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Statistics of won games
white	26352 (49.21 %)
black	26525 (49.53 %)
Draws	671 (1.25 %)

Reversi

Start position and game object

It is possible that you have seen this game in your shop, called Othello. The basic version is played on a square board 8x8 fields, BrainKing.com extends this offer by variations played on a smaller board 6x6 fields or on a bigger one 10x10 squares. The rules for all mentioned game variations are the same.
The game begins on an empty game field.



The object of this game is to have more pieces on the board than your opponent. The game ends when all squares are occupied by pieces or no player can make a legal move.


How to place pieces

Reversi is played with special pieces, one side is white and the other side is black. If the player is to move, he/she places a piece on the game board with his/her color facing up. The player cannot place a piece anywhere - he/she must capture one or more opponent's pieces by each move. Captured pieces are turned over (their color changes) and become the player's pieces. If the player cannot capture any opponent's piece in the current position, he/she must pass this move to the opponent.
The only exception are the first two moves when no piece can be captured and both players must place the pieces on four circles in the center of the board. After all four circles are occupied, the rules How to capture opponent's pieces (see below) are applied.


How to capture opponent's pieces

The player must place his/her piece to surround horizontally, vertically or diagonally a solid row of opponent's pieces by his/her two pieces. The following picture shows an example of white capturing black pieces (before and after white move).

  

The next picture demostrates that the player can capture opponent's pieces in more directions at once (before and after white move).

  


Other important rules

• If the player cannot make a legal move, he is notified about this situation by a message "You cannot make a move" and must pass this move to his/her opponent by performing an "empty" move - clicks on one of sending buttons. Such move is displayed as "pass" in the game notation.
• The previous rule is not applied if the opponent cannot make a legal move as well. In such situation, the game is automatically finished.

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See also: Reversi 6x6, Reversi 8x8, Reversi 10x10, Anti Reversi