Most beginners play Reversi by flipping as many discs as they can on every move. It feels like winning, and it is the main reason they lose. Strong players think about which squares they own and how many moves each side has left, not about the score in the middle of the game. This tutorial walks you through your first game, then explains the handful of ideas that make the biggest difference: corners, the dangerous squares next to them, mobility, quiet moves and endgame parity. You can try every idea right away on the Reversi board.
What you will learn
- How to play your first game sensibly, move by move.
- Why corners decide most games, and which squares give them away.
- Why having more moves matters more than having more discs.
- How to count the endgame so that close games go your way.
- A practice plan using the three computer levels.
If you are not sure about a rule, such as when a pass happens or why flipped discs don’t flip others, check the Reversi rules guide first.
Know the squares
Before the first move, learn the names strong players use for the squares that matter most.
- Corners (a1, h1, a8, h8): a disc here is permanent.
- X-squares (b2, g2, b7, g7): diagonally next to a corner. The riskiest squares on the board while that corner is empty.
- C-squares (such as b1 and a2): on the edge right next to a corner. Risky too, but less so.
- Edges: the outer rows and columns. Edge discs can only be flipped along the edge, which makes them harder to attack.
- The center (c3 to f6): the “sweet sixteen” where most of the opening is played.
Your first game, step by step
- Make the first move. If you have Black, you have four choices: d3, c4, f5 or e6. They are mirror images of each other, so pick any. Say you play d3: the white disc on d4 is now trapped between d3 and d5 and flips. You lead 4–1, which means nothing yet.
- Watch the reply. White has three answers (c3, e3 or c5), each flipping one disc. Suppose White plays c5 and flips d5. The score is 3–3.
- Choose a quiet move. Black now has five options: b6, c6, d6, e6 and f6, and each flips one disc. Prefer the ones that stay close to the middle, such as d6, e6 or f6, over b6, which heads toward the edge. Spreading out toward the edges this early gives your opponent new squares to play on.
- Before every move, look at the replies. Ask: “If I play here, how many moves will my opponent have, and will any of them be good?” A move that leaves your opponent only two or three poor choices is usually better than one that flips five discs.
- Keep off the X-squares. As the middle fills up, it is tempting to play b2 or g7 because nothing else looks good. Don’t, unless the corner next to it is already taken. An X-square disc tends to give your opponent the corner.
- Take a corner when it is offered. When your opponent plays next to an empty corner, check whether you can now play that corner. Once you own it, the edge discs next to it become much safer.
- Build along the edges from your corners. Edge discs connected to a corner you own can never be flipped. These stable discs are your real score.
- Count the last moves. When about a dozen squares are left, look at the empty regions of the board and work out who will move last in each one (see parity below). Then count discs flipped for each remaining move.
- Count the result. When nobody can move, the player with more discs wins. Press Rematch and the colors swap, so you get to try the other side.
Strategy tips
1. Corners first
A corner disc can never be flipped, because there is no square beyond it to outflank from. It also anchors the two edges and a diagonal. In most games between beginners, the player with more corners wins. Every time you move, check whether you are about to give your opponent access to a corner.
2. X-squares give corners away
If you place a disc on b2 while a1 is empty, your opponent only needs one of their discs further along that diagonal (on c3, d4 and so on, with only your discs in between) to play a1 and flip the whole diagonal back. Avoid X-squares while their corner is empty. Once the corner is taken, by anyone, they are ordinary squares again.
3. Be careful with C-squares
A disc on b1 or a2 next to an empty corner can also let your opponent take the corner, by playing along the edge. C-squares are less dangerous than X-squares, and sometimes they are the best move available, but play them only after checking that your opponent can’t use them to reach the corner.
4. Count moves, not discs
Mobility, the number of legal moves you have, is the most important idea after corners. If your opponent has only a few moves, they may be forced to play an X-square, a C-square or another weak square. If you have many, you can wait for the right moment. The ideal position is one where your opponent must pass while you keep playing.
5. Make quiet moves
A frontier disc is a disc next to an empty square. Every one of your frontier discs is a potential new move for your opponent. Moves that flip discs on the inside of the position, without creating new frontier discs, are called quiet moves and are usually strong. Moves that flip a long line along the outside of the group usually are not.
6. Fewer discs early is fine
Having fewer discs than your opponent in the opening and middle game is often an advantage, because it means fewer frontier discs and more possible moves later. Don’t panic when you are behind 10–25. Positions with a small number of well-placed discs often turn into big wins once the corners come into play.
7. Turn edges into stable discs
Once you own a corner, extend along its edges. Discs in an unbroken line from your corner along an edge are stable: they will be yours at the end of the game. Be careful about filling an edge while the corners at both ends are still empty, because your opponent may later be able to play into it and take a corner.
8. Use parity at the end
With no passes, White makes the very last move of the game, because there are 60 empty squares at the start and Black moves first. In the endgame the empty squares split into small regions. Getting the last move in a region is usually good, because your disc there can’t be flipped back. A simple rule: prefer to play in regions with an odd number of empty squares, so that you get the final move there. A forced pass changes who moves last, which is another reason mobility matters.
Common beginner mistakes
- Greedy flipping. Choosing the move that flips the most discs, every time. It creates frontier discs and hands your opponent moves.
- Playing X-squares when stuck. It is better to find a quiet move in the middle, or even a C-square, than to give away a corner.
- Ignoring the opponent’s reply. A move is only as good as the best answer to it. Look one move ahead every time.
- Rushing to the edges. Edges are good when they connect to your corners, not when you take them early and leave gaps for your opponent.
- Giving up when behind on discs. The count swings wildly. Corners and stable edges are a better guide to who is winning.
- Not counting the ending. With ten squares left, a few seconds of counting often turns a narrow loss into a win.
A practice plan
- Play three games on Easy. It grabs discs greedily, so watch how its big early leads fall apart when you take corners. Focus on never playing an X-square.
- Move up to Medium. It looks four moves ahead and will punish a corner given away. Try to win while having fewer discs than it at move 30.
- Try Hard. It looks much deeper and plays the last 14 or so moves perfectly. Aim to reach the endgame with more corners and more moves than it has. Use Undo to replay key moments and find better moves.
- Play a friend on one device. Teach them the X-square rule after the first game, then play a series. Rematch swaps colors so each of you gets Black in turn.
- Review one game a day. After each loss, find the moment you gave away your first corner. That one habit improves most players quickly.
When you are ready, open Reversi and start with Easy. Keep the rules guide handy for any questions about passes and flipping.
