⚫⚪ How to play Gomoku (Five in a Row)

By Miguel Arechaga

Gomoku is a Japanese classic played on a large 15×15 board. The rule is as simple as it is addictive: the first to get five pieces in a row wins. On MundoSudoku you can play it with two players, either online by creating a room with a code, or both on the same device, taking turns.

Basic rules

• Player 1 uses black ⚫ pieces and Player 2 white ⚪. Black moves first.
• Taking turns, each player places one piece on any free intersection.
• Whoever lines up five pieces of the same color horizontally, vertically, or diagonally wins.
• If the board fills up with no five in a row, it's a draw (very rare).

Connecting two phones (create a room)

1. One player presses "🌐 Online 2 players" and then "Create room": a 4-character code appears.
2. The other types that code and presses "Join".
3. Once you're connected, the match starts: the host plays black and moves first.
4. You can also both play on the same device, taking turns, if you'd rather not play online.
5. If you'd rather not share a code, use "🔍 Find opponent" to be instantly matched with another available player.
6. You can also add friends by their username from the 👥 Friends panel and challenge them directly with the "Challenge" button next to their name, without leaving the page.

Strategy to win

Gomoku looks easy, but it has a lot of tactics. These are the key ideas:

• The "open four" wins: if you get four pieces in a line with both ends open, it's impossible to stop (your opponent can only block one side). Aim for this.
• Create double threats: the master move is forming two five-in-a-row threats at once; your opponent can only block one.
• Don't just attack: always watch your opponent's lines. As soon as they get an open three, block it before it becomes a four.
• Play toward the center: early on, central pieces have more possible directions than pieces on the edges.
• Think one move ahead: before placing, check whether your piece gives your opponent a good foundation for their own line.

Difference from Tic-Tac-Toe and Connect 4

Although they share the idea of "lining up pieces," Gomoku is much deeper: the board is huge, there's no gravity (you place wherever you want, unlike in Connect 4), and you need five instead of three or four. That opens up a range of strategies that makes it ideal for close matches between two people.

🏆 Wins ranking

All your online Gomoku matches are recorded on your account: every win (and every loss) adds to your history. Go to Ranking, the 🎮 2 Players tab, choose "Gomoku" from the dropdown, and check your position against other players, synced across all your devices. For your result to count you need a free account on MundoSudoku (just a username and password, no email required): you can play without one, but without signing in your score isn't saved to the ranking.