Board and setup
A 19×19 grid of intersections that starts empty. White moves first and must play the centre point.
Abstract strategy / PENTE
Pente
Win with five in a row—or by capturing five pairs.
Gomoku with captures: five in a row or five pairs wins.
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PENTEABOUT THE GAME
About the game
Pente was created by Gary Gabrel in 1977. It grew out of the gomoku family, particularly the Japanese variant Ninuki-Renju, adding pair captures to the goal of five in a row.
Parker Brothers acquired the game in 1983. This site uses the professional tournament opening: the first player’s second stone must be at least three points from the centre.
Reference：en.wikipedia.org ↗
Rules
Pente — How to play
Youzai Board Game Club — The server implementation governs play here; tournament and other site rules may differ.
Making a move
Players alternate placing one stone on any empty point. Flanking exactly two adjacent enemy stones (yours–theirs–theirs–yours) captures them; several pairs can be captured at once. Moving into a flanked position is safe.
Winning and draws
Make five or more in a row, or capture five pairs (ten stones). A full board with no winner is a draw.
Rules on this site
The professional tournament opening applies: White’s second stone must be at least three points from the centre.
Helpful examples
- Only exactly two stones are captured: yours–theirs–theirs–yours. One or three flanked stones are safe.
- Captured points become empty again, so a capture can break an opponent’s four—often a better defence than blocking an end.
- White’s second stone must stay away from the centre, which reduces the first-move advantage.
Complete beginner guide
From setup to the end of the game
Read these steps in order to complete your first game. This guide combines public rules with this site’s server implementation; where versions differ, this site’s ruling applies.
Goal and setup
The 19×19 board starts empty and White moves first. Five in a row or five captured pairs wins. White’s first stone goes on the centre point.
Opening restriction
White’s second stone (the third move of the game) must be at least three points from the centre, outside the central 5×5 area.
Placing stones
Players alternate placing a stone on any empty intersection. Stones never move, but they can be captured.
Capturing
When your stone creates yours–theirs–theirs–yours along a line, the two middle stones are removed; several pairs may go at once. Only exactly two stones are captured, and moving into a flank is safe.
Winning
Five or more in a row wins immediately, as does a fifth captured pair. A full board with no winner is a draw.
Beginner strategy
Avoid pairs with one end already blocked. On defence, look first for a capture that breaks your opponent’s line.
General rules reference：en.wikipedia.org ↗