Renju facts for kids

Renju (which means "connected pearls" in Japanese and Chinese: 連珠 in Chinese) is a fun and challenging board game. It's a special version of another game called Gomoku. Renju started in Japan and is now played by people in many other countries. Some of these include China, Korea, Russia, Estonia, and Sweden.

Players use black and white stones on a Go board, which has a grid of lines. The goal is to be the first player to get five of your stones in a row.

What is Renju?

Renju is a game of strategy for two players. It's played on a board with 15 lines going across and 15 lines going down. This creates 225 points where stones can be placed. One player uses black stones, and the other uses white stones.

The game is known for being fair and balanced. This is because it has special rules to make sure neither player has too much of an advantage. It's a great game for thinking ahead and planning your moves.

How to Play Renju

The main goal in Renju is simple: be the first player to get five of your stones in a continuous line. This line can be horizontal (across), vertical (up and down), or diagonal (slanted).

• Players take turns placing one stone at a time on an empty intersection (where lines cross).
• The black player usually starts the game.
• Once a stone is placed, it cannot be moved.
• The first player to make a line of exactly five stones wins!

Special Rules for Black

Because the first player (Black) has a small advantage, Renju has some extra rules for Black. These rules make the game more balanced:

• No Overlines: Black cannot make a line of more than five stones (like six or seven in a row). If Black accidentally makes an overline, they lose.
• No Double Threes: Black cannot create two "open three" lines at the same time. An "open three" is a line of three stones with empty spaces on both ends, which could become a five-in-a-row.
• No Double Fours: Black also cannot create two "four" lines at the same time. A "four" is a line of four stones that can become a five-in-a-row in the next move.

These rules make the game more challenging and fair for both players. White does not have these restrictions.

History of Renju

The game of Gomoku, which Renju is based on, has been played for a very long time. It's believed to have started in ancient China. It then spread to Japan many centuries ago.

In Japan, people started to develop more specific rules for Gomoku. This was to make the game more strategic and less about who goes first. These new rules eventually led to the creation of Renju. The name "Renju" became popular in the early 20th century.

Today, Renju is played in tournaments around the world. There are even international federations that organize competitions. It's a game that combines simple rules with deep strategy, making it fun for all ages.