Europe Chess Champion - GB - Page 28
6
Reversi
6.1
How to play Reversi
6.1.1
The board and pieces
In Reversi the players use a set of 64 discs, or playing pieces, which are coloured white on one
side and black on the other. At the start, the 8x8 board is empty. One player (“Black”) has 32
pieces with the black side turned up. His opponent (“White”) has 32 pieces with the white side
showing.
Whenever it is his turn, a player places one of his pieces, with his own colour uppermost, on a
vacant square of the board – provided he can do so according to the rules which will be explained.
6.1.2
Beginning the game
Black places a piece on one of the four central squares: d4, e4, d5 or e5. White responds by placing
a piece on another of these squares. Black then occupies a third central square, and White occupies
the
remaining
one.
At
this
point
there
are
two
possible
patterns:
6.1.3
Continuing the game
Play now continues according to the following rule:
When it is his turn, a player places a piece on the board in such a way that one or more pieces of
the opposite colour are enclosed, in an unbroken straight line, between this new piece and another
of the player’s own colour.
The line of pieces may be horizontal, vertical or diagonal.
So in the left-hand position (above), Black can insert a piece at f4, “sandwiching” the white
piece on e4 between the black ones on f4 and d4. Black could also play at f3, f5 or f6. In the
right-hand position, he can play at c5, d6, e3 or f4. The piece of the opposing colour,
“sandwiched” between the player’s new and old pieces, is flipped over to show the same
colour as the two pieces enclosing it.
