How to Play Reversi

By Jaques of London · Est. 1795 · Updated 2026-08-17

Reversi is a two-player abstract strategy game played on an 8x8 grid using 64 double-sided discs, each coloured black on one side and white on the other. Players take turns placing discs and flipping their opponent's pieces, so the lead can swing dramatically right up to the final move.

Its appeal lies in that tension: a commanding position can collapse in a single turn, which keeps both players engaged from first move to last. The game needs no reading, no language, and no luck, making it genuinely accessible to children and adults alike. It is played at kitchen tables, in clubs, and in organised competition worldwide.

A little history

The precise origins of Reversi are unclear and have been disputed for well over a century. It is widely documented that the game was being played and sold in England in the 1880s, with two individuals, Lewis Waterman and John W. Mollett, both claiming invention around that period. Regardless of who created it, the game gained a following in Victorian England and has been played continuously since. A standardised competitive variant with a fixed opening position became popular in Japan from the 1970s onwards and spread internationally through organised tournament play.

Setting up

1. Place the board between both players so each has a corner of the board to their lower-right.
2. Place four discs in the four central squares: two black discs on d5 and e4, two white discs on d4 and e5, forming a 2x2 square with matching colours on diagonals.
3. Decide which player takes black. Black always moves first.

How to play

1. Black takes the first turn. Players then alternate turns throughout the game.
2. On your turn, place one disc of your colour on any empty square such that it completes a straight line (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal) with another disc of your colour, with one or more of your opponent's discs lying uninterrupted between the two.
3. Every opponent disc that lies in any such straight line between your newly placed disc and an existing disc of your own colour is immediately flipped to your colour. Multiple lines can be captured in a single move.
4. You must make a move if any legal move exists. You may not pass while a legal move is available.
5. If you have no legal move, your turn is skipped and your opponent plays again. Play continues until neither player has a legal move.
6. The game ends when the board is full or when neither player can make a legal move, whichever comes first.

Winning and scoring

Count the discs on the board at the end of the game. The player whose colour shows on the most discs wins. With 64 discs in play, a win by 33 to 31 is perfectly possible, as is a decisive margin such as 60 to 4. If both players have exactly 32 discs the game is a draw.

The fine points

The most common dispute concerns the obligation to flip: every captured line must be flipped in the same turn. A player cannot choose to flip only some eligible lines. If a newly placed disc creates captures in three directions simultaneously, all three sets of discs must be turned. Forgetting to flip a line is a correctable error if caught immediately; once the opponent has placed their disc, the position stands in most informal play, though tournament rules may differ.

A second frequent question is what happens when one player runs out of discs mid-game. If a player has no discs left on the board but the game has not ended, their turn is simply skipped; they do not resign and they do not receive extra discs. In practice this situation is rare on a standard board but it is worth agreeing the ruling before play starts.

How to win more often

• Prioritise corners: a disc in any corner cannot be flipped for the rest of the game, making corners the most valuable squares on the board.
• Avoid placing discs on the squares directly adjacent to a corner (the C-squares and X-squares) unless you are certain your opponent cannot then take that corner.
• Aim to keep your disc count low in the early and middle game. Fewer discs on the board mean fewer pieces your opponent can use as anchors to flip you.
• Edge squares are stable once both neighbouring corners in that row or column are taken, so building along an edge after securing a corner is a strong plan.
• Think ahead about mobility: leaving your opponent with many legal moves tends to backfire, as each move is an opportunity to flip you. Restricting their options is often more valuable than simply flipping the most discs on your current turn.

Variations

Fixed Opening

Some players and tournament organisers specify that after the standard four-disc centre setup, black must play to d3 and white to c3 (or an equivalent defined first pair of moves), removing the element of choice from the opening and ensuring a consistent starting position. This avoids heavily analysed opening traps and is common in organised competitive play.

Reversed Reversi (Anti-Reversi)

The winning condition is inverted: the player with the fewest discs of their colour showing at the end of the game wins. All placement and flipping rules remain identical. This variant rewards a completely different strategic approach, as grabbing corners becomes a disadvantage rather than a goal.

Grand Reversi

Played on a larger board, typically 10x10 with the corresponding six starting discs in the centre, Grand Reversi extends the game length and increases the range of possible positions. The rules are otherwise identical, making it easy to learn for anyone who already knows the standard game.

Randomised Opening

Instead of the fixed 2x2 centre setup, the four starting discs are placed randomly (still in the four central squares but with random colour assignments). This introduces variety across games and prevents either player from relying on memorised opening lines, making each game a fresh challenge.

Reversi: frequently asked questions