Swap2 opening

Gomoku and Pente are played with swap2 opening in vint.ee.

The opening rules are:
The first player puts three stones anywhere on the board (two black stones and one white stone).
The second player then has three options:
  • Continue to play from that position as second player (white)
  • Swap and play as first player (black)
  • Place one white stone and one black stone anywhere on the board and allow the first player to choose which color to play from that position.

Gomoku

Players alternate turns placing a stone of their color on an empty intersection.
The winner is the first player to form an unbroken chain of exactly five stones horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.

Pente

A player can win in one of two ways:
  • By being the first player to play five or more adjacent stones in a row anywhere on the board (vertically, horizontally or diagonally)
  • By capturing five or more pairs of opponent stones
Stones can only be captured in pairs, and only if they are caught between one of the opponent's stones on either side.
Once a player has placed two stones on the board, the other player may play two stones between them without being captured.
So, if XOO_ and X plays a stone at _ then a pair of O's stones are captured. But, if the position is X_OX, then O may play to _ without being captured.

Renju

Traguchi opening

In Renju, the Taraguchi opening is played in vint.ee:
  • The black player puts the first move in the center of the board
  • The other player may swap
  • The white player will put the 2nd move within 3x3 central square
  • The other player may swap
  • The black player will put the 3rd move within 5x5 central square
  • The other player may swap
  • The white player will put the 4th move within 7x7 central square
The choice 1 (after the 4th move):
  • The other player may swap
  • The black player will put the 5th move within 9x9 central square
  • The other player may swap
  • The white player plays the 6th move anywhere on board
The choice 2 (after the 4th move):
  • The black player puts ten 5th moves anywhere on board (symmetrical moves are not allowed)
  • The white player chooses one of the offered 5th moves and plays the 6th move anywhere on board

Forbidden moves

There are certain moves that Black is not allowed to make:
  • Double three – Black cannot place a stone that builds two separate lines with three black stones in unbroken rows (i.e. rows not blocked by white stones)
  • Double four – Black cannot place a stone that builds two separate lines with four black stones in a row
  • Overline – six or more black stones in a row

Winning

Black can win the game only by placing exactly five black stones in a row (vertically, horizontally or diagonally).
White can win by either
  • getting at least five white stones in a row
  • forcing Black to make a forbidden move (see above)