Gomoku Free online game

What is it?

Gomoku is played on a Go board: Black and White take turns placing stones, and the first to connect five in a row — horizontally, vertically or diagonally — wins. Hanpanmadang uses the Renju rules from Korean and international tournaments. Black, who moves first, may not play a 3-3 (two open threes), a 4-4 (two fours) or an overline (six or more), and must connect exactly five to win. White has no restrictions and also wins with six or more. Black may play a 4-3.

Against the AI you can play Black (first) or White (second), and you can also choose the tournament swap opening. In it, the first player places the first three stones (Black, White, Black), the opponent picks a color, White plays move 4, and then White chooses one of two spots Black offers for move 5 — reducing Black's advantage.

How to play

1. Tap a point to preview, tap again to place
2. First to connect 5 horizontally, vertically or diagonally wins (Black needs exactly 5)
3. Black can't play 3-3, 4-4 or overlines (6+) (marked ×) — Renju rules. 4-3 is allowed

Difficulty and rankings

There's a weekly ranking and an all-time ranking; the weekly one resets every Monday at midnight (Korea time). For details, see the Help.

Good to know on Hanpanmadang

• On Black's turn, forbidden points are marked with ×; tapping one does nothing except tell you which rule it breaks (3-3, 4-4 or overline).
• If the board fills up without a winner, it's a draw.
• Online, you're matched with people who chose the same opening rule (Renju or swap opening), and each move must be made within 40 seconds or you lose.

Learn from examples

Common mistakes

Trying to make a 3-3 as Black and hitting a forbidden move.

Attack with a 4-3 instead. Make the four first so your opponent must block, then turn the remaining three into an open four — Black's basic way to win.

Not treating a split three (three with a one-point gap) as a threat.

A split three becomes an open four with one more stone. Block it just like a solid three.

Connecting six as Black and not winning.

Under Renju rules, an overline is forbidden for Black, not a win. Before going for five as Black, count to make sure a stone of yours at one end won't turn it into six.

Tips

• A three open at both ends (an open three) is a threat your opponent must block right away. As Black, a 3-3 is forbidden, so attack with a 4-3 that makes a four and a three at once.
• As White, use Black's forbidden points. If the point Black needs to block is forbidden, Black can't block it. Forbidden points show as × on Black's turn.
• Thinking only about attack makes it easy to miss your opponent's threats. Before placing a stone, check your opponent's best next move.
• When choosing a color in the swap opening, check whether Black can keep attacking from that shape. Pick Black if it looks clearly better; if it's unclear, the usual choice is White.