Reversi

About Reversi

Reversi (also known as Othello) is an elegant strategy board game. Place your disc to outflank opponent's pieces and flip them to your color. Control the most squares when the board is full to win. Easy to learn, with incredibly deep strategy!

History of Reversi

Reversi was invented in 1883 by either Lewis Waterman or John W. Mollett in England, with both men claiming credit and engaging in a public dispute. The game gained popularity in Victorian England as a parlor game before fading into relative obscurity. In 1971, Japanese game enthusiast Goro Hasegawa trademarked a version with a standardized starting position under the name "Othello," marketed with the tagline "a minute to learn, a lifetime to master." Othello became hugely popular in Japan and worldwide, with the first World Othello Championship held in Tokyo in 1977. The game has since become a staple of competitive abstract strategy gaming and AI research.

Reversi Tips & Strategies

• 💡Prioritize capturing the four corner squares; once taken, corner pieces can never be flipped and provide permanent board control.
• 💡Avoid placing pieces on squares adjacent to empty corners (the "C-squares" and "X-squares"), as this gives your opponent access to the corners.
• 💡In the early game, try to have fewer pieces on the board than your opponent; having fewer pieces means your opponent has fewer flipping options.
• 💡Focus on mobility: make moves that give you many future options while limiting your opponent's available moves.
• 💡Watch the edges carefully; stable edge pieces that cannot be outflanked provide long-term strategic advantage.
• 💡The endgame often involves dramatic reversals, so do not panic if you have fewer pieces in the mid-game; board position matters more than piece count.

Fun Facts About Reversi

• ★In Reversi, it is possible for the entire board to swing from nearly all black to nearly all white in just a few moves during the endgame.
• ★The first computer program to defeat a human Reversi world champion was Logistello, which beat Takeshi Murakami 6-0 in 1997.
• ★Othello's marketing tagline "a minute to learn, a lifetime to master" was coined by Goro Hasegawa and became one of the most famous slogans in board game history.
• ★The World Othello Championship has been held annually since 1977, with Japan producing the most world champions.

How to Play Reversi

1. 1Place your disc to outflank opponent's pieces in a straight line
2. 2Outflanked pieces are flipped to your color
3. 3You must outflank at least one piece to make a valid move
4. 4If you can't move, your turn is skipped
5. 5The player with the most pieces when the board is full wins!

Frequently Asked Questions about Reversi