Games
Renju and gomoku
Five in a row on a board of fifteen lines: the first to put five stones in a line – across, down or diagonally – wins. Freestyle and standard gomoku, and renju, where Black, who moves first, may not make a double three, a double four or a line of six. Play the computer at five levels, from a beginner to a master that reads runs of fours to the end, play a friend, or watch the computer play itself.
What happens
Black and White take turns placing a stone on an empty point; Black begins. The first to make five in a row – across, down or diagonally – wins; if the board fills up, the game is drawn. Freestyle gomoku: five or more wins. Standard gomoku: exactly five wins, a line of six or more does not count. Renju: Black, who has the advantage of the first move, wins only with exactly five and may not play a double three (two open threes at once), a double four or a line of six or more – unless the same stone makes five. White may play anywhere and wins with five or more. A three is open when one more stone makes it four with both ends free. The crosses on the board mark Black’s forbidden points. The computer weighs every line of five points on the board, blocks threats, looks for a win by continuous fours and searches the most promising moves with alpha-beta.
Try this
Click a point to place a stone. Under the renju rules the crosses mark Black’s forbidden points. Turn the table with the right mouse button, zoom with the wheel.
