Strategy Guide for Reversi & Reversed Reversi Page 1 of 11

Strategy Guide for Reversi & Reversed Reversi

While there are many online guides to Reversi or Othello (see links below) there does not seem to have been
much written about the reverse game. This guide aims to correct this omission and is also a useful
opportunity for me to try to distil my limited understanding of the ordinary game. I used to play both forms of
the game online at the MSN Gaming Zone before it closed and, in particular, enjoyed taking part in the ladder
tournaments on the Case's MyLeague ZoneReversi Ladder, & Reversed Ladder and the somewhat irregular
Zone Reversed Reversi Tournaments.

In the classic game of Reversi you try to end up with the most discs of your colour at the end of the game. In
Reversed Reversi the rules are the same but the goal is to end up with the fewest discs. Much of the strategic
thinking behind the classic game can also be applied to the reverse game, though sometimes in reverse!

Topics
• The Rules
• The Goal
• Notation
• Maximum Discs Strategy
• Stable Discs
• Positional Strategy
• Mobility
• Evaporation Strategy
• Frontiers
• Stoner Traps
• Parity
• Openings
• Animated Openings, Tricks & Traps Etc.
• More Topics
• Links
Home

The Rules
Diagram 1: Starting position
Black, to move, has a choice
of four symmetrically equivalent
squares.
 Reversi or Othello takes place between two players, black and white,
on an 8x8 board of 64 squares. There are 64 discs coloured black on
one side and white on the other.
 The board is set up initially with two black discs (i.e. a disc with black
side uppermost) placed on squares e4 and d5 and two white discs on
d4 and e5.
 Black always plays first with players then taking alternate turns.
 At each turn a player must place a disc with their colour face up on one
of the empty squares of the board, adjacent to an opponent's disc such
that one or more straight lines (horizontal, vertical or diagonal) are
formed from the newly placed disc, through one or more of the
opponent's discs and up to other discs of their own colour already on
the board. All the intervening discs of the opponent's colour are flipped
to the colour of the newly laid disc.
 Discs may be flipped from one colour to the other but once played are
not moved from one square to another or removed from the board.
 Players may not pass unless there is no valid move available to them in
which case they must pass.
 Play continues until neither player is able to move, usually when all 64
squares have been played.

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The Goal Reversi Reversed Reversi

The winner is the player with
most pieces turned to their
colour at the close of play. By
convention any empty squares
at the end are added to the
winners score, thus diagram 2
shows a 35-29 win for black.
If both players have the same
number of discs at the end then
the game is tied.
Diagram 2
Reversed Reversi (a.k.a. Anti-Reversi)
is played with the same rules but the
goal is changed. The winner of the
game is the the player with least
number of discs at the end. These
may also be referred to as "suicide
rules" with the winner being the player
who successfully suicides in what
would otherwise be a regular game of
reversi. Diagram 2 illustrates a
Reversed Reversi victory for white
who has 29 discs compared to black's
score of 35. Playing badly at the
regular game is not enough - you'll
have to work hard to force your
opponent to take more discs than you
if you are to win the game.

Notation North
The squares on the
reversi board are
referred to using
coordinate notation
in order to record
games and allow W E
the discussion of e a
strategy. Certain s s
significant squares t t
are given special
names. The
corners are a1, h1,
a8 & h8. The
Diagram 3: Significant squares X-squares are South
those squares
diagonally adjacent
to a corner and the
C-squares are the
other squares
adjacent to a
corner. Some
analysts of the
game also refer to
A-squares &
B-squares as
indicated left. The
central 4x4 block of
squares is
referred to as the Diagram 4
sweet
sixteen, while the
central 2x2
block of squares Games can be Black White
initially occupied at recorded either 1. c4 2. c3
the start of the by listing the 3. d3 4. c5
game is called the move numbers
centre. The

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four edges of the and coordinates 5. d6 6. f4

board maybe for each player 7. f5 8. e6
referred to as the or by recording the move numbers in a
north, east, south grid. Diagram 4 shows a typical move
& west edges sequence for the Tanida opening
respectively and it overlaid on top of the position arrived
is possible, for at after the first 8 moves.
example, to talk of
the north-west
corner of the board
meaning the a1
corner and
surrounding
squares.

Maximum Disks Strategy

or Greedy Algorithm
Diagram 5: Too much, too soon
(Run mouse over board to see result)
Reversi Reversed Reversi
Beginners usually In contrast this is an ideal endgame position
start by interpreting for white in Reversed Reversi as, like it or not,
the requirement to black is now forced to take all four corners and
end up with the ends up taking 40 discs to white's 24. In
most discs as a practice however, trying to set up this sort of
strategy for the ideal endgame is dangerous. Taking so many
whole game. This pieces can exhaust your mobility giving control
position illustrates of the game to your opponent. Consider
that having the diagram 5 where just one of the X or C
most pieces at one squares is black. White will then have to take
point in time does one of the four corners and, even with black
not necessarily taking the remaining three, the final score will
guarantee a final be 24-40 or 21-43 in black's favour!
victory. White leads
59-1 but has no In reversed reversi you don't have to
valid moves worry about being wiped out as this too
remaining. Black counts as a victory, but this is another
may now play into argument against wildly grabbing useful
a1 or h8 followed looking territory. In one of my early
by the remaining reversed games I was so busy preparing
corners in any the ground for the big finish that I
order. White has to missed the fact that my opponent was
pass each time and evaporating and I was suddenly forced to take
thus black ends up the last of his pieces before half of the discs
winning the game had even been laid. Needless to say I now try
40-24! harder to ensure my opponent's survival.

It can also be
tempting to try to
wipe out your
opponent earlier in
the game by taking
as many of their
pieces as possible
however unless
your opponent is
carelessly working
the evaporation
strategy and not
paying attention
then it is unlikely

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that you will

succeed. By the
time it becomes
apparent that you
have failed you are
likely to have few
good moves left
and your opponent
will be well placed
to drive you to
defeat.

Stable Discs Reversi Reversed Reversi

It should be readily In the reverse game you want to try to avoid
apparent that once creating stable regions of your own colour
a disc has been while trying to "assist" the creation of the same
placed on a corner for your opponent. Creating blocks of your
square it cannot be colour with single "holes" into which your
flipped, The disc is opponent must play at some point may prove
said to be useful although you have to be wary of any
determined or negative side effects that might arise for you
stable. when your opponent finally plays there.
Neighbouring discs
of the same colour
are also stable if
there is no way for
Diagram 6 the opponent to
(Mouse over to highlight stable discs) outflank them
through the rest of
the game. In
diagram 6 black
has 23 stable discs
while white has just
one (d6) that
cannot possibly be
flipped by
subsequent moves.
Black needs to take
and secure just 10
discs from the 40
available during the
remaining play to
secure a win.

Positional Strategy Reversi Reversed Reversi

Having seen how Looking at diagram 5 it should be apparent
useful the corners that if you can force your opponent to take all
are and taking into four corners and edges they are likely to end
account that each up with the most discs. Simply inverting the
piece you lay may positional values of each square gives a first
act as a 'stepping approximation to a fixed evaluation of the
stone' for your reverse game. Further study shows that while
opponent it is easy occupying an X-square in the classic game is
to try to assign a likely to give away a corner and is therefore
fixed worth or usually a bad move, control of both the
fitness to each C-squares and the X-square is required if you
square. Corners are are to oblige your opponent to take up the

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very good, X & corner. Once a disc has been placed on a

C-squares bad C-square it can only be flipped by a move to
(because they may the corner square. The X-square can be
give your opponent flipped more readily and may be used by your
access to corners), opponent as a stepping stone to a C-square.
A & B-squares OK Likewise taking an early A-square can provide
etc. Since the board access to C-squares for your opponent so
has a number of should probably be avoided. At least one
symmetries there A-square will be required to prevent any
are only 10 distinct possibility of your opponent flipping the
types of squares. X-square later in the game however. Compare
Diagram 7 shows the south-east & south-west corners of the
part of the static diagram 8 below. Black will almost certainly
Diagram 7 evaluation table have to play to h8 before the game is out,
used in the reversi gaining an unwanted corner. However playing
program that was b6 will flip the disc on b7 and if white cannot
included with past flip b7 again then, depending on the relative
versions of mobility during the endgame, there is a
Microsoft Windows. possibility that white may have to take the
Fortunately the south-west corner before the conclusion of the
game is deeper game.
than this (otherwise
it wouldn't be any
fun) and a few
games with players
of any strength will
reveal that a
strategy of trying to
play in "good"
squares and
avoiding "bad" ones
will soon yield
control of the game
to your opponent.
Nevertheless an
idea of static worth Diagram 8
may help when it While acknowledging the limitations of pure
comes to choosing positional strategy I would suggest the above
between two moves static table for consideration as a quick guide
that would to the likely relative value of various squares in
otherwise appear of Reversed Reversi. In short, C-squares are
equal value using nearly always useful, whereas those adjacent
other criteria. When to them should probably be avoided because
planning a move they provide access to the C-square.
you need to
consider your
opponents' possible
response, then your
response to that
and so on. At the
end of the game it
might be possible to
calculate all the
variations but
elsewhere in the
game you will need
to have some
mechanism to avoid
having to consider

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Mobility
Diagram 9: White to play
Evaporation Strategy
or "Less Is More"
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all possible
branches more
deeply than is
practical - e.g. a
feeling for the
relative worth of
particular squares.
Reversi Reversed Reversi
At each stage of the The concept of mobility is also key to the
game you will have reverse game. If you can achieve a position
to chose between where you can restrict the availability of
the limited number moves to your opponent then you are well on
of moves available the way to victory.
to you. In diagram 9
white has just 3
available moves or
"liberties", two of
which hand a
corner to black
straight away.
Assuming white
plays to e8 black
will have 13 moves
available of which
11 will lead to a win
with best possible
play by both sides
thereafter. In this
position white has
poor mobility having
few moves to
choose from, all
pretty bad at that,
while black has
good mobility
having lots of
choice. As long as
there is at least one
non-disastrous
move for each
player the game will
remain in balance
but if you can start
to restrict the
mobility of your
opponent while
maintaining your
own then you may
be able to force
them into having to
make bad moves.
Reversi Reversed Reversi
The easiest way to increase The evaporation strategy is also useful
your relative mobility compared in the reverse game as the aim is to try
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to that of your opponent is to to take control by reducing your

Diagram 10: Black to play
have fewer pieces on the board
- so while you want most pieces
at the end of the game it pays to
try to keep down your gains in
the early stages... of course your
opponent knows this as well so
they will probably be trying to do
the same. You also have to take
care not to evaporate altogether.
In this position black (to move)
can wipe out white by playing at
d6 bringing the game to an early
conclusion!
opponents available moves or
liberties. The lower your disc count,
the fewer liberties they are likely to
have and the more likely they are to be
forced to make poor moves. In
contrast to the regular game you don't
even have to worry about being wiped
out yourself (this too counts as a
victory) but you do need to be wary of
your opponent evaporating completely.

Frontiers Reversi Reversed Reversi

Each move is played Maintaining a small set of frontier discs will
to an empty square prove just as useful as it does in the regular
adjacent to an game as it serves to increase your relative
opponent's disc and mobility.
flips at least one of
their discs. The discs
which have empty
neighbouring
squares form the
frontier while those
that do not are called
interior discs. The
more frontier discs
Diagram 11: Black to play you have, the more
choices your
opponent has and,
likewise, a smaller
set of frontier discs
restricts the number
of available moves. It
should be clear that
minimising one's
frontier is key to
winning the battle for
mobility. In diagram
11 black should play
a6 flipping 3 discs
(rather than f7 which
flips 1) as this keeps
the frontier to a
minimum. A move
like this which does
not flip any frontier
disks is called a
quiet move and often
represents good
play. This suggests a
refinement of the
evaporation strategy
in which you try to
evaporate your
frontier discs while

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not being so
concerned with the
total numbers of
discs flipped at each
turn.

Stoner Traps or
"Heads I Win, Tales You Lose!" Reversi Reversed Reversi
A Stoner trap The nearest analogy I've come up with is
(named after John this sort of position. White plays d8 to gain
Stoner) is a access to at least one C-square with the
particular type of hope that, having access, black can be
forced corner obliged to capture the edge later in the
exchange that takes game. A black reply to e8 also flips f7giving
advantage of a weak white access to g7 and the opportunity to
edge position, that is take all of the southern edge.
an edge including a
C-square. The
attacker first gains
control of a diagonal
(meaning they have
Diagram 12: White to play all the discs in that
diagonal) by playing
to an X-square, then
attacks the
opponent's weak
edge by threatening
to take a corner. The
opponent cannot
respond by taking
back the edge since Diagram 14
this would flip back
the X-square played
in the previous move
and provide access
to the other corner.
Diagram 13: Black to play with white Whatever response
threatening d8. the defendant makes
the attacker gains at
N.b. The black disc at b5 ensures that least one corner
black cannot safely respond to d8 with b8. square and a
The trap would also fail if white did not number of stable
fully control the diagonal at this point as discs.
black would be able to play a8 and then
reply to d8 with b8 winning the southern In diagram 12 white
edge. White must also have access to the plays b7 threatening
attack square d8. d8 on a subsequent
move. Looking at
diagram 13, black
cannot deny access
to d8 by playing it
themselves as this
gives white access
to h8. Wherever else
black chooses to
play white will be
able to play d8 on
the next move with

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the threat of h8 to
follow. If black then
plays b8 to recover
the south edge, b7
will be flipped and
provide access to a8
for white who may
then take all of the
southern edge. Once
the trap has been set
the best that black
can hope for is to get
access to a8 in
exchange for losing
the h8 corner.

Parity Reversi Reversed Reversi

Diagram 15: Black to play
The last player to move
(normally white) has an
advantage as any discs they flip
in that turn can't be flipped back.
This is global parity. Towards
the end of the game the
remaining empty squares will
form distinct regions with either
odd or even numbers of
squares. Playing last into each
such region will usually yield the
best results. In general avoid
playing first into regions with
even local parity (even numbers
of empty squares) and play into
regions of odd parity. Diagram
15 has three areas of 1, 2 & 3
squares respectively. White
cannot play to g8. Black's best
move is to play g2 in an area of
odd parity leaving two areas of
even parity into which white
must play. By replying into the
same region as white each time
and saving g8 for the final move
black wins 36-28. Should black
make the wrong initial move
white can win 39-25.
Black has the advantage of global
parity in the reverse game provided
neither player has to pass or there are
an even number of passes. White will
play last and is likely to lose out by
virtue of move order in an otherwise
even endgame. If you can force your
opponent to be the last to play into
each region in the final stages of the
game then this too should tip the
balance in your favour. It is therefore
useful to create odd regions rather
than even ones and to play into even
regions in preference to playing into
odd ones. In diagram 15 black should
play to a2 forcing white to either take
the west edge or initiate play to the
north-east - either way white will lose.
Diagram 5 shows a position with 4
singleton regions into which only black
may play with inevitable results. Most
of my successful Reversed Reversi
games finish with my opponent having
to move into just such regions for the
last two or three moves while I pass
each time having no available moves.

Openings
It is quite easy to lose control of the game in the first few moves. Play the wrong move and your opponent will
be able to restrict your choice of moves to those that work in their favour. While the concepts discussed above
may help guide your opening moves it is worth looking at some standard openings which appear to preserve
the balance of control, at least for a while. The openings page has an illustrated step-by-step guide to some of
the more promising opening variations and a list of common named openings.

Animated Openings, Tricks & Traps Etc.

In addition to the original openings page the main section of this site now comprises of a
JavaScript applet that demonstrates all the standard opening sequences, illustrates some of

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the potential traps that you can try to set or avoid and includes a selection of short wipe-out
games and some complete regular and reversed games.

Topics to come... (eventually)

Tempo
Move order
Wedges
Poison
Swindles
Conclusion

Links
Play Online:
 MSN Zone Reversi - Free online play with a .Net account
 MyLeague Zone Reversi Ladder - For ladder play with regular tournaments
 MyLeague Reversed Ladder - For ladder play with regular tournaments, in reversed style...
 MSN Zone Reversed Reversi Tournaments - Tournament calendar & results
 PlayOK (formerly Kurnik) - Free online play
 VOG: Vinco Online Games - You can play online & unrated as a guest for short periods however rated
play requires fee-paying membership

Reversi Downloads:
 Beppi Menozzi's Happy End - Practise your endgame skills
 WZebra - The finest freeware Othello/Reversi program available

Strategy Guides & Other Links:

 British Othello Federation - The home of British Othello
 Elements of Strategy - A brief guide accompanying a Java-based Othello program called Ajax
 French Othello Federation Booklet - An online English translation at the home of WZebra
 Joel Feinstein's Othello Guide - Some interesting topics are covered here, in particular The Art of
Sacrificing Four Corners, now graphically illustrated on this site here
 Othello: A Minute to Learn, A Lifetime to Master - A 170-page PDF (Acrobat) book from Othello
Champion Brian Rose
 Othello Club Deutschland Home page of the German Othello Club
 Othello Openings - A list of opening variations and their usage frequency
 Othello Patterns & Tricks A few interesting sequences (tesuji) are shown here, most of which are now
also available on this site here
 Othello University - Strategy guide with a trainer applet here that contains a larger list of named openings
 The Othello Guide - Sadly missing at present, this site had a great forum together with some useful
insights on strategy. A number the tricks & traps presented on this site were originally found there.
 Othello World - Another Othello forum
 Yahoo! Games - The online game is S L O W (and their board is back-to-front) but the strategy guide is
worth taking a quick look at for pointers if you are new to the game

Acknowledgments
While my notes on Reversed Reversi are all original, parts of this strategy guide have been copied adapted
from existing guides found on some of the sites referenced above. As Tom Lehrer put it in his song
Lobachevsky:-
Plagiarize,
Let no one else's work evade your eyes,
Remember why the good Lord made your eyes,
So don't shade your eyes,

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But plagiarize, plagiarize, plagiarize -

Only be sure always to call it please 'research'
Feedback:
turingtest2@{remove}samsoft.org.uk
Version 1.22 - 04/01/2011

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