Play Renju vs Computer Free

⚠️ Renju Rules — Black's Forbidden Moves

❌ Double-Three (33) Black cannot play a move that simultaneously creates two unblocked open-three sequences. ❌ Double-Four (44) Black cannot play a move that simultaneously creates two four-in-a-row sequences. ❌ Overline (6+) Six or more stones in a row does not count as a win for Black — exactly five is required.

White has no forbidden moves. Practice spotting and avoiding forbidden moves before going online. Full Renju rules explained →

Searching for game .... expected time is 11 seconds

You have been requested to a rematch

Would you like to send a rematch request?

Black

05:00

White

Online Users: 0

Practicing Renju vs the Computer

Why practice Renju in single-player mode?

Renju's forbidden move rules require you to constantly check whether your intended move creates a double-three or double-four before placing. Against a computer, you have more time to think — making it ideal for building the pattern-recognition habit before facing real opponents online.

How to Use This Mode for Renju Practice

Play as Black first. Apply the forbidden moves to yourself voluntarily — before each move, check whether it would create a 33, 44, or overline. If it would, pick a different cell.
Reference the card above whenever you're unsure. With practice, checking for forbidden moves becomes automatic within a few seconds.
Then switch and play as White. Since White has no restrictions, focus on exploiting the positions Black can't reach and practicing double-four attacks.
Graduate to online Renju once you can reliably identify forbidden moves without needing to think hard about them.

Forbidden Move Patterns to Recognize

Open Three: Three in a row with both ends empty — e.g., ○ ● ● ● ○. Two of these created simultaneously = Double-Three (forbidden for Black).
Four: Four in a row with at least one end free — e.g., ● ● ● ● ○. Two fours simultaneously = Double-Four (forbidden for Black).
Overline: If you count six or more consecutive black stones after placing, it's forbidden — pick a move that makes exactly five.

Strategy for Renju as Black

Playing Black in Renju is a unique challenge because your most powerful attacks (double threats) may be illegal. Successful Black strategy requires:

Planning attack sequences that don't trigger forbidden moves — route your threats through single-three builds rather than simultaneous pairs.
Using VCF (Victory by Continuous Fours) sequences — a forced-win by playing a single continuous-four each turn until Black wins. Since it's only one four at a time, it bypasses the double-four restriction.
Controlling the center strongly on move one to give yourself maximum flexibility in forming legal threats.

Strategy for Renju as White

White's freedom from restrictions is significant. Use these advantages:

Build double-four threats freely to put Black on the defensive — Black cannot respond with a double-four of their own.
Aim for positions where Black's best defenses happen to be forbidden for them, forcing suboptimal blocks.
Watch for Black overlines — if they miscalculate and form six in a row, point it out (in self-enforced games) as that move is invalid.

For a complete side-by-side breakdown of rules, read our Gomoku vs Renju guide, or see Gomoku Strategy for the underlying tactics that apply to both games.

Ready for Real Opponents?

Once you're comfortable with the forbidden move rules, step up to Renju online multiplayer and test your skills against players from around the world.

Or switch to standard Gomoku vs Computer for unrestricted five-in-a-row practice.