Tournament Practice Mode
Practice with American freestyle Gomoku rules: 15×15 board, no forbidden moves — first to get 5+ in a row wins, whether Black or White. Simple, fast, and fun.
The US Gomoku Open follows the American freestyle tradition of Five-in-a-Row. Below are the core rules used in the tournament, 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 or more stones horizontally, vertically, or diagonally wins. Both Black and White can win with five or more in a row — there are no forbidden moves for either color.
US Gomoku traditionally uses freestyle rules. There are no 三三 (double three), 四四 (double four), or 長連 (overline) restrictions for Black — this is casual-friendly and the most common style of play in the US. Black may win with six or more in a row, and any double-three or double-four pattern is legal. The game is decided purely by forming 5+ in a row.
If the entire board fills up without either player forming five in a row, the game is a draw.
Note on the US Gomoku scene: The US Gomoku scene is primarily casual/community-driven. Most American tournaments and online platforms use freestyle rules. Some serious players may practice Renju rules separately for international competitions.
The US Gomoku Open is the American showcase for Five-in-a-Row competition. Gomoku in the US is a grassroots game — picked up casually and played for fun — and the Open reflects that spirit with its straightforward freestyle ruleset: a 15×15 board, no forbidden moves, and the first player to line up five (or more) stones wins.
In the US, Gomoku is especially popular on college campuses and across online platforms, where students and casual players pick it up between classes or in browser-based lobbies. The simple rules and quick games make it an easy entry point into abstract strategy games, and the freestyle tradition keeps every match fast, attack-oriented, and beginner-friendly.
There is a growing interest in board game communities across the United States, and Gomoku is riding that wave. Local game shops, university clubs, and online communities have embraced it as an accessible yet deep strategy title. The US Gomoku Open brings these players together — casual and competitive alike — under the freestyle rules that define the American style of play.
No. The US Gomoku Open uses freestyle rules — there are no forbidden moves for either Black or White. The 三三 (double three), 四四 (double four), and 長連 (overline) restrictions used in Japanese Renju and Chinese national rules do not apply in American tournament play.
Yes. Under US freestyle rules, Black wins with five or more consecutive stones — six (overline) or more counts as a win, not a foul. White can also win with five or more. There is no upper limit; the first to reach 5+ in a row wins.
The key difference is the forbidden-move system. Renju (and the Chinese national rules) forbid Black from making double threes (三三), double fours (四四), and overlines (长连) to balance Black's first-move advantage. US Gomoku has none of these restrictions — both colors play freely, and any 5+ in a row wins. This makes the American style simpler and more casual-friendly.
The US Gomoku scene is primarily casual and community-driven, growing out of campus clubs and online play rather than a long professional tradition. Freestyle rules are simpler to learn, faster to play, and don't require memorizing forbidden-move patterns — which is why they became the most common style in American tournaments and online platforms.
Yes. This practice board is locked to freestyle (US rules) for the US Gomoku Open, but the site also hosts dedicated Renju and 禁手 practice pages — including the World Renju Championship, All Japan Renju Meijinsen, Russian Renju Championship, and China National Gomoku Championship modes linked in the footer. American players who want to compete internationally often practice Renju there separately.