Renju

Renju or Lianzhu (Japanese/Chinese: 連珠) is the professional variant of Gomoku, a board game originated from Japan in Heian Period. It was named Renju by Japanese journalist Ruikou Kuroiwa (黒岩涙香) in December 6, 1899 in a Japanese newspaper "Yorozu chouhou" (萬朝報) . Lianzhu is a Chinese translation of Renju. It is played with black and white stones on a 15x15 intersection Go board. Renju eliminates the "Perfect Win"-situation in Gomoku by adding special conditions for the first player (Black).

Rules and Opening Sequence

Black can win the game only by placing five black stones in a row (vertically, horizontally or diagonally).

White can win by either:
* getting five (or more) white stones in a row
* forcing Black to make a forbidden move (see below).

The opening sequence differs from ordinary Gomoku:
# The first player places 2 black stones and 1 white stone on the board.
# The second player now chooses whether to play black or white.
# White then places one more stone on the board.
# Black places 2 stones on the board.
# White removes one of the two black stones from the previous move.
# White places a white stone.

After this sequence is complete, Black and White continue to take turns to place their stones.

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.

World Championships

World Championships in Renju have occurred every second year, since 1989. [http://www.renju.net/media/wc.php]

Previous World Championships have taken place in the following places:
* 1989: Kyoto, Japan
* 1991: Moscow, USSR
* 1993: Arjeplog, Sweden
* 1995: Tallinn, Estonia
* 1997: Saint Petersburg, Russia
* 1999: Beijing, China
* 2001: Kyoto, Japan
* 2003: Vadstena, Sweden
* 2005: Tallinn, Estonia
* 2007: Tyumen, Russia

The next World Championship will take place either in Czech Republic or in China.

ee also

*Game complexity
*Connect6
*Go (board game)
*Irensei

References

* [http://www.renju.net Renju International Federation]

External links

* [http://www.renju.net Renju International Federation] has complete rules and history of the game
* [http://www.renjusha.net/ Nihon Renju Sha] Japanese Renju Federation
* [http://www.omok.or.kr/ Korean Omok Association] ("omok" is the Korean name of the game)
* [http://www.rifchina.com/ China Renju federation (RIF China)]
* [http://www.renju.se/sverige/ Svenska Luffarschackförbundet]
* [http://www.renjuclass.com Online Renjuclass] You can learn renju and play online games there
* [http://renju.net.ru Renju Offline] Site for playing renju
* [http://globe28.renju.info/ LLIO Renju Globe] can playing renju
* [http://renju.nnov.ru/ Russian Renju Association] RIF Russia page
* [http://www.renju.fi/ Finnish Renju Federation] (Suomen Renju ry)
* [http://www.renju.com Renju.com] (Renju.com)
* [http://www.zjrenju.net Zjrenju.net] (Zhejiang renju, China)