Othello Game Strategy Essays - Abstract Strategy Games, Go, Reversi

Othello: Game Strategy OTHELLO PROJECT Othello is a game very similar to tic tac toe. In both games you must flank your opponent diagonally, vertically, horizontally, or orthogonally (any row or line.) A strategy without voluntary pass is described here. (voluntary pass is where you give up one move, or lose a turn.) THE COMPUTER AND ITS MOVES The computer will at the beginning of the game make short moves, which are moves which include less than 5 stones changing hands. These are setup moves. You, on the other hand, make long moves for points, while the computer is sitting, waiting patiently for you to finish. So, do not make very long moves at the beginning of the game. Keep yourself to making short moves, and NEVER put a stone where the computer has another one on the end. Example:You see a row of 5 black stones, with a white stone on the end, and beside that white stone a black. You of course, would put a white stone at the end with the 5 black stones, but that is a bad mistake. Go to the side with the one black (a setup move so the computer cannot capitalize when you turn 5 black stones white, and the computer your seven whites black. Always play within your set "square". If you had on the bottom row 3 white, and on the second row 2 blacks, you would only play within that designated square, which is 3 x 3 stones. (see diagram.) This ensures that the computer can only play one stone past the square at any time, which will help you in predicting where the computer will move and a basic strategy. Always try to keep yourself to one move to win (if you could have two moves in a row, you would win something to zero.) Don't have long rows of white connecting to one black. If you do, the computer can get up to 6 in one move. GAME OVERVIEW STRATEGY FIRST MOVE:Always move north or south. North and south means top or bottom, and east and west means horizontally. Then calculate where your square will be and wait for the computer to make its move. SETUP MOVES:For the next 10 or so moves, or until the board is about half full, restrict yourself to only short moves. These will setup yourself for long ones. Also, keep yourself to one move to win. The one move to win system is effective for winning close to moderately close games. Eventually the computer will make one long move that will mess up your short setup moves, but after that go for blocking the computer instead of points. If you can successfully block the computer, going for points will be unnecessary. The points will make themselves if you block properly. Also, once in a while fall behind to setup moves if you are stuck. Be careful that you do not fall behind too much though! MOVES FOR POINTS:After the board is about half full, or you've made about 10 or so moves, it is time for getting some points. If you have setup yourself properly, you should see several long moves which will effectively obliterate the computer. After this stage, you should be leading by at least fifteen points or more. When you have reached that goal (I would go for more, at least twenty, if possible) there should be less than 7 spaces on the board. If there isn't, keep going until there is. FINAL BLOW:Now you should just watch yourself. Don't make foolish moves where the computer can connect for more than 5 points. If it was inevitable, just leave it. If you then keep blocking properly, you should win easily. NOTES You are using the same strategy the computer would use on you. (basically the same.) The computer has the advantage of passing moves whenever it wants, but it will not likely unless the game is close or hopeless, or there are no legal moves for it to make. You can make yourself lose something to zip. Completed short moves by the computer can easily be changed into long ones, by the same method described above. (page one, paragraph two.)