[3][4] Because pieces are typically not moved or removed from the board, gomoku may also be played as a paper-and-pencil game.

The winner is the first player to form an unbroken line of five stones of their color horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.

[5][6] If the board is completely filled and no one has made a line of 5 stones, then the game ends in a draw.

It is said that the 10th generation of Kuwanaya Buemon, a merchant who frequented the Nijō family, was highly skilled in this game, which subsequently spread among the people.

The game is also popular in Korea, where it is called omok (오목 [五目]) which has the same structure and origin as the Japanese name.

In the nineteenth century, the game was introduced to Britain where it was known as Go Bang, said to be a corruption of the Japanese word goban, which was itself adapted from the Chinese k'i pan (qí pán) "go-board.

[11][12] Championships in gomoku previously used the "Pro" opening rule, which mandated that the first player place the first stone in the center of the board.

[14][15] The win ratio of the first player has been calculated to be around 52 percent using the Swap2 opening protocol, greatly balancing the game and largely solving the first-player advantage.

Renju attempts to mitigate this imbalance with extra rules that aim to reduce black's first player advantage.

The winner is the player either to make a perfect five in a row, or to capture five pairs of the opponent's stones.

It also allows the game to continue after a player has formed a row of five stones if their opponent can capture a pair across the line.

Pente is related to Ninuki-Renju, and has the same custodial capture method, but is most often played on a 19x19 board and does not use the rules of three and three, four and four, or overlines.

[24]Tournament rules are used in professional play to balance the game and mitigate the first player advantage.

Joseph Weizenbaum published a short paper in Datamation in 1962 entitled "How to Make a Computer Appear Intelligent"[27] that described the strategy used in a gomoku program that could beat novice players.

In any size of a board, freestyle gomoku is an m,n,k-game, hence it is known that the first player can force a win or a draw.

In 2001, Allis's winning strategy was also approved for renju, a variation of gomoku, when there was no limitation on the opening stage.

[33][34] The Gomocup tournament has been held annually since 2000, with more than thirty participants from about ten countries taking part.

[38][39] Not until 2017 did the computer programs prove capable of outperforming the world human champion in public competitions.

[40][41] Gomoku was featured in a 2018 Korean drama by Baek Seung-Hwa starring Park Se-wan.

The film follows Baduk Lee (Park Se-wan), a former go prodigy who retired after a humiliating loss on time.

Years later, Baduk Lee works part time at a go club, where she meets Ahn Kyung Kim, who introduces her to an Omok (Korean gomoku) tournament.

[42] In the video game Vintage Story omok boards and pieces (made of gold and lead) can occasionally be found in ruins or as part of luxury traders' inventory.