No. Stones are never captured, moved or removed in Gomoku. Once a stone is placed it stays on its intersection until the game ends.
No. Gomoku has no captures. You place a stone, and it stays on that intersection for the rest of the game. Neither player can move, swap or remove a stone, so the board only ever fills up.
How it differs from similar games
- Go: surrounded stones are captured. Gomoku is played on the same kind of board, but only the five-in-a-row line matters.
- Pente: pairs of stones can be captured. Gomoku has no such rule.
- Connect 4 (Four in a Row): stones drop down a column. In Gomoku you can play anywhere.
Since nothing is ever removed, a block is permanent, and a good block stays useful all game. That makes careful placement important: every stone you place also limits where your opponent can build. Read the strategy guide to see how to use that.
For how the game is won, see how many in a row you need. If the board fills with no five, it ends as a draw.