Othello board game uk

In both its originally named form and the newer trademark this game has become very popular on computers as much as in board format. Often referred to as a game of abstract strategy, Othello can only be played as a 2 player game. Made up of 8 rows and 8 columns, the board is populated with pieces from both players in turn. Players battle to finish the game with more of their own pieces on the board than their opponent. The game is classed as finished when there are no spaces left on the board or there are no more possible legal moves for either competitor.

Both players begin the game with two pieces on the board in the four centre squares. No two matching colours are connected vertically or horizontally so a miniature chequered pattern is made. In the typical set ups where it is black versus white the person using black chips must make the first move. All flipped discs are now black. If Black decides to place a disc in the topmost location, one white disc gets flipped, and the board now looks like this:. Now White plays.

This player operates under the same rules, with the roles reversed: White lays down a white disc, causing black discs to flip. Possibilities at this time would be:. Players alternate taking turns. If a player does not have any valid moves, play passes back to the other player. When neither player can move, the game ends. A game of Othello may end before the board is completely filled.

The player with the most discs on the board at the end of the game wins. If both players have the same number of discs, then the game is a draw. 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. Play begins and continues, by placing a disc of your assigned colour face-up and flanking the opposing colour with a disc already in play. All discs trapped between yours, horizontally, vertically and diagonally get flipped over and become your colour.

If you cannot place a legitimate disc you miss a go. The winner is the player that wipes out the opponent's colour, or more likely, the player with the most discs in their colour once the board is full. Having played Othello for over two and a half decades I can state confidently that the game's strapline of, 'A minute to learn… a lifetime to master! I can teach someone who's never played the game how to very quickly, but frankly, it's unlikely they'll beat me on their first go.

I still haven't mastered it though! Apparently, I only will just before I'm dead! I assume it will go something like: How did Nick die? He finally mastered Othello and he just keeled over. There are worse ways to go I suppose. The box says seven years plus, and that's spot on. That hopefully gives you plenty of life to master it!

My year-old particularly loves it, and my eight-year-old certainly enjoys it too. Although the younger players tend to go for the strategy of how many discs can be flipped in one turn. Even if all the discs will be turned straight back over on the next turn.

If you're looking for a game with a level playing field regardless of ability there are other games that do this much better. I hasten to add that despite the age range this isn't just a game for the younger players. For the slightly more advanced player there is enough strategy behind it to make you consider your moves. Most players soon realise the importance of edges and corners to dictate a game, but further tactics and the general ebb and flow makes the game enjoyable.

You can be hugely disadvantaged if you don't have the strategy or moves to give you a better chance of winning. A bit like playing chess, games can be slightly one-sided.

Game time is around 15 minutes and you'll be flipping more discs than you do pancakes on Shrove Tuesday. The discs are satisfying as playing pieces. They have this gentle undulation so they just feel nice in the fingers. The board has changed over the years. My modern game doesn't have the covers to stop the discs from exiting their containers and jiggling around the box. However, it offsets this by having a green baize-like playing board with ridges in the grid to stop the discs slip sliding around whilst flipping them over, a definite improvement on the flat boards of times gone by.

Can Othello keep pace in the 21st century? It's a completely fabricated fact that the band Blazin' Squad used Othello as the inspiration for their song 'Flip Reverse'.