Question 1

How do you play Reversi / Othello?

Accepted Answer

Place a disc so that one or more of your opponent's discs are sandwiched in a straight line (horizontal, vertical or diagonal) between your new disc and another of your existing discs. All sandwiched discs flip to your color. You must make a capturing move if possible; if not, you pass.

Question 2

How do you win at Reversi?

Accepted Answer

The game ends when neither player can move (usually when the 64-square board is full). The player with the most discs of their color on the board wins. Strategic corner control matters far more than early disc count.

Question 3

What is the difference between Reversi and Othello?

Accepted Answer

Modern Othello is the standardized version of Reversi. Both use an 8x8 board with the same flipping rules. Othello starts with a fixed central 2x2 setup (two black, two white diagonally) and requires a flipping move; classic 19th-century Reversi allowed more varied setups.

Question 4

Why are corners so important in Othello?

Accepted Answer

Corners can never be flipped back by the opponent because they cannot be surrounded on all sides. Controlling corners anchors stable disc clusters. Avoid placing discs in the squares adjacent to empty corners (the X- and C-squares) early — that hands the corner to your opponent.