What you need
An 8×8 board of 64 squares, all the same colour, and 64 discs that are dark on one side and light on the other. Without a set, use our printable board with discs to cut out and colour on one side, or use coins played heads and tails. One player plays dark, the other light.
Reversi was invented in England in 1883. In 1971 Goro Hasegawa patented in Japan a version with a fixed starting position, sold as Othello. The Othello rules are the ones used in all tournaments today, and they are the rules given here.
Setup
Place four discs on the four centre squares: two light discs on one diagonal (d4 and e5) and two dark discs on the other (d5 and e4), with row 1 at the top as on our board. Each player takes 32 discs. Dark moves first.
How to play
Outflanking
On your turn, place one disc, your colour up, on an empty square so that it outflanks the opponent: there must be a straight line, horizontal, vertical or diagonal, running from your new disc over one or more of your opponent’s discs and ending at another disc of yours, with no gaps.
Every opposing disc in that line is flipped to your colour. If your disc outflanks in several directions at once, flip every line. You must flip all outflanked discs, even when you would rather not.
What does not count
- A disc that does not outflank anything is not a legal move.
- Discs only flip as a direct result of the disc just placed, along the lines running from it. Discs that look trapped elsewhere stay as they are.
- You cannot jump over an empty square or over your own discs to reach the opponent’s.
Passing
If you have no legal move, you pass and your opponent plays again. If you have a legal move, you must play it.
Once placed, a disc never moves to another square; it can only be flipped.
Scoring and winning
The game ends when neither player can move, usually when the board is full but sometimes earlier. Count the discs: the player with more discs of their colour showing wins. A 32–32 result is a draw.
Common variants
- Original reversi: the board starts empty and the first four moves fill the centre squares, without captures. Players may place them side by side instead of diagonally.
- Anti-reversi: the player with fewer discs at the end wins.
- Second-move flips: some variants close to the original allow or require the second player’s second opening move to flip a disc.
Tips for first games
- Corners are the most valuable squares: a disc in a corner can never be flipped.
- Avoid the squares next to the corners early on. Playing there often hands the corner to your opponent.
- Edges are strong too, once you can hold them.
- Flipping many discs early is not the goal. Having few discs but many possible moves (mobility) is usually better in the middle of the game.
- Try to leave your opponent with only bad moves, or no moves at all, so they must pass.
Frequently asked questions
Can I place a disc that flips nothing? No. Every move must flip at least one opposing disc.
What if I have no legal move? You pass, and your opponent moves again. If neither player can move, the game is over.
Do I have to flip every disc I outflank? Yes, in every direction.
Is reversi the same game as Othello? Almost. Othello fixes the starting four discs on the diagonals and is the tournament standard; reversi is the older name and also covers the free-start version.
Can the game end before the board is full? Yes, whenever neither player has a legal move.
