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Gomoku lessons · Intermediate · Step 8
Winning with Continuous Fours
When you make a four, your opponent has no choice but to block it. Keep pressing with four after four and they never get a chance to counterattack — they just block until they lose. This is called VCF (Victory by Continuous Fours). White blocks automatically, so keep making fours until you get five. (From here on, just like real games, 3-3, 4-4, and overlines are forbidden for Black.)
Puzzle 1
Keep making fours until you get five. (White blocks automatically.) (Black to move)
Show answer and explanation
The green circle marks the answer. While you repeated four → block → four → block, White never got a chance to counterattack. That's the power of continuous fours.
Puzzle 2
This time there's only one correct first move. Press with fours and win. (Black to move)
Show answer and explanation
The green circle marks the answer. Even when lots of stones look blocked, chaining fours opens a path. In real games, always check first whether you have a chain of fours available.