Tournament Practice Mode
Practice Gomoku under the official rules of the 全国五子棋锦标赛 (China National Gomoku Championship). 15×15 board with Black forbidden moves (禁手) — exactly as used in the national tournament.
The 全国五子棋锦标赛 (China National Gomoku Championship) is the top domestic Gomoku competition in mainland China, organized by the General Administration of Sport of China. Below are the core rules used in the championship's competitive groups, which this practice board enforces automatically.
Played on a 15×15 grid. One player uses black stones, the other white stones. Black always moves first.
The first player to form an unbroken line of five stones horizontally, vertically, or diagonally wins. White may also win with five or more (overline allowed for White). Black must form exactly five — six or more is a forbidden move.
To balance Black's first-move advantage, Black is forbidden from creating three patterns. If Black plays a forbidden move, Black loses immediately:
Black can only win by a 四三 (Four-Three) — one four and one three from the same move.
If the entire board fills up without either player forming five in a row, the game is a draw.
Note on opening rules: Recent editions of the national championship have used advanced opening systems (such as Taraguchi-10 for the men's/women's groups and a double-swap system for the open group) to further neutralize Black's advantage. The core competitive rules above — 15×15 board and Black forbidden moves — apply across all groups and are what this practice board enforces.
The 全国五子棋锦标赛 (China National Gomoku Championship) is China's premier national Gomoku competition. It is held annually and features top players from provincial teams, chess academies, and clubs across the country. The tournament is also used as a selection event for the Chinese national team ahead of the World Gomoku Team Championship.
The championship is typically divided into several groups, including a Men's group, Women's group, and an Open group. The competition uses a points-based Swiss or round-robin system. Players who place high earn the right to represent China in international competitions.
The forbidden-move (禁手) rules are the defining feature of competitive Gomoku in China. Because Gomoku is a solved game where Black (first player) can force a win with perfect play, the 禁手 rules are essential for fair competition. They force Black to play more carefully and strategically, making the game balanced and interesting at the highest level.
Black has three types of forbidden moves: 三三禁手 (double three) — creating two or more live threes in one move; 四四禁手 (double four) — creating two or more fours in one move; and 长连禁手 (overline) — forming six or more consecutive stones. If Black makes any of these moves, Black loses the game.
No. White has no forbidden moves. White can win with five, six, or more consecutive stones. The restrictions apply only to Black to compensate for the first-move advantage.
No. In the Chinese championship rules, Black can only win with exactly five consecutive stones. Six or more is a 长连禁手 (overline) and results in an immediate loss for Black. White, however, can win with five or more.
A 四三 (four-three) is the standard winning move for Black: a single stone that creates both a "four" (four consecutive stones with at least one open end) and a "three" (three consecutive stones with both ends open) at the same time. Since Black cannot use double-fours or double-threes, the four-three is Black's primary winning method.
The Chinese national rules share the same core forbidden-move system (三三, 四四, 长连) as Japanese Renju. Both are designed to balance Black's first-move advantage. The main differences are in the opening rules and some organizational details. On this practice board, the rule set is labeled "禁手 (National Rules)" and enforces the Chinese-style forbidden moves.