Open Gomoku from the game library
Choose Games, then Gomoku. The current version uses a 19×19 board and offers a computer opponent or two players sharing the same device. Against the computer, you play black and the computer plays white.
Know the winning condition
Five or more consecutive stones of the same color win along a row, column or either diagonal. This implementation does not apply the black-stone forbidden-move rules used in competitive Renju. Learn the rules shown by this game rather than assuming every tournament convention applies.
Check immediate threats first
- Look for a move that wins for you immediately. - Check every place where your opponent could win on the next move, including a gap inside an otherwise connected line. - Only then compare longer attacking plans. An urgent defensive move is a different decision from an ordinary expansion.
Count the space around a line
Three consecutive stones with space at both ends usually offer more options than a line blocked at one end. Look beyond the neighboring intersection and check whether another move can actually extend the line. A long-looking pattern can be harmless when its important empty point is already occupied.
Scan all four directions
A stone can affect a row and a diagonal at the same time. Before blocking the most obvious line, scan each direction. Two independent immediate winning points may be impossible to stop with one move. In a review, go back to the earlier move that allowed the double threat to form.
A practice position you can build
Use the shared-device mode to compare three connected stones with two open ends, one blocked end and an edge nearby. Then build a line of four and identify every winning point. Against the computer, repeat this check before each turn: can I win, can the opponent win, and what can I develop next?
Write down one direction you missed and one empty point that changed the position. The purpose is to improve observation, not to promise a sequence that always beats the computer.