About Free Printable Reversi (Othello) Rules
Othello is the version with a fixed starting position, patented in Japan in 1971 by Goro Hasegawa and sold from 1973. The placing and flipping rules are the same, and the two names are now used almost interchangeably.
By the ToolFluency team · Updated October 2026
Reversi, also sold as Othello, is a 2-player strategy board game played on an 8 by 8 board with 64 discs that are dark on one side and light on the other. You place discs to trap lines of your opponent's discs and flip them to your color, and whoever has more discs showing their color when neither player can move wins. A game takes about 15 to 30 minutes, and the full printable rules sheet with board diagrams is on this page.
How to play Reversi
- Set up: put four discs on the centre squares: light on d4 and e5, dark on e4 and d5, so matching colors sit on opposite diagonals. Each player picks a color and keeps the spare discs within reach.
- Dark moves first. After that, players alternate turns.
- Place a disc: on your turn, put one disc of your color on an empty square so that it outflanks at least one opponent disc: a straight, unbroken line of their discs between your new disc and another disc of yours, horizontally, vertically or diagonally.
- Flip the trapped discs: turn every opponent disc you bracketed over to your color, in every direction your move outflanks, up to 8 directions at once. You must flip all of them, and discs you just flipped do not cause further flips.
- Pass only when forced: a move that would flip nothing is not legal. If you have no legal move you must pass and your opponent plays again; you rejoin as soon as a legal move opens up.
- End the game: play stops when neither player can make a legal move, usually when the board is full.
- Count discs: the player with more discs of their color showing wins. Any empty squares left go to the winner, and 32 to 32 on a full board is a tie.
Examples
Strategy tips
- Take the corners (a1, h1, a8, h8) whenever you can. A corner disc can never be outflanked, so it and the edges built from it stay yours for good.
- Avoid the squares diagonally next to an empty corner (b2, g2, b7, g7). Playing there usually hands your opponent the corner.
- Don't grab as many discs as possible early. Fewer discs in the middle game often means more choices later, while your opponent runs short of legal moves.
- Count your opponent's possible replies before you move and prefer moves that leave them only bad options or force a pass.
- Edges are strong but not automatically safe. An edge disc next to an empty square can still be flanked along that edge.
- Plan for parity at the end: try to arrange things so you make the last move in each empty region of the board.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Reversi and Othello?
Othello is the version with a fixed starting position, patented in Japan in 1971 by Goro Hasegawa and sold from 1973. The placing and flipping rules are the same, and the two names are now used almost interchangeably. Classic Reversi can also start from an empty board, with the first four moves played into the four centre squares before normal flanking begins.
Who goes first in Reversi, black or white?
Dark (black) moves first. The starting four discs are already on the board, with light on d4 and e5 and dark on e4 and d5.
Can you place a disc that doesn't flip anything?
No. Every move must outflank and flip at least one opponent disc. If you have no such move anywhere on the board, you must pass.
Can you choose which discs to flip?
No. You must flip every opponent disc that your placement legally brackets, in every direction. The discs you flip don't then check their own lines, so only the disc you placed causes captures.
Does an empty square break a line?
Yes. The opponent discs between your new disc and your existing disc must be continuous. A single empty square in the line means nothing is captured in that direction.
Can the game end before the board is full?
Yes. It ends as soon as neither player has a legal move, which can happen with empty squares left if none of them would flip a disc for either side. The empty squares are then counted for the winner.
What is Anti-Reversi?
It is a variant played with exactly the same moves, but the player with fewer discs of their color at the end wins. It turns the usual strategy upside down, since corners become a burden.
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