Othello Rules

What is Othello?

Othello is played on an 8 × 8 board using 64 double-sided discs, traditionally black on one side and white on the other. One player controls black and the other controls white.

Unlike games where pieces are removed from play, discs in Othello constantly change ownership. When you trap one or more opposing discs between a newly placed disc and another disc of your own colour, every trapped disc is flipped over.

This capturing mechanic is the foundation of the entire game.

How to play Othello

A game begins with only four discs on the board. From there, players take turns placing one disc at a time and gradually expand their positions across the grid.

Preparing the board

Place four discs in the four central squares of the board. Two should show black and two white, arranged diagonally so matching colours are opposite each other.

One player chooses black and the other white.

Black always makes the first move.

Step 1. Find a legal position

You cannot simply place a disc on any empty square.

A move is legal only if your new disc traps at least one of your opponent's discs between the disc you have just placed and another disc of your own colour.

The trapped discs must form an uninterrupted straight line.

Step 2. Place your disc

Place your disc with your own colour facing upwards.

A capture can occur in any straight direction:

• Horizontally
• Vertically
• Diagonally

There must be one or more opposing discs between your new disc and another of your own discs.

Step 3. Flip the captured discs

Every opposing disc trapped by your move is turned over so that your colour now faces upwards.

A single placement can capture discs in several directions simultaneously.

For example, if your move traps three white discs horizontally and another two diagonally, all five discs are flipped.

Step 4. Your opponent plays

Once every captured disc has been flipped, your turn is finished.

Your opponent now looks for a legal move and follows the same process.

Players continue alternating turns as the position develops.

What makes a legal move?

Understanding legal moves is the most important part of learning the Othello rules.

Imagine the following line:

Black – White – White – Empty

Black may place a disc in the empty square because doing so traps both white discs between two black discs.

The result becomes:

Black – Black – Black – Black

However, placing a disc next to an opponent's disc is not enough by itself. There must always be another disc of your colour at the opposite end of the line.

You also cannot make a move that captures zero discs.

Capturing in several directions

One of the most powerful aspects of Othello is that a single move may flip several separate groups of discs.

Imagine placing one black disc that simultaneously traps white discs:

• To the left
• Above
• Diagonally down-right

Every valid line is captured during the same move.

This means one carefully chosen square can dramatically change the board in a single turn.

What happens if you cannot make a move?

Having no legal moves does not mean you lose the game.

Instead, you must pass.

Your opponent takes another turn, and you may play again later if their move creates a new legal position for you.

If neither player can make a legal move, the game ends.

How does Othello end?

The game normally ends in one of two situations:

1. All 64 spaces on the board have been occupied.
2. Neither player has a legal move remaining.

The players then count the discs showing their respective colours.

The player controlling the most discs wins.

Othello strategy

The basic rules can be learned in minutes, but Othello has considerable strategic depth. One of the biggest lessons for beginners is that having the most discs during the middle of the game does not necessarily mean you are winning.

In fact, taking too many discs early can sometimes leave you with fewer useful moves later.

Corners are extremely valuable

The four corner squares are the strongest positions on the board.

Once you occupy a corner, that disc can never be flipped, because there is no square beyond the corner that an opponent could use to surround it.

Corners also make it easier to establish stable discs along the edges.

Giving your opponent easy access to a corner is therefore one of the most damaging mistakes you can make.

Be careful near the corners

The squares immediately beside and diagonally adjacent to a corner can be dangerous.

Playing there too early may allow your opponent to capture the corner on their next turn.

Sometimes these squares are unavoidable, but experienced players generally avoid giving away a corner unless they receive something significant in return.

More discs is not always better

A common beginner strategy is to flip as many discs as possible on every turn.

It feels logical, but it can be a trap.

Othello is primarily about position and mobility, not simply your current disc count. A move that flips one disc but leaves you several strong future options may be much better than a move that flips eight and gives your opponent control of the edge.

Limit your opponent's options

Before making a move, consider what legal moves it creates for the other player.

Ideally, you want to maintain several options for yourself while giving your opponent as few attractive choices as possible.

This concept is often called mobility and becomes increasingly important as players improve.

Control the edges carefully

Edge discs are harder to flip than pieces in the centre, particularly when they are connected to a secured corner.

However, simply rushing to occupy an edge is not automatically good strategy. An unstable edge can still be captured and may even help your opponent reach a corner.

Opening, middle game and endgame

An Othello match changes considerably as the board fills.

During the opening, the priority is usually maintaining flexibility rather than collecting as many discs as possible.

In the middle game, access to corners, edges and useful empty spaces becomes increasingly important. Players begin trying to restrict each other's legal moves.

The endgame is much more concrete. With only a handful of empty squares remaining, experienced players often calculate several turns ahead and determine who will control the final spaces.

Common beginner mistakes

One of the most frequent mistakes is assuming that every large capture must be a good move. Flipping many discs can look impressive while weakening your position.

Players should also avoid automatically taking an edge simply because it is available. The corners matter far more, and an awkward edge position can eventually hand one to your opponent.

Another mistake is looking only at your own move. Before placing a disc, check what your opponent will be able to do afterwards. In many positions, the best move is the one that leaves your opponent with the fewest good replies.

Finally, never forget diagonal captures. New players often spot horizontal and vertical opportunities but overlook lines running diagonally across the board.

Othello vs Reversi

The names Othello and Reversi are often used interchangeably because the games share the same central idea of trapping and flipping opposing discs.

Othello is the modern commercial version with a standardised starting position: four discs are placed in the centre before the first move. Historical forms of Reversi have existed with slightly different starting procedures and rules.

In everyday conversation, however, people commonly use both names for essentially the same style of game.

Why Othello can change so quickly

One of the most distinctive features of Othello is how dramatically the balance can shift.

A player might control 40 discs while their opponent has only 15, yet still be in a poor position if those discs are vulnerable and the opponent controls the corners.

As the final spaces disappear, long lines of discs can suddenly flip from one colour to the other. This is why counting the current number of discs rarely tells you who is actually ahead until the final stage of the game.

Othello rules summary