Youth Tournament Practice
Designed for young players! Practice with the rules of the 全国青少年五子棋锦标赛 — China's premier youth Gomoku competition. 15×15 board with Black forbidden moves (禁手) — 三三, 四四, 长连. Age groups from U8 to U14.
The 全国青少年五子棋锦标赛 (China National Youth Gomoku Championship) is China's premier youth Gomoku competition, organized by the General Administration of Sport of China. Below are the core rules used in the older age 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.
The youth championship has age groups U8, U10, U12, and U14. Younger groups (U8) may use freestyle (no forbidden moves) for accessibility, while older groups (U10 and above) use the full 禁手 rules per the 《中国五子棋竞赛规则》. This practice board uses the full 禁手 rules so older players can train against the competitive standard.
Note on the rule system: The youth championship follows the 《中国五子棋竞赛规则(2025年版)》. Younger age groups (U8) may play without forbidden moves for accessibility, while U10 and above use full 禁手 rules. This practice board uses the full 禁手 rules for older age groups, matching the competitive divisions.
The 全国青少年五子棋锦标赛 (China National Youth Gomoku Championship) is China's premier youth Gomoku competition. It is organized by the General Administration of Sport of China and held annually, providing a national stage for young Gomoku talent.
The championship is popular among primary and secondary school students across the country. Many provincial teams and chess academies scout new talent at the event, making it a key stepping stone toward the adult national championship.
The competition uses a Swiss pairing system (积分编排制), so players face opponents of similar strength in each round. This keeps every game competitive and fair, even for first-time participants.
The China National Youth Gomoku Championship has four age groups: U8, U10, U12, and U14. Younger groups (U8) may play freestyle (no forbidden moves) for accessibility, while U10 and above use the full 禁手 rules per the 《中国五子棋竞赛规则》.
It depends on the age group. U8 players often use freestyle (no forbidden moves) so they can learn the basics first. U10 and above use the full 禁手 rules (三三, 四四, 长连). This practice board enforces the full 禁手 rules so older players can train for the competitive standard.
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.
The championship uses a Swiss pairing system (积分编排制), where players face opponents of similar strength in each round. This keeps every game competitive and fair, even for first-time participants.
Yes. The board is preset to Easy difficulty, ideal for first-timers. Start by focusing on making five in a row and spotting simple threats, then move on to learning the forbidden-move patterns as you progress toward the U10 competitive standard.