only exactly five in a row wins. This forces more precise play and removes the possibility of overline victories.

Four stones in a row with only one open end (the other end is blocked by an opponent stone or the board edge). Your opponent can stop the threat with a single stone. Weaker than an open four, but still a threat that requires a response. Also called a sleeping four.

Three stones in a row with one or both ends blocked by an opponent stone or the board edge. A closed three cannot be extended into an open four, so it poses no real threat. Often called a dead three or sleeping three. Beginners sometimes waste moves defending against closed threes that don't need to be blocked.

A stone or group of stones that cannot contribute to a winning line because all paths to five are blocked by opponent stones or the board edge. Recognizing dead stones helps you avoid wasting moves defending or extending them.

A position where a single move creates two simultaneous four threats in different directions. The opponent can only block one, so the other wins immediately. A double-four is an unstoppable winning sequence in freestyle Gomoku. In Renju, black is forbidden from creating a double-four.

A position where a single move creates two simultaneous open three threats. Neither can be fully contained by a single defensive stone. A double-three is a strong attacking formation and often leads to a forced win. In Renju, black is prohibited from playing a double-three.

The winning condition in Gomoku: five consecutive stones of the same color in a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line. In freestyle Gomoku, six or more also counts as a win. In Renju and Caro, only exactly five counts.

A move that demands an immediate response from the opponent. If they ignore it, you achieve something decisive (usually a five or a double threat). Chains of forcing moves let you dictate the pace of the game, building your own position while your opponent spends moves reacting.

A double-threat position combining a four (one move from winning) and a live three (two moves from winning) at the same time. Your opponent must block the four, which lets you convert the three into a four on your next turn. Unless your opponent has a five or their own four, the four-three wins.

The standard, unrestricted form of Gomoku. Five or more consecutive stones of the same color wins. No additional rules apply to either player. Most casual and online play, including Gomoku Arena, uses freestyle rules.

A two-player abstract strategy game in which players alternate placing stones on a grid, aiming to be the first to form five consecutive stones in a line. The name comes from Japanese: go (five) and moku (pieces). The Chinese name 五子棋 (wǔzǐqí) means "five-piece chess." The game is also known as Gobang, Five in a Row, and Amőba in Hungarian-speaking regions.

A move that does not demand an immediate response from the opponent, surrendering initiative. From the Japanese Go vocabulary, adopted into Gomoku. Playing gote is sometimes necessary (to consolidate a position or set up a future threat), but a pattern of gote play generally means you're reacting rather than leading. The opposite of sente.

Three consecutive stones with both ends open, so that it can be extended to a four on either side next turn. A live three is not an immediate threat, but two live threes at the same time form a double-three, which is very difficult to stop. Also called an open three.

Four consecutive stones with both ends open. Also called a straight four. This is an immediate, unblockable winning threat: the opponent would need to play in two places simultaneously to stop it, which is impossible. A live four wins on the next move regardless of what the opponent does.

Four consecutive stones with at least one open end. If both ends are open, it is called a straight four and is completely unblockable. If only one end is open, your opponent can stop it with a single stone, but must do so immediately. Reaching an open four is usually decisive.

Three stones in a row with both ends open, equivalent to live three. Can be extended to a four on either side next turn. The term "open three" is common in English; "live three" is the direct translation of the Chinese 活三.

Six or more consecutive stones of the same color. In freestyle Gomoku, an overline still counts as a win. In Renju, an overline is a losing move for black (it does not count as a win and is treated as a forbidden move). In Caro, an overline counts as neither a win nor a loss for either player.

The competitive variant of Gomoku, governed internationally by the Renju International Federation (RIF). Black faces three restrictions to offset the first-move advantage: black may not create a double-three, may not create a double-four, and must win with exactly five in a row (not an overline). White plays with no restrictions. Tournament Renju also uses swap rules to further balance play.

A move that demands an immediate response from the opponent, keeping the initiative. From Go vocabulary, widely used in Gomoku. A player in sente controls the pace of the game, forcing the opponent to spend moves reacting while you build your position. The goal is to chain sente moves together so your opponent never has a free turn to attack.

Four consecutive stones with both ends open. The strongest pre-winning position in Gomoku: your opponent cannot block it with a single stone and must concede the next move. Equivalent to live four. Any player who reaches a straight four wins the game on their next turn.

A balancing mechanism used in competitive Renju and some freestyle tournaments. After the first player places the opening moves, the second player may choose to swap colors, taking over as black. This reduces the first-move advantage because the opening player cannot build an opening so strong that they'd refuse to swap. Variants include swap2, in which the second player can also place an additional stone before deciding.