The "Common Sense" to Throw Out First

Othello is won by having more discs. So most beginners flip as many of the opponent's discs as they can, as early as they can. And yet that's the surest way to lose.

The count that matters is the disc count at the end of the game. However many you hold along the way is irrelevant. In fact, through the opening and middlegame, having fewer discs is usually better.

Why "Taking Fewer" Is Stronger

The reason is mobility — the number of legal moves you have. When your discs are few and clustered toward the center, your opponent struggles to find discs of yours to flank, and their legal moves steadily dry up.

Spread your discs early, and you do the opposite: you hand the opponent more "targets" to flank, increasing their options.

🔑 The mobility principle Keep your own moves plentiful and your opponent's scarce. Judge the position by the number of playable squares, not by disc count.

Once your opponent runs out of moves, you can force them to pass, or force them into a move they don't want to make (like handing you a corner). This is the foundation of winning Othello.

Don't Build "Walls"

A long, connected row or diagonal of your own discs is called a wall. Walls give the opponent safe squares to play just outside them, and force you to keep handing over corners and edges every time you move.

In the opening, keep your discs compact near the center and avoid spreading carelessly toward the edges.

Frontier Discs — Mind the "Openness"

When a move flips discs, count the number of empty squares adjacent to the discs you flipped. This "openness" (or frontier) matters: a move with high openness (lots of empty space around it) generally gives the opponent more replies and is considered a loss.

You don't need to count precisely as a beginner. Just remember that a move that flips a big group out in open space is risky, and you'll naturally pick better moves.

Priorities at a Glance

When in doubt, think in this order and you won't go far wrong.

  1. If you can take a corner, take it (almost always good).
  2. Choose the move that reduces your opponent's options.
  3. Keep your discs few and central.
  4. Don't casually play next to a corner (X- and C-squares).
  5. Distrust any move that flips a lot of discs.
💡 Improvement tip In Game Dojo, every move is scored — Best, Good, OK, Mistake, Blunder. If you flip a big pile of discs and get a Mistake, that's the "took too many" signal. Watch the ratings and develop your feel for taking fewer.

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