The Traditional Board Game Series Leaflet #14: Reversi

REVERSI
Bell, R. C. Discovering Old Board Games, p. 37. Aylesbury: Shire by Damian Walker
Publications Ltd., 1973.
Parlett, D. The Oxford History of Board Games, pp. 178-180. Oxford:
Oxford University Press, 1999.
Pritchard, D. Brain Games: The World's Best Games for Two, pp. 145-
150. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd., 1982.
Copyright © Damian Walker 2011 - http://boardgames.cyningstan.org.uk/

Board Games at CYNINGSTAN

Traditional Board Game Series
(Second Edition)
4 Leaflet #14
 The Traditional Board Game Series Leaflet #14: Reversi The Traditional Board Game Series Leaflet #14: Reversi

Placing Pieces show the player's own colour.

INTRODUCTION & HISTORY 9. It is possible to enclose two
4. In the initial phase of the or more lines of enemy pieces sim-
The game of reversi was patented in In 1968 the game was reinven-
game, the four central squares must ultaneously; all of the enclosed
1888, though it strongly resembles ted in Japan, as Othello. Since then
be filled. White places a piece in pieces are turned over.
an earlier game of 1870, Annexa- it has gained immense popularity, at
one of them, white face upwards. 10. If a player cannot legally
tion, on which it was probably first in Japan. More recently it has
Black places a piece in another of place a piece, he misses his turn.
based. This product of the Victori- been a popular subject for program-
them, black face upwards.
an board game boom remained pop- mers of computers and mobile
5. White and black then place Ending the Game
ular until World War I, after which phones, spreading its popularity
two further pieces in the remaining
it was largely forgotten. across the world. 11. The game is over when
central squares in the same manner.
neither player can
HOW TO PLAY Two possible pat-
place a piece.
terns are possible,
The original game of reversi differs the chequered pattern can be dis- Typically this hap-
shown in Illustra-
slightly from the later Othello. The tracting. pens when:
tion 1. Play then
latter is still commercially available, 2. There are 64 pieces, each of (i). the board
passes to the main
so it is the rules of reversi that are which is coloured white on one side is full; or
phase, white tak-
given here. and black on the other, allowing a (ii). the pieces
ing the first turn.
piece to change colour during play. are all of one col-
Setting up the Game 6. In his turn a
3. Two players take part, one our, so neither
player places a
being referred to as white and the player can enclose
1. Reversi is played on a board single piece, with
other as black. The white player his opponent.
split into 8 rows of 8 squares. A his own colour
takes the first turn. 12. The win-
chess board may be used, but a non- face upwards.
ner is the player
chequered board is preferable, as 7. A piece
who has the most
must be placed so
Illustration 2: a white piece placed at A pieces showing his
that it and a com- would capture the black pieces and turn
colour at the end
rade enclose a line them white. of the game.
of one or more
Draws are possible, but unlikely.
pieces of the opponent. A line of
enclosed pieces may run horizont- Variations
ally, vertically or diagonally, as
shown in Illustration 2. It is possible to play reversi on a
8. The enclosed pieces are then 6×6 board with 36 pieces, or a
captured, by turning them over to 10×10 board with 100.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Readers wanting to know more about reversi would gain benefit from the
Illustration 1: the two possible starting positions in reversi. following books.

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