How do u play othello

Strategy, tactics, Othello study help, you will find at our Othello strategy pages. A black disk can be placed on square C4, D3, E6 or F5 to outflank a white disk. Black decides to place a disk on square C4. See figure 7. A white disk can be placed on square C3; E3 or C5 to outflank a black disk. White decides to place a disk on C3. See Figure 9. The game continues in this way until neither player can move. The player with the most disks at this point is the winner.

There are varying time limits ranging from 5 minutes up to 30 minutes as seen in the world championship rules. When one player's clock runs out of time, no matter what the position or number of chips on the board, that player looses the game. Because there is an advantage in starting first, the more experienced player should give this advantage to the less experienced player. When a very skilled player is playing against an unskilled player, then the skilled player may take on a handicap by setting up the board to give his weaker opponent a four corner advantage.

Home Games Othello Game Rules. Name required. Email will not be published required. Website optional. Overview Capture or conquer the grid with your black or white discs. Prepare yourself, user. Leave a Reply Click here to cancel reply. One player plays discs black side up and the other plays white side up.

The less experienced player should play the black pieces because black goes first and this provides an advantage. However, if you are both at the same level, then flip a coin to see who will play black.

Place 4 discs in the center of the board so that 2 are black side up and 2 are white side up. Arrange the discs with the matching colors diagonal to each other. Each player should have 30 of the remaining discs.

Set up the board to give the inexperienced player the advantage. If you and your opponent are at the same level, then you do not need to place any additional pieces on the board. These discs cannot be flipped over, so it will make for a fairer game. Part 2. Allow the less experienced player to go first. Black always goes first in Othello, and the less experienced player should take this color.

If the players are equal in skill level, then you may flip a coin to see who gets to be black, or allow the player who lost the last game to be black. Flip the outflanked disc to its opposite side. Once a disc is outflanked, flip it over to the opposite color. This disc now belongs to you as long as it remains flipped on that side. However, the same disc may be turned over again if it is part of a row that is outflanked. Pass the turn to your opponent to continue playing.

If the second player plays the white discs, they would place 1 of their discs at the end of a row. Your opponent should place their white disc so that a black disc is framed by 2 white discs on each side or vice versa if you are playing white.

Then, make sure your opponent flips the outflanked black disks to white. Part 3. If this isn't possible, you must forfeit your turn until you can perform a legal move. If neither player can perform a legal move, then the game is over. Try to establish stable disc positions. While it might seem like flipping as many discs as possible is the key to victory, this actually makes you more vulnerable.

Most positions on the board can be outflanked. The edges of the board and the corners are the most stable positions. Discs in the corners cannot be outflanked and discs along the edges are harder to outflank, so work towards getting discs in the edges and corners of the board. Give your opponent a disc to play if they run out. If you have skipped a few turns and your opponent has continued to play discs, then they may run out of discs before you do.

If this happens, gameplay continues until neither of you can make another move. Give your opponent 1 of your remaining discs so they can make their move.

Wait to make moves that your opponent cannot take. If you have the opportunity to make a move that is unavailable to your opponent, look for a different option to play that turn and save the other move for later.

Limit the number of discs you flip over early in the game. Flipping lots of discs early on actually gives your opponent an advantage. Instead, make moves that only flip over 1 or 2 discs until you have played about half or more of your discs. By waiting to make big moves, your opponent will be more limited in what they can do. Avoid boxing yourself in or limiting your mobility. It may seem like a great strategy to only play along the edges of the board, but this may end up limiting your available moves.