RENJUFORBEGINNERSwrittenbyMr.AlexanderNOSOVSKYandMr.AndreySOKOLSKYNEWREVISEDEDITION492861X7Y35101999PREFACEThisexcellentbookonRenjuforbeginnerswrittenbyMrAlexanderNosovskyandMrAndreySokolskywasthefirstreferencebookfortheformerUSSRplayersforalongtime.AsPresidentoftheRIF(TheRenjuInternationalFederation)IamverygladthatIcanintroducethisbooktoalltheplayersaroundtheworld.Jonkoping,January1990TommyMaltellPresidentofRIFPREFACEBYTHEAUTHORSTherulesofthisgamearemuchsimpler,thantherulesofmanyotherlogicalgames,andevenchildrenofkindergartenagecanstudyasimplevariationofit.However,Renjudoesnotyieldanythinginthenumberofcombinations,richnessintacticalandstrategicalideas,and,finally,intheunexpectednessandbeautyofvictoriestothemorepopularchessandcheckers.Alotofpeopleknowasimplevariationofthisgame(called"five-in-a-row")asafascinatingmethodtospendtheirfreetime.Renju,initsmodernvariation,withsimplewinningsprohibitedforBlack(fouls3x3,4x4andoverline)becomesbeyondrecognitionaseriouslogical-mindgame.AlexanderNosovskyVice-presidentofRIFFormertwo-WorldChampioninRenjubymail.AndreySokolskyFormervice-presidentofRIF.CONTENTSCHAPTER1.INTRODUCTION.....................1.1TheRulesofRenju...................1.2FromtheHistoryandGeographyofRenju..........CHAPTER2.TERMSANDDEFINITIONS..............2.1Accessoriesofthegame..................2.2Simplestructures.....................2.3Forksandfouls......................CHAPTER3.PRINCIPLESOFTACTICSINRENJU........3.1Aforcedattackattheendofthegame..........3.2TheartofPause.....................3.3MethodsofDefense....................3.4Advicetoabeginner...................CHAPTER4.OPENINGSINRENJU.................CHAPTER5.CONCLUSIONS.................CHAPTER1.INTRODUCTION.1.1TheRulesofRenju.Thepresenttextismeantforthebeginners.Theauthorshopethough,thatadvancedplayerswillalsofindsomethinginterestinghere.Whyisthisgamesoattractive?Firstofall,thegamehasverysimplerules:itseemsveryeasytobuildfive-in-a-roTheunpretentiousequipment(itisevenpossibletoplaywithapenonasheetofpaper)alsodoesmuchtocapturetheheartsofpeopleofdifferentagesandprofessions.Butasfarasstudyingthegamegoes,itopensnewandunxpectedsituations.-"Thereisnothingsimpler,thanthisgame",-abeginnerwillexclainafterplayingafewgames.-"Nothingmorecomplicated",-amasterwouldsay.Andhewillbeasmuchright.Infact,tostudyhowtomakemovesismuchsimplerinRenjuthaninmanyotherlogicalgames.Littlebylittle,studyingtherichnessofthegame,onewillseeforhimself,thatinsubtletyRenjudoesnotyieldanythingtoanyotherlogicalgame.Suddenchangesofsituations,multimoveness,carefullycalculatedattacksandquickcounterattacks,beautyofthefinalthrust-that'swhatattractsamaturemasterinRenju.Inshort,rulesofRenjuare:1.Twoplayers,oneafteranotherplacestonesofwhiteandblackcolorontheintersectionsofanemptygame-board,whichconsistsof15horizontaland15verticallines.Blackmakesthefirstmovebeginningfromthemiddleoftheboard(stonesmustbeplacedontheINTERSECTIONS!).2.Thewinningplayeristheone,whobuildsthefirst"five-in-a-row"(anunbrokenhorizontal,verticalordiagonallinewith5stonesofthesamecolor).3.Agameisconsideredadraw,iftheplayersthink,thattherecanbenowinnerorloser(e.g.theboardisfullofstones).Anyplayer,unabletomakeamove,canrefusetoplaceastoneontheboard.Ifbothplayersrefusetoplacetheirstonesoneafteranother,thegamealsoendsinadra4.SinceBlackbeginsthegameitisnotallowedtobuildwithonemoveatleasttwo"Threes...