Basic Othello strategy

Corners and stable discs

Danger squares

Mobility

Although the rules of Othello are very simple, mastering the game is not easy. Below you will find a brief guide with concepts that will help you get started.According to the rules of Othello, once a disc is placed in a corner, that disc can never be flipped back (it is "stable"). Because of that, corners are the most valuable squares on the board. Once you have a corner, you can often build more adjacent stable discs around it. In the example below, Black has the corner at h8, and stable discs next to it.Within the Othello board there are squares that are safer than others. When starting a game, it is recommended to play within the 4x4 central area (marked by white translucent discs in the diagram below) when possible. It is often not recommended to move on the squares next to corners (marked by black translucent discs). Moving in these squares could give the opponent access to the adjacent corner.A common beginner mistake is to try to get as many discs as possible from the beginning. This is not a good strategy in Othello. A better strategy is to focus on limiting your opponent's options, while having many possible moves yourself. This is usually easier to achieve by having fewer discs. In the example below, White, with only one disc, can easily win the game in four moves.If you enjoy learning Othello and want to get better at the game, we recommend Brian Rose's book "Othello: a minute to learn... a lifetime to master" . Brian is the 2001 World Othello Champion and his is the most comprehensive book on Othello strategy ever published in English.