Othello and Reversi Strategy: How to Win, Tested in Thousands of Games
To win at Othello (Reversi), take the corners, stay off the squares next to an empty corner, and limit how many moves your opponent has instead of flipping as many discs as you can. In our tests on the NitroPlayer game, a player using just those rules beat a random mover 97% of the time, while a player who always flipped the most discs won only 60%.
Key points
- Corners first: a disc in a corner can never be flipped back.
- Avoid X and C squares (diagonal and edge neighbors of an empty corner): they hand the corner to your opponent.
- Mobility beats material: choose moves that leave your opponent few options, not moves that flip many discs.
- In our test, flipping the most discs won only 11% of games against the Easy computer; corners plus mobility won 67%.
- In random games, whoever took the first corner won 67% of the time.
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The corner rule from the video
For the clip we set up a middle-game position against the Medium computer. You play black. White has just put a disc on b2, the square diagonally next to the empty top-left corner, a1. (On NitroPlayer, a1 is the top-left square.)
- Spot the gift. White's discs on b2, c3 and d4 now sit in a diagonal line between the empty corner and your black disc on e5.
- Take the corner. Play a1. The whole diagonal flips: b2, c3 and d4 turn black, and the count goes from 8 against 7 to 12 against 4.
- Keep it forever. A corner disc has no square beyond it, so it can never be outflanked. Discs along its edges that connect to it become safe too.
That is why the squares next to an empty corner are dangerous: playing there opens the line your opponent needs to reach the corner.
We tested 4 simple strategies
We wrote a script with the exact move rules and computer opponent from our Reversi game, and played thousands of games, half as black and half as white. Each strategy follows one simple rule, with ties broken at random:
| Strategy | Wins vs random moves (2,000 games) | Wins vs Easy computer (1,000 games) |
|---|---|---|
| Flip the most discs | 60% | 11% |
| Take a corner when possible | 74% | not tested |
| Corners, and avoid X and C squares | 94% | 61% |
| Corners, no X or C squares, fewest replies for the opponent | 97% | 67% |
For comparison, random moves won 7% against the Easy computer. Against the Medium computer, which looks three moves ahead, even the best simple rule won only 4% of 300 games. Rules get you past Easy; beating Medium and Hard takes looking ahead.
We also played 10,000 games of random moves against random moves: the player who took the first corner won 67% of them, and the player who ended with more corners won 81%.
X squares and C squares: where not to play
- X squares are the four squares diagonally next to a corner (b2, g2, b7, g7). While that corner is empty, a disc here very often gives your opponent the corner.
- C squares are the edge squares right beside a corner (b1, a2 and the same next to the other corners). They carry a similar risk.
Once the corner is taken, these squares stop being dangerous. The NitroPlayer computer knows this too: it scores X squares as its worst squares (-50) and C squares at -20 while the corner is empty, and scores them as a small plus once that corner is filled. Corners are worth +100 on the same map.
Mobility: why fewer discs can be better
New players try to flip as many discs as possible. In our test that was the weakest rule. A big move usually puts many of your discs next to empty squares, and each of those gives your opponent a new move.
- Prefer quiet moves that flip one or two discs in the middle of your group.
- Count your opponent's replies. Before you play, ask how many legal moves the other side will have. Fewer is better.
- Aim for forced bad moves. When your opponent has only X or C squares left to play, you get the corners.
- Force a pass if you can. If your opponent has no legal move, their turn is skipped and you move again.
How to win the endgame
In the last 10 to 12 moves, the plan changes from position to counting. The disc count is the only thing that decides the game, so compare moves by the final result, not by what they flip now.
- Build from your corners. Edge discs connected to a corner you own are stable.
- Play for the last move in each region. The final move in an empty pocket of the board usually flips the most and cannot be answered.
- Do not fear a low count early. A player with fewer discs in the middle game often wins at the end.
The Hard computer on NitroPlayer plays the last 10 empty squares out exactly, so this is where it is toughest.
How to beat the computer on each level
| Level | How it plays | What beats it |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | Looks 1 move ahead, plays a random move 1 time in 5 | Corners, no X or C squares, fewer replies for it |
| Medium | Looks 3 moves ahead | The same rules, plus thinking one reply ahead |
| Hard | Looks 5 moves ahead, exact in the last 10 squares | A strong middle game and a lead before the end |
When you can beat the computer, play online or send a private link to a friend.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Othello strategy?
Take corners, avoid the X and C squares next to empty corners, and play moves that leave your opponent few options. In our tests those three rules together beat a random mover 97% of the time and the Easy computer 67% of the time.
Is it good to flip a lot of discs in Reversi?
Usually not in the opening and middle game. Big flips create discs next to empty squares and give your opponent more moves. In our test, always flipping the most discs won only 11% of games against the Easy computer.
Why are corners so important in Othello?
A disc in a corner can never be flipped, and edge discs connected to it become stable too. In 10,000 random games we simulated, the player who took the first corner won 67% of the time.
Are Reversi and Othello the same game?
In practice, yes. Othello is the modern version of Reversi with a fixed start of four discs in the center. NitroPlayer uses these standard Othello rules, and black always moves first.
Video transcript
Want to win more at Reversi? Grab the corners.
A disc in a corner can never be flipped back.
That's why the squares next to an empty corner are dangerous.
Look, the computer just played next to this corner.
So take the corner, and flip the whole line!
That corner is yours for the rest of the game.
Now you try! And on NitroPlayer, you can play with your friends. Games are so much more fun together.
Play free at NitroPlayer dot com.
