Your game has just ended. Your opponent is gathering the scoresheet, but the player at the next table is still deep in thought. You begin to reconstruct a move; a chair scrapes, and a few hushed words travel across two tables. The first question is not what the position meant, but where to discuss it. As long as a game is in progress or adjourned in the playing room, a postgame review has crossed a clear spatial boundary.
First, define the scope
This article concerns only formal, in-person Renju tournaments covered by the RIF International Rules and the RIF General Rules. It does not address correspondence events, and these provisions do not govern every casual Gomoku gathering. Each tournament may also impose supplementary regulations and arbiter instructions. What follows distinguishes rule requirements from practical advice.
The RIF International Rules of Renju page states that the rules were adopted on May 2, 1996, and slightly amended on May 3, 1998. The International Tournament Rules apply to the international championships listed in that document. Together, the two texts set the boundaries of conduct inside the playing room.
Your game ends; the room does not
Article 16 of the RIF General Rules is explicit: no analysis may take place in the playing room while play is in progress or while one or more games are adjourned. The relevant question is whether the room still contains tournament play, not whether the board in front of you has finished.
The end of your own game changes only your status in the event. It does not give you permission to reconstruct the position at the same table, nor does it allow you to join the analysis of a player whose game continues. While the room contains a protected game, the ban on analysis remains in force.
Your game is over. The playing room is not.
In practice, quietly gather your scoresheet and belongings, then step outside the playing room before deciding where to review. If you are unsure whether the quiet requirement has been lifted for the entire room, ask an arbiter or staff member. Counting empty tables is not a reliable substitute.
From player to spectator
Rule 2.2.1 of the International Tournament Rules says that the playing room should remain quiet while games are under way and should be reasonably isolated from disturbance. Spectators should be admitted, but they must not disturb the players. Once your game ends, that boundary still applies if you remain as a spectator.
Rule 2.2.4 governs players whose games are still in progress. They may walk around and watch other games in the playing room, but they may not receive outside help from databases, the internet or other people. They may not use electronic devices during play or leave the room without permission from the arbiter or another designated official. Visits to the restroom, water station or rest area should follow tournament procedures; the restriction on leaving does not mean a player must remain seated at the board at every moment.
Spectators must hold the other side of the line. Do not suggest a move, assess the position, or convey an opinion through a look or gesture. And do not invite a participant whose game is still running to inspect the one you just finished. While that person is using tournament time, guidance in any form may amount to outside assistance.
Wait until both players are ready
The following is practical advice. Let your opponent put away their belongings and finish any conversation with the arbiter. Then ask, “Would you like to review the game now?” If they would rather rest, get water or prepare for the next round, arrange to talk later. Finishing a game does not create an obligation to discuss it immediately.
Even when your opponent agrees, the original table may still be the wrong place. First locate the analysis room, rest area or other space provided by the organizer. If staff have designated a route or area, follow it rather than stopping between the crowd and the tournament tables.
Good etiquette anticipates disturbance; it does not wait for another player to complain. Dragging a chair, gathering stones and debating in lowered voices can all carry to the next board. Controlling those sounds beforehand is better than waiting to be told to stop.
Move beyond the reach of sound
A door that closes gently is usually more reliable than a guessed distance. If the venue provides a separate analysis room, wait until you are inside before setting out stones, talking or consulting the scoresheet. This is practical guidance, not an RIF-mandated building standard or fixed-distance rule.
A quiet corridor may work for a brief wait, but not necessarily for a board review. If it opens directly into the playing room, whispers and footsteps can still travel through the doorway. If conversation is audible inside, continue to the designated analysis area or wait until staff confirm that no games remain in progress or adjourned.
The relevant rules call for quiet, insulation from disturbance and respect for the players; they do not prescribe a universal distance in meters. The practical test is whether sound enters the room, whether a passage is blocked and whether competitors need to pass through. Do not cluster around the doorway or spread a scoresheet across a busy route.
The team-event exception is narrow
Rule 4.5 of the International Tournament Rules creates a narrow exception for the World Team Championship: a player whose game is in progress may discuss with the captain whether to offer or accept a draw, generally in English. If the player cannot use English, the arbiter may approve another language. The authorization reaches only the decision about a draw.
It does not authorize the captain to analyze the position, recommend a move or conduct anything resembling a postgame review. Rule 2.2.4 and its restriction on outside help still apply. Teammates, coaches and players who have already finished cannot guide an active competitor under the label of “discussing strategy.”
Before the round, spend half a minute locating the analysis area and the route to it. After the game, wait until both players are ready, leave the table quietly and walk to a separate space. Only after the door closes should you set up the stones. The calculations in the playing room can continue in silence, and your own conversation can unfold without hurry.