Strategy
Reversi tips for beginners
The short answer
The three tips that matter most: take corners whenever you can, never play b2, g2, b7 or g7 while the corner beside them is empty, and stop taking the move that flips the most discs. Owning fewer discs in the middle of the game is usually a good sign, not a bad one.
Reversi has four rules and takes a minute to learn. The reason it stays interesting is that the obvious way to play is wrong, and it takes most people a while to believe it.
1. Flip fewer discs, not more
This is the one that changes everything. A disc you own in the middle of the game can be flipped back at any time, and every disc you place next to an empty square gives your opponent somewhere to play.
Below, Black has taken the biggest flip available for twenty moves in a row, playing the Intermediate computer. Black leads 18 to 6.
Black has 5 places to play and White has 15. Black has 13 discs sitting next to empty squares and White has 4. That game finished 0 to 64.
2. Take a corner every single time
A corner disc can never be flipped. There is no square beyond a1, h1, a8 or h8, so no line can trap a corner from both sides. The discs anchored to a corner along the edges usually become permanent too.
If a corner is legal for you, take it. There are rare endgame exceptions and you will not meet them for a long time. Corner strategy.
3. Never play b2, g2, b7 or g7
These four squares sit diagonally next to the corners and they are called X-squares. Playing one opens a straight diagonal line into the corner, and your opponent takes it on the very next move.
The exception is once that corner has already been taken by either player, when the square is no longer dangerous. The full explanation.
4. Be careful next to corners on the edges too
b1, a2, g1, h2, a7, b8, g8 and h7 are the C-squares. They are less immediately dangerous than X-squares, but they turn dangerous when they sit at the end of a row of your own discs. Then a single corner move flips the whole row. Edge strategy.
5. Count legal moves, not discs
The number of squares you are allowed to play on is called mobility. If you have ten and your opponent has three, you are choosing the shape of the game and they are just reacting. Sooner or later they run out of safe moves and have to hand you a corner. Mobility.
6. Stay in the middle early
For the first fifteen or twenty moves, keep your discs clustered around the centre. Reaching out to the edges early makes a wide frontier, which is exactly what your opponent wants. Edges are worth taking later, once you own the corner they run into.
7. It does not matter which first move you play
Black has exactly 4 legal first moves: d3, c4, f5, e6. Give the board a half turn, or flip it across either long diagonal, and one of them turns into another, so no one of them is better.
This is worth knowing mainly so you stop worrying about it. The engine's own answer covers exactly why all four are equal.
8. Use undo, honestly
When you lose a game, do not start a new one. Undo back to the move where it turned and take the other option. That single habit will teach you more than twenty fresh games, because you get to see the difference the move made rather than guessing about it.
What to count instead of the score
| Question | Good answer |
|---|---|
| How many legal moves do I have? | More than my opponent |
| How many corners do I own? | More than my opponent |
| How many of my discs are backed to a corner? | As many as possible |
| How many discs do I have, at move 30? | Fewer is usually fine |
Where to go next
If any of the rules are still unclear, the rules page and how to play Reversi cover setup, flipping, passing and scoring. Then how to win at Reversi puts these tips into one plan, and the strategy guide is the full set. Common mistakes is the same material from the other direction.
Try it against the computer
Play the computer on Easy and give yourself one rule per game. First game: never play an X-square. Second game: always take a corner. Third game: count your legal moves before every move. Three games, three habits.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best strategy for a beginner in Reversi?
Take corners, never play the four squares diagonally next to an empty corner, and stop taking the move that flips the most discs. Those three habits will beat almost every casual player you meet.
Why do I keep losing when I have more discs?
Because only the count at the very end matters, and a lead in the middle usually means your discs are exposed. Every disc of yours next to an empty square is a place your opponent is allowed to play. Fewer discs early means fewer targets.
Which first move should I play?
It genuinely does not matter. Black has exactly four legal first moves, d3, c4, f5 and e6, and they are the same position turned around. The proof, with the engine's own numbers.
How do I know if I am winning?
Count three things instead of discs: how many legal moves you have compared with your opponent, how many corners you own, and how many of your discs are backed to a corner and can never be flipped. Those three tell you far more than the score does.
How long does it take to get decent at Reversi?
A few dozen games to stop losing badly, if you learn the corner rules early. The step after that is counting legal moves, which takes longer because it means overriding what the board looks like it is telling you.