1. Renju is played on a 15-by-15 board.

2. Each player selects 50 BEADs the colour of their choice, but who plays which colour will be determined during play.

3. All BEADs start off the board.

4. Players decide who begins the game by rolling a die.

1. The first player will play 2 BEADs of one colour and 1 BEAD of a second colour anywhere on the board.

2. The second player now chooses which colour they want to play.

3. The player who only has 1 BEAD on the board plays 1 more BEAD, this player is Player A.

4. Player B follows by placing 2 more BEADs, 1 of which is subsequently removed by player A who also places 1 of their own BEADs on the board.

5. Starting with Player B, players take turns in placing 1 BEAD per turn.

6. Player B is subject to a few more restrictions that do not apply to Player A:

7. Player B cannot place a BEAD that creates a row of 6 or more BEADs;

8. Player B cannot place a BEAD that creates a row of 3 BEADs or 4 BEADs of which neither end is blocked by their opponent’s BEAD; and

9. Player B cannot place a BEAD that simultaneously creates a row of 3 BEADs and row of 4 BEADs that are not blocked by their opponent’s BEAD.

10. A row of BEADs can be horizontal, vertical, or diagonal.

1. Player A wins if they can create a row of 5 or more BEADs of their colour.

2. Player B wins if they can create a row of 5 BEADs of their colour.

3. If all 100 BEADs have been played and neither player has a row of 5 or more BEADs, the game is considered a draw.

1. Renju is a Japanese game not widely known outside it's homeland. For many years in Japan, games have been popular in which the players strive to make a line of five of their pieces in a row.

2. Since the start of the 20th century, interest has increased in making this attractive game playable, by introducing rules and restrictions to try and reduce black's advantage. Renju is the culmination of this process, and it achieves its aim by placing restrictions on black which do not apply to white.

3. National and regional tournaments of renju take place frequently in Japan, supporting a number of professional players. Renju may be further improved in future, and even now there are tournament rules which allow white to choose specific openings from which the rest of the game will be played.