How to play Othello
Othello — also called Reversi — flips the usual script: you do not build a line, you capture. Every move you make can turn a board full of your opponent's discs into yours.
The goal: finish with more of your discs on the board than your opponent. You capture by trapping a line of enemy discs between two of your own — they flip to your colour.
Rules
- Played on an 8×8 board, starting with four discs in the centre
- Black moves first, then players alternate
- A legal move must trap at least one enemy disc between the disc you place and one of your own
- Every trapped disc in every direction flips immediately
- If you have no legal move, you pass; the game ends when neither player can move
The shapes that win
The flip
A trapped line flips end to end — the core mechanic of the whole game.
A corner
A corner can never be flipped back. Taking one locks in every disc that touches it.
C and X squares
Cells touching a corner are dangerous — occupying them often hands the corner away.
A wall
Discs along an edge are far harder to flip than discs in open space.
Strategy
1. Take corners, never gift them
A corner is permanent. Avoid the C and X squares next to a corner unless taking them does not concede the corner itself.
2. Play for mobility
Count your legal moves, not your discs. A position with more options forces your opponent into bad moves later.
3. Hold your discs back early
Filling the board early gives your opponent the walls and corners. Quiet opening moves usually win the long game.
4. Build stable edges
A solid run of discs along an edge cannot be flipped from the outside. Stability is what converts a lead into a win.
Pro tip: disc count lies until the very end. A player far ahead at move 20 often loses — the winner is whoever controls the corners and the edges.
Playing here
Modes on BoardDuel: vs AI — play a live engine at three difficulty levels; Pass & play — two players, one screen; Friend room — share a six-character code and play remotely.
Frequently asked
Do I have to flip discs if I can?
Yes. If your move traps enemy discs, they flip — you cannot choose to leave them.
What if I have no legal move?
You pass and your opponent moves again. If neither player can move, the game ends and discs are counted.
Is Othello the same as Reversi?
Reversi is the older family name; Othello is the standardised tournament version with fixed opening discs. They play the same.
Why do corners matter so much?
A disc in a corner can never be surrounded, so it is permanent — and it anchors every disc along both edges meeting it.