How to Play Reversi: A Complete Beginner's Guide

Game Components and Setup

Reversi is played with an 8×8 board (like a chessboard), 64 discs with one black side and one white side, and two players: Black and White.

Initial Setup

At the start of the game, the board contains four discs placed in the center squares: D4 (White), E5 (White), D5 (Black), and E4 (Black). This diagonal arrangement ensures that both players begin with equal influence.

Who Goes First?

Black always moves first.

What Makes a Move Legal?

A move is legal only if it flips at least one of your opponent's discs.

To make a legal move:

• You place a disc on any empty square.
• In one or more straight lines (horizontal, vertical, diagonal), your placed disc must flank a continuous row of opponent discs.
• That row must end with one of your own discs.

When these conditions are met:

• You flip every opponent disc in each captured line.
• A move that does not flip any discs is illegal.

Flipping Mechanics Explained

Reversi flipping rules apply in eight directions: horizontally left and right, vertically up and down, and diagonally in all four diagonal directions.

When a disc is placed:

• The game checks all directions
• Any flanked lines are flipped
• All flips occur immediately

This mechanic is responsible for Reversi's dynamic board changes.

Passing Turns

If a player has no legal move, they must pass.

Rules regarding passing:

• A player may not skip voluntarily
• Passing only occurs when no legal option exists
• If both players pass consecutively, the game ends

Passing becomes more common in mid- and late-game scenarios where mobility is limited.

How the Game Ends

The game ends when neither player can move or the board is completely filled.

At the end:

• Each player counts the discs showing their color
• The player with the higher total wins

Reversi does not use a point system—only the final disc count matters.

Beginner-Friendly Examples of Legal Moves

To help new players visualize gameplay, here are simple examples.

Horizontal Flank Example

White discs at C4, D4, Black disc at E4. White plays F4:

• White's move flanks E4 between F4 and C4
• E4 flips from Black → White

Vertical Flank Example

Black at D3, White at D4, D5. Black plays D6:

• Captures D4 and D5
• Both flip to black

Diagonal Flank Example

White at C3, Black at D4, White at E5. White plays B2:

• B2–E5 captures D4 and C3
• Both flip to white

These examples demonstrate Reversi's trademark multi-direction flipping.

Understanding Game Flow

Reversi progresses through three natural stages: opening, midgame, and endgame.

Opening (Moves 1–20)

Beginners often make the mistake of trying to flip as many discs as possible early. In reality: taking many discs early is usually bad because more discs means less mobility, and more mobility means more control.

In the opening:

• Take moves that preserve flexibility
• Avoid early edges
• Aim for moves that offer fewer flips, not more

Midgame (Moves 20–50)

This is where most of the action happens:

• Large flips
• Forced mobility battles
• Preparing for the corners
• Attempting to limit opponent options

Midgame play determines who controls the board entering the endgame.

Endgame (Final ~10 Moves)

Every move matters because few empty squares remain, choices become forced, and disc count becomes relevant. Exact calculation determines the winner. The player with stronger mobility and positional planning often dominates the endgame.

Basic Tactics for First-Time Players

Here are foundational ideas every beginner should learn.

Do Not Take Corners Early (Unless Safe)

Corners (A1, H1, A8, H8):

• Are permanent
• Cannot be flipped
• Often secure an entire edge

Beginners may think capturing edges leads to corners—but premature edge play usually backfires.

Avoid Playing Directly Next to Corners

Squares adjacent to corners (called X-squares, e.g., B2, G2, B7, G7) are dangerous because playing there often lets your opponent take the corner next turn. Corners are vastly more valuable than flips, so unless forced, never play into X-squares early.

Focus on Mobility Above All Else

Mobility means the number of legal moves you have.

Players with higher mobility:

• Control game flow
• Force opponent into bad moves
• Gain corner opportunities

Players with low mobility:

• Become reactive
• Lose access to strong positions
• Are often forced into X-squares or edges

Aim for "Quiet Moves"

A quiet move:

• Flips few discs
• Avoids giving opponent strong replies
• Preserves mobility

In Reversi, small moves are often more powerful than flashy ones.

Understand Potential Mobility

This means not only your mobility but also how many new moves you give your opponent and how many moves you take away. A good move increases your options and reduces theirs.

Strategy Tips for Midgame Confidence

Beginners often improve dramatically after learning these principles.

Delay Taking Edges

Edges look attractive, but early edges reduce mobility, edges force predictable responses, and opponents can often take the edge back later. Edges are valuable only when stable or strategic.

Count Empty Regions Carefully

Reversi often breaks the board into sub-regions. You want control over when regions fill, who moves last in each region, and which player gets the parity advantage. Beginners don't need full parity theory yet—just awareness.

Do Not Try to Win the Midgame Count

A common beginner mistake is thinking that having more discs midgame means you are winning. Often the opposite is true. You want fewer discs early so you can maintain mobility, force opponent vulnerability, and win a large number of discs in the endgame.

Endgame Techniques for New Players

You do not need advanced parity calculations as a beginner, but these basic ideas help.

Fill Corner Regions Last

This is a powerful endgame guideline: if a region has an odd number of empty squares, you want to play last; if even, you want your opponent to play last. This is the essence of parity.

Avoid Giving Opponent Forced Moves

A forced move can give away a powerful position, often leads into traps, and reduces your endgame options. Avoid creating single-legal-move situations unless it benefits you strategically.

Take Stable Discs When Available

Stable discs cannot be flipped back, spread stability to surrounding discs, and are crucial to final scoring. Corners and edges often create stable structures naturally.

How to Improve Quickly on PlayFaceToFace.com

To develop strong fundamentals:

• Play short games frequently
• Review moves where you lost mobility
• Practice avoiding X-squares
• Study how corner control affects the board
• Experiment with quiet moves instead of large flips

Because Reversi games are quick, improvement happens rapidly through repetition.

Summary of Core Beginner Concepts

These principles offer a strong foundation before moving into intermediate or advanced strategy.

Ready to Play?

Now that you understand how to play Reversi, jump in and start playing with real opponents online. Apply these beginner concepts and improve through repeated gameplay.

Checkout Other Articles on Reversi

1. Introduction to Reversi
2. How to Play Reversi
3. Official Reversi Rules
4. Beginner Strategy Guide
5. Advanced Strategy Guide
6. Common Mistakes Guide
7. The History of Reversi and the Evolution of Othello
8. Reversi FAQ