Board Games
How to play Othello (Reversi)
Place discs to bracket and flip opposing lines; have more of your color when neither player can move.
What you need
An 8×8 Othello board and 64 two-sided discs
Set up the game
- Place four discs in the central squares in alternating diagonals, two black and two white, as the World Othello Federation diagram shows. Black moves first.
- This is standard Othello on an 8×8 board; other Reversi implementations may vary in starting pattern or scoring.
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Playing Othello (Reversi)
- Place a disc in an empty square that brackets at least one straight line of opposing discs between the new disc and one of your existing discs. Lines may be horizontal, vertical or diagonal.
- Flip every opposing disc bracketed in all legal directions by that placement. If you have a legal move, you must make one.
- If you have no legal move, pass while your opponent continues. The game ends when neither player can move, which may occur before the board is full.
- Count discs of each color on the finished board; the player with more wins.
A straight bracket
A black disc is at one end of a row, two white discs follow, and the next square is empty. Black places a disc in that empty square, enclosing the two white discs between black endpoints. Both white discs flip to black.
A legal move may flip in several directions
The newly placed disc must outflank an opponent’s line in at least one direction. After placement, inspect all eight directions and flip every legally enclosed line. Skipping a second direction can change the next player’s available moves.
Beginner decisions
- Corners cannot be flipped once occupied and can anchor multiple edges.
Common rule mix-ups
- Placing a disc without flipping at least one opposing disc.
- Passing voluntarily when a legal move exists.
Questions about this game
Can the game end with empty spaces?
Yes, when neither player has a legal move.
Are diagonal brackets allowed?
Yes, along a straight diagonal line.
Sources and edition notes
World Othello Federation standard English rules for an 8×8 Othello game.
Sources and stated format checked October 13, 2026. This records a document check, not a claim of hands-on testing.
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