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| Although Othello can
be played on any size board the standard game uses a board with 64
squares (8x8). The opening position is shown in the diagram
opposite. The usual way of labelling the board is A-H along the top
and 1-8 down the side. Note that this is different from the method
used in games like chess. Using this method we can refer to any
square by the use of a letter and a number. For example, the top
left square is A1 and the bottom right square is H8. |
 |
| Each othello disc is
black on one side and white on the other. Black plays first (again
different from chess) and places a disc, black side uppermost, on
any square on the board such that he 'traps' at least one of his
opponents pieces between the disc he has just placed and any other
of his colour already on the board. Black's possible opening moves
are shown as 'x' in the diagram above. If, for example, black opens
with F5, he has trapped the white disc at E5 between the piece he
has just played (F5) and another black piece already on the board
(D5). The white disc at E5 is flipped to show the black side
uppermost. |
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The diagram opposite
shows a game in play. It is white to move and all possible moves are
numbered. It is possible to flip several discs on a single turn. For
example, a white move at 6 flips the black discs at C4, D4, E4, F4
and G4. You can flip discs horizontally, vertically or diagonally.
For example, a white move at 1 flips the black discs at C3 and D4.
It is even possible to flip discs in more than one direction on a
single move. For example, a white move at 10 flips the black discs
at F4, F5, F6 (vertically) and E6 (diagonally). It is important to
remember that you may only flip discs that lie between the disc you
have just placed and another of your colour already on the
board. |
| Taking the previous
example of a white move at 10, after white has flipped the 4 discs
mentioned the black discs at C4, D4 and E4 now lie between the white
disc at B4 and a disc you have just flipped at F4. However, you may
NOT flip the discs at C4, D4 and E4, even though they are now
trapped between two white discs, because neither of the two white
discs were played on this turn. Any discs flipped must lie in a
continuous line between the disc you have just placed and another
disc of your colour already on the board. For example, a white move
at 7 flips the black discs at B5 and C5 since they lie between the
disc you have just placed (A5) and a disc already on the board (D5).
However, you may NOT flip the disc at F5, even though it lies
between A5 and G5, because it does not lie in a continous line from
the disc you have just placed. |
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WINNING THE
GAME!
Play continues alternately. First
black, then white. If at any time a player does not have a legal
move i.e. there is nowhere he can play that flips one of his
opponent's discs, he must pass and his opponent plays again. It is
possible to pass several times in succession. When neither player
has a legal move (usually when the board is full but not always) the
game ends. The winner is the player with the most pieces of his
colour showing.
Othello® is a registered trademark of Anjar Co and
Character Games Ltd |
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