⬡ Pente Guide

Overview

Pente is a strategy board game played on a 19×19 grid where players alternate placing stones. There are two ways to win: get five stones in a row (like Gomoku) or capture 10 of your opponent's stones through custodial captures. This dual win condition makes Pente more dynamic than pure connection games.

How to Play

1. Click an intersection on the board to place your white stone.
2. The AI places its black stone automatically.
3. Win by getting exactly five stones in a row (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal).
4. Alternatively, win by capturing 10 or more of the AI's stones.
5. Captures happen when you bracket exactly two enemy stones between two of your own.

Rules

• Players alternate placing one stone per turn.
• Five in a row wins immediately.
• Custodial capture: placing a stone that brackets exactly 2 enemy stones in a line removes those 2 stones.
• Capturing 10 or more enemy stones wins.
• Captures can happen in any direction (8 directions).

Strategy Tips

• Build open fours: An open four (four in a row with both ends free) is an unstoppable threat.
• Double threats: Create two threats simultaneously so the opponent can only block one.
• Watch for captures: Don't leave pairs of your stones vulnerable to being bracketed.
• Use captures offensively: Capturing stones not only scores toward your 10-capture goal but also disrupts your opponent's formations.
• Center control: The center of the board gives more room for building in all directions.

Difficulty Levels

• Easy: AI plays somewhat randomly — good for learning the rules.
• Medium: AI evaluates threats and captures at moderate depth.
• Hard: AI plays aggressively with deeper evaluation of positions.