Reversi games. Rules of the game Board game Reversi

One of my victories. I (black) beat some player with a score of 60:4 :)

Reversi is a game with an ancient history. The game was invented in Great Britain in 1880. The game was very famous, but unfairly forgotten.

It was revived in Japan under the name "Othello" in 1971. Since 1977, tournaments have been regularly held on it.

The rules of reversi are very simple, but you can improve your game all your life. The most important thing in Othello, as in general, in most games, is experience. Remember - playing less than 50 times is practically useless! The first 50-60 times I lost.

Reversi game rules

Purpose of the game

The goal of the game is simple - by the end of the game, you should have more chips on the board than your opponent.

Reversi (Othello) is played on an 8x8 board with two contrasting colors - for example, black and white. The chip is painted on one side in one color, on the other in another.

Rules

You surround the opponent's pieces on both sides vertically, horizontally and diagonally. With every move you obliged do it, whether you like it or not, but if you just don't have a move, then you miss it. Then the turn passes to the opponent.

Black moves first (which is very unusual).

Variants of the game reversi

Reversi n × n

game on the field n × n cells. It differs from the 8 × 8 game in that chips of the same color at the beginning of the game are placed not in a checkerboard pattern, but side by side. There are variants of reversi with a field size of 10 × 10 or more. They do not differ from ordinary ones in anything, except for the size of the field.

In general, options smaller than 8 × 8 are of no interest, since they are deterministic and, with an ideal strategy, the second player (the one who moves second) always wins.

Antireversi

It differs only in that when summing up the results of the game, the one who has fewer chips wins.

Reversi with a black hole

The only difference is that one of the cells on the board (randomly selected at the beginning of the game) is marked as a black hole. At the same time, a move cannot be made on it, and chips on one side of such a cell cannot capture chips on the other.

A bit about the strategy of the game

Reversi is a very diverse game. Despite its ease of use, it is very complex. You can play it all your life, and even a little more.

The most important thing for a beginner is. This word should be super-bold and underlined 100 times. Remember that in general, beginners try to simply turn over as many pieces as possible with each move. . With this strategy, you will almost always lose, unless the same beginner is playing with you.

For starters, just grab the corners and edges. I played on this strategy for a very long time, received the title of "Good Player". But the experts easily beat me with a strategy that was incomprehensible to me.

The next level of the game (in my opinion) - surrender everything, and by the end of the game, at the same time receive everything . You can hand over the sides, but in no case not corners. Now I play with this strategy, but for now it reminds " give everything and get nothing" :) But I persist in playing this strategy, and it starts to give in to me.

Remember once and for all - experience is especially important in reversi. I repeat this for you to remember. The article will expand with the expansion of my experience. Later, I'll show you some side tricks that I learned after losing heavily with devastating scores.

A bit of boasting - I once beat a beginner with a score of 64:0 :)

BGA (Board Game Arena)

Screenshot of the BGA website while playing Reversi.

This is a site where you can play many different games, including Reversi, online with players from different countries. Link .

On this site you can try out more than 2 dozen games before buying! You don't have to pay anything for the game - you can play as much as you want with people from all over the world!

My name is yaroslav, I go there quite often. The avatar shows a portrait of one hero from "Andor" (my review of this game at the link), named Thorn. I'm really looking forward to the Russian players in Reversi!

In my opinion, in any store there should be at least one version of reversi. And so it turned out!

World Championships

Here is a list of all Reversi World Championships:

User rating 5 out of 5 (total 5 votes)

Chess games and checkers are valued in the gaming environment for the possibility of intellectual development. But there is another table entertainment, the basis of which is also a standard checkered chessboard (8X8) - "Reversi", available to everyone in the online version. Learning to play this game is easy. Its rules are simple, but this does not mean that the gameplay will not require intellectual effort, just the opposite, especially at the first stages of acquaintance with a new interesting hobby.

The essence of the game

Two players take part in Reversi. One plays with black pieces, the second - with white pieces. The arrangement of chips on the battlefield is different from chess and. If in these games all the pieces are placed in a row at the same time, then here, first, four pieces of opponents are positioned on the board. Black takes the board coordinates (D5; E4), white - (D4; E5). (Fig. 1)

In Reversi, the figures are called barrels. When making a move, the player must place his keg between the chip of his color already on the board and a continuous line (horizontal, vertical or diagonal) of the opponent's kegs, as if covering the opponent's chips from both sides. The number of overlapped opponent's chips is not important - the more, the better. In this case, you can close several such lines in one move.

Stages of the game in "Reversi"

• beginning (debut) - placing barrels on the field, overlapping the first five rows (barrels) of the opponent;
• middle (middle game) - when half of the chips are placed on the field or beaten - the most difficult round, when you can take winning positions or miss them;
• result (endgame) - the absence of moves from one of the opponents, the counting of pieces on the battlefield.

The game in "Reversi" is simpler than chess and more interesting than checkers. The use of strategic miscalculations helps to put the kegs on the battlefield in terms of advantageous positions compared to the enemy.

How to play Reversi?

In Reversi, the rules of the game are as follows:

• first, the computer determines by automatic lottery method which of the participants gets black and white kegs;
• then the players put their four chips in the starting positions;
• further, the first move according to the rules belongs to the participant who got the black pieces;
• there are 64 chips in total, therefore, four pieces are on the battlefield, and the rest are 28 pieces outside it;
• to make a move on the field means to close the passage to the opponent with a chip taken off the field, exposing it in such a way that between one of your chips and another (exposed) a tunnel is formed, filled with the opponent's barrels (only one barrel can be placed on the field in one move);
• all closed (beaten) kegs from the battlefield are taken by the walking player, i.e. exchanges opponent's pieces for his own; At the same time, the opponent's kegs that are between your kegs change both in a straight line and diagonally. The number of changing kegs is not limited, as well as the number of closed lines;
• if the players have the opportunity to move with chips, that is, not all moves are blocked by the opponent, then they do not have the right to refuse their move;
• if all moves are blocked, then the participant skips a move;
• the battle continues until all the opponent's kegs are closed.

A couple of examples: if in Fig. 2 Black's current move - when placing a black chip on A8 - two rows of white chips will go to Black - from A2 to A7 and from B8 to G8, then the counting of the number of chips for each player will begin. The second example in Fig. 3 - if you put a black chip on cell D3 - chips will go to black: E3, E4 and D4

Strategic maneuvers in Reversi

• Capturing corner cells - this strategy involves starting to occupy the field with your barrels from the corner cells.
• Blocking the opponent's possible moves means placing kegs in such a way that the opponent makes profitable moves not in his favor, but in favor of his opponent.
• Tempo - protection by the player of positions favorable for himself, preventing the enemy from making a move in a certain segment of the field.

You need to know how to use these strategies, they are often used by beginners in Reversi, and experience comes only with practice. Professional gamers use their well-established tactics, feeling the advantage of each position in advance.

Outcome of the game

The end of the game is marked by the inability of the opponents to make a move. In this case, the number of pieces of participants who occupy certain positions on the battlefield is calculated. Whose chips are more, he is the winner.

In a situation where the number of positioned pieces on the battlefield is the same, a draw is declared. The number of barrels on the field determines the number of points scored.

Participation in the "Reversi" tournament means playing in several games. The result in this case is summed up by the result of several games played with different opponents. The result of each participant of each game played is recorded in a summary table, which allows you to quickly calculate all the points scored and determine the winner of the tournament.

Remaining characters:

Rating: 5 out of 5

A new but interesting game for me. from the category of checkers, but the rules are very different.

Rating: 5 out of 5

The game uses a square board of 8 × 8 cells (all cells can be the same color) and 64 special pieces, painted on different sides in contrasting colors, for example, white and black. At the beginning of the game, 4 pieces are placed in the center of the board: black on d5 and e4, white on d4 and e5.

• Black makes the first move. The players then move in turn.
• When making a move, the player must place his chip on one of the cells of the board in such a way that between this placed chip and one of the chips already on the board of his color there is a continuous row of opponent's chips, horizontal, vertical or diagonal (in other words, so that a continuous row of chips opponent turned out to be "closed" by the player's chips on both sides). All opponent's chips included in the "closed" row on this move are turned over to the other side (change color) and go to the player who moved
• If, as a result of one move, more than one row of enemy chips is “closed” at the same time, then all the chips that are on all “closed” rows are turned over.
• The player has the right to choose any of the possible moves for him. If a player has possible moves, he cannot refuse a move. If a player has no legal moves, then the move is passed to the opponent.
• The game ends when all the pieces are placed on the board or when none of the players can make a move. At the end of the game, the chips of each color are counted, and the player whose chips are placed on the board more is declared the winner. In case of equality in the number of chips, a draw is counted.

Top button bar

Move back, Move forward- allows you to undo and redo moves in a game with a computer.

A new game– start a new game with the computer.

Additional buttons in co-op

Offer a draw allows you to send a draw offer to the sorpenik. If he agrees, the game will be completed as a draw, while the number of points for both players will not change;

surrender- ends the game (defeat counts).

Leave the game- allows you to immediately end the current game (defeat counts).

Bottom button bar

Settings- opens the settings menu where you can:

• Choose the color of the figures;
• Change the difficulty level of the computer;
• Enable or disable various hints;
• Turn sound on or off;
• Prevent other players from inviting you to the game;
• Open the black list of players.

Story- the history of all your games with the date of the game, the opponent and his place in the ranking.

The games you won are marked in yellow, the games you lost are marked in red, and the games you ended in a draw are marked in blue.

An asterisk marks games that you have added to your favorites.

Points are awarded only for victories over opponents (no points are awarded for draws and victories over the computer).

Elo rating system, Elo coefficient - a method of calculating the relative strength of players in games in which two players participate. This rating system was developed by Arpad Elo, an American physics professor of Hungarian origin.

In your personal account, you can specify additional information about yourself, upload a photo, change your password, as well as store and carry out personal correspondence with other registered players.

You can play without registering as a guest. After registration and / or authorization, you will get access to your personal account and will be able to send private messages to other players.

To register, you just need to enter a name (at least 3 characters) and a password (at least 5 characters). If such a name is already registered in the game, you will have to choose a different one.

The board game Reversi is popular all over the world and is often compared to strategic pastimes such as chess, checkers and backgammon. Like other "smart" battles on the boards, this game is a duel type and has pieces of different colors. The first difference that catches the eye of fans of these games is that the round pieces in the game are colored on both sides. Both colors create a contrast, for example, the top is white and the bottom is black.

Reversi trains mindfulness and teaches you to think strategically. Only correctly built tactics and the ability to quickly adapt to the changing situation on the playing field will allow the participants to become a winner in every battle. Beginners will have to practice before they can skillfully beat experienced players.

Appearance

Game description

The name of the game Reversi first appeared in England in 1880. According to some versions, the inhabitants of Great Britain were inspired by checkers, but the game of Othello also reminds other entertainments that were popular in those days. Later, the set was forgotten, but only for a while. Mention of him reappeared several decades later. In 1971, the set was recreated under a new name - Othello, in Japan.

It was after this that he received a world calling, and since 1977, world championships began to be held on it. The first such battle took place in Monte Carlo, France. Since then, competitions have been held every year in Europe, Asia and North America.

playing field

Although the game is often compared to chess, there are far fewer versions of the game's possible set-up. In a board game, flippers (another name for reversi) also distinguish three stages of the battle: opening (or beginning), middlegame (designation of the middle part of the game) and endgame (end). Due to the limited choice of openings, it is easier to play the set, because even a beginner will not need time to memorize these layouts.

The middlegame is considered the most difficult phase of the game, because there are much fewer restrictions on moves than in other parts of the battle. It is at this moment that the participant consolidates his position or changes the situation on the board in his favor. Even if in the middle of the game the participant did not manage to break out of the laggards, there is still a chance at the end of the game.

To be the winner at the end, you need to make each move carefully and consider the possible consequences. Any erroneous action can deprive you of an advantage. Entry into the endgame depends on the end of the middlegame. It is the need to calculate possible lineups and tactics to win that makes computers such good players: they can find all the versions many times faster than a person can. Remember that you are not a machine and take your time when making a decision in order to win against your opponent.

Game set

Strategies

Among the tactics of the game in Reversi, it is difficult to single out one "best". Each of them exists for certain types of players and is selected according to their level. Beginners love the corner capture version: it gives certain advantages and does not allow the enemy to "repaint" the occupied corners.

For the intermediate level, the strategy of "locking" the opponent is suitable in order to limit his ability to make a move. This is how you back the player into a corner and go at a measured pace in victory. Tactics allows you to control the situation on the board.

For professionals, there is also a large selection of strategies. One of them is called "tempo tactics". To learn this way of playing, you have to feel the game, so a beginner will not succeed. When you begin to understand each stage and quickly analyze the actions of opponents, you can learn to use this tactic. Its main idea is to quickly understand the moves of the enemy and take the initiative. You must quickly figure out your opponent's thought and "steal" his best moves, making them your own. So you can knock him out of his thoughts, gain an advantage and make it impossible to continue the strategy.

The total number of tactics for the board game Othello is numerous. It takes a lot of experience to learn them. If you are interested in entertainment and want to understand how to play, you can read Brian Rose's book, which describes popular strategies and methods for using them. "Othello: a minute and learning ... A whole life for improvement" - this is the name of the most popular guide to the tactics of the Reversi game.

What's in the set?

Plastic variant

In the game set with black and white chips you will find:

Rules and course of the game

The rules of the Reversi game are considered simple and are designed for children from eight years old. To understand them, it is enough for the participants to make the first couple of moves. The same cannot be said about the strategy of the battle, because in order to understand it, you need to go through the whole battle many times from and to. Only the participant who "feels" the moves (his own and the opponent's) will be considered a professional.

At the initial level, the battle seems simple, because it is difficult to see all the possible tactics. As the skill increases, players notice new ways to defeat the enemy and their actions become more intricate. Therefore, the battle between a beginner and an experienced participant can be considered not fair.

One of the game positions

In the strategy of playing Reversi, you always need to understand which cell to put a chip in in order to gain a tactical and strategic advantage. Therefore, all cells on the playing field have alphabetic and numerical designations. Latin letters are indicated vertically, and numbers are indicated horizontally, as is done on a chess playing field.

In Othello, the participants use chips each of their own color. One takes the whites, the other takes the blacks. Making a move, the player places a chip on the field with the color he got. If an agreement cannot be reached, you can play the right to own the white color by drawing lots.

Beginning of the game

To start a "monochrome" battle, lay out the board in the center of the table so that all participants can reach it. Put the pieces in their starting positions: White on d5 and e4, and four on d4 and e5.

Unlike most similar entertainments, the owner of the black army makes the first step. By exposing each new chip, you lock the already exposed ranks of the enemy. The main criterion is precisely the presence of a single opponent's line: you can add a new piece to the edge of the board if there is not a single opponent's chip nearby. If he posted one, you can place yours on any side of the row, including vertically or horizontally.

When a player locks an opponent's row, he turns his army to his side. Chips change color and pass into the power of a new owner. This happens with each closed line: if there were several of them on this move, they all change color.

As in backgammon, the player must make his move whenever possible. The rule applies even when adding a chip is disadvantageous to the owner. When a participant can make several versions of a move, he himself has the right to choose how to play his chip. If there are no options for a move, the action is transferred to the opponent.

One of the finals

The goal of each reversi player is to fill the field with their color. The battle ends when no one can make a move. Then everyone counts their exposed chips. The winner is the participant whose army has more "fighters".

If you have already practiced in the normal versions of board fights, you can complicate the task and start looking for the right moves against the clock. With progress, the turn time can be reduced. Such a Reverse will be similar to the version of rapid chess.

Who will like it?

The board game Reversi Othello is designed for children from eight years old and can brighten up any family evening. The adults will be just as passionate about trying to conquer the field as the younger generation. Due to the original mechanics, the game will be a good gift for a birthday and any other holiday.

Two people can fight for a place on the board at the same time. Everything happens slowly, so opponents can safely carry on a dialogue while drinking tea before going to bed. You will like the game if you like a measured rest. The set will also interest fans of strategic games such as chess and backgammon.

Video review

If you liked the description of the Reversi board game and want to see what it looks like, watch a detailed video review of the battle mechanics.

Purpose of the game

Preparing for the game:

Game progress

End of the game