Fishing Gomoku = Gomoku + a "capture-substitution" win condition.
Five in a row does not win directly ā it becomes a fishing rod used to reclaim stones and capture; the first side to capture 10 stones wins.
Board: 15Ć15 intersections
You play Black and move first; the computer plays White
Core resource: the captured count (shown live under the board), target 10
Full loop: place a stone ā form five in a row (a rod) ā reel in (take back the rod stones + capture one enemy stone by converting it to yours) ā reach 10 captures to win.
2. Basic Rules
Black (you) moves first; players alternate one stone per turn.
Stones go on empty intersections only; once placed they cannot move, and there is no undo.
No turn timer; the computer's thinking time depends on the difficulty level (see Ā§9).
There are no resignations, undos, or draw offers in the rules; "New Game" is the only reset.
3. Rods and Reeling In
3.1 What Counts as a Rod
A rod = a five-in-a-row window that contains the stone you just placed. All four directions count: horizontal, vertical, and both diagonals.
Three key points (each one shapes tactics):
Only windows containing the new stone trigger. Old fives untouched by this move never re-trigger. This defines the value and cost of "declining to reel" (Ā§6).
Within one direction, the new stone can occupy 5 positions in the window (1st through 5th). This is the root of long-line scoring and the "5Ć value gap by placement" (Ā§4).
Rods in multiple directions all stand and accumulate independently ā there is no global cap on rod count (Ā§5).
3.2 What Happens After a Rod Forms
You (Black): the game enters "pending reel" state and the rod stones highlight. Click any white stone to complete the reel; or click "Reel later" to decline.
The computer (White): reels automatically (including chains) in the same turn, with no option to decline ā both sides play by identical rules; only the computer's reel is automatic.
3.3 The Complete Reel Sequence (order matters)
Reel in the rod: all of your stones on the rod(s) are removed from the board (a normal five = 5 stones).
Score: each rod is worth +1 capture point; multiple simultaneous rods stack.
Win check: if your capture count is now ā„10, you win immediately ā the enemy stone is not converted (see Ā§7).
Capture-substitute: the white stone you clicked becomes your black stone (converted in place, not removed).
Chain check: if that newly converted stone forms another five for you ā pending reel again; you may reel again (a chain).
ā ļø Clicking an empty point or your own stone does nothing ā you must click a white stone.
4. Scoring in Depth (the core chapter for strong players)
4.1 The Scoring Formula
Reel points = the total number of five-in-a-row windows (across all directions) that contain the newly placed stone.
For a single direction: let a and b be the lengths of your continuous arms on either side of the new stone (along that direction). Then:
Windows in that direction = the number of k in 0..4 such that the left arm covers k and the right arm covers 4āk;
Stones reeled from that direction = min(a,4) + min(b,4) + 1.
Two immediate corollaries:
A straight N-in-a-row (new stone on the line) = Nā4 points: five = 1, six = 2, seven = 3, eight = 4, nine and beyond = 5 (the single-direction cap).
Directions stack independently: crosses and asterisks score the sum across directions, with no global cap.
4.2 Quick Reference: Common Shapes (all engine-tested)
Shape (new stone's position)
Stones involved
Points
Stones reeled
Plain five (new stone anywhere on the line)
5
1
5
Six in a row completed in one move
6
2
6
Nine in a row (new stone in the middle)
9
5
9
Nine in a row (new stone at the end)
9
1
5
Twelve in a row (new stone in the middle)
12
5
9 (the excess stays)
V shape, 9 stones (two fives sharing the vertex)
9
2
9
L shape
9
2
9
T shape (three arms of 4)
13
3
13
Cross, 13 stones (7+7, new stone at the intersection)
13
6
13
Cross, 17 stones (9+9)
17
10
17
Full asterisk (9 stones in each of 4 directions)
33
20 (theoretical max)
33
4.3 Three Insights That Separate Strong Players
ā Placement matters more than stone count.
The same 9-in-a-row: completing it in the middle = 5 points, 9 stones reeled; extending it at the end = just 1 point, 5 stones. A 5Ć gap. Reason: an end stone can only sit at one edge of any window (single-sided arm), locking its window freedom; a middle stone can occupy any of the 5 window positions, maximizing window count.
ā” High scores = (number of directions pierced) Ć (two-sided arm length), not stones reeled.
A V shape with 9 stones reels 9 but scores only 2 (single-sided arm per direction, capped at 1 window ā extending the arms adds nothing); a 13-stone cross reels 13 and scores 6 (two-sided arms in both directions). Similar captures, a 3Ć point gap. Prioritize points that pierce two or more directions with two-sided arms (nascent crosses/asterisks) before single-line extensions.
ā¢ Long lines must form within a single move.
Extending a declined rod does not count: a declined 5 extended to 6 scores only 1 point and reels 5 (see Ā§6).
Single direction: one reel takes back at most 9 stones along one line, from at most 5 rods. Anything beyond 9 stays on the board (e.g., a 12-line completed in the middle leaves one stone at each end).
Multiple directions: each direction forms rods, scores, and reels independently. A full asterisk peaks at 33 stones reeled, 20 points in one reel.
Prerequisite: all long lines must form in the same move.
6. Declining the Reel ā the Strongest Advanced Tool, and the Easiest to Misuse
You may decline: the rod stones stay on the board and the turn passes to the computer.
Value:
A standing five is a persistent threat the computer must respect; use it as a scaffold to build shape.
If your next move can upgrade the threat into multiple rods / a long line in one move, you cash in big.
Cost (by design, not a bug):
A standing old rod never re-triggers on its own.
Extending it later (5ā6, 6ā7) only counts windows containing the new stone: 1 point, 5 stones.
In short: declining trades a guaranteed 1 point for a one-move option. If the follow-up is worth less than 1 point + a capture-substitution, it's a bad trade.
Rule of thumb: decent rod position and a juicy substitution target ā reel now; poor rod position but cross/asterisk potential nearby ā consider declining.
The first side with ā„10 captures wins immediately. The check happens after scoring but before substitution ā the game ends without converting an enemy stone.
Overshooting is legal: at 9 points, a two-rod reel (+2) wins with 11 points. The on-page text "more than ten captures wins" refers to exactly this.
7.2 Fallback: Board Full
If no empty points remain, the higher capture count wins; equal counts draw. But each reel frees far more space than it consumes, so the board never fills in practice ā focus entirely on reaching 10.
8. Chains
A chain has exactly one trigger: the substituted stone from a reel forms a new five for you ā pending reel again.
For the human player, chains are continued manually (keep clicking white stones).
Chain depth is unbounded; strong players set up chains by choosing substitution points that do double duty.
The capture-substitute stone is not just a removed enemy ā it becomes your stone. Choose points that both break the opponent's structure and join your next five.
9. The Computer (White) and Difficulty Levels
Level
Behavior
Think time
easy
One-ply greedy, random among top-3 candidates; does not reliably block your kills
instant
normal (default)
Greedy + win/block tactics + Ī±-Ī² search up to 6 plies
~2 s
hard
12-ply search + rod/reel modeling (simulates reels with true scoring, aiming straight at 10 captures)
up to ~20 s
Both sides play by identical rules; only the computer's reel is automatic.
Switching difficulty takes effect immediately without resetting the board.
Beating hard: its search sees multi-rod reels and chains ā never leave it a point that completes two rods at once; and if your five-threat can't cash in within a few moves, it will squeeze the value and reel it away.
10. Advanced Cheat Sheet
Capture points come only from reels; ordinary moves score nothing.
Straight long line: middle = min(5, Nā4) points; end = 1 point. A 5Ć placement gap.