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Othello has fascinated me for many years. It is a game with only a few moves, yet
extremely complex to master. Unlike most board games the positional elements are
usually more important than the tactical combinations. If you are a newcomer to
the game then it may be worthwhile reading the tips section and studying the links
below.
Over my Christmas break 1997/98 I wrote my first Reversi program. I named it Edge
Reversi. It plays a good game by human standards.
For the technically minded, Edge Reversi uses an alpha-beta search with selective
extension. The evaluation function was created from a database of 10,000 games and
includes mobility, potential mobility, disc count, X/C square, stability and basic
parity. The development language is Borland Delphi; in my opinion the best development l
language for the PC (the Reversi board and engine are actually Delphi components!).
The following downloads are all version 1.1. You only need one of the files. The exe
is highly compressed so I would recommend that you download EdgeReversi.exe first.
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ZD Net
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Tucows
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| Othello / Reversi
Information |
| Other Recommended
Programs |
| Program |
Description |
| Flip-It |
Flip-It.
Again, an old but strong program. Also plays with alternative board
shapes. Runs under DOS and is shareware. |
| Zebra |
Zebra is
probably the strongest competitive program available and it is
freeware! Worth a look. Don't expect to beat it. |
Many
people have emailed me saying they are having difficulty beating Edge
Reversi. Here are some tips to help you play a better game!
| # |
Tip |
| 1 |
Corners are
good squares to control. This is probably most peoples first insight
into the game. If you control a corner it cannot be captured.
This provides an excellent base for expanding and winning the game. |
| 2 |
If the
corners are good, the squares next to the corners are bad. This is
because one always needs an opponents piece next to the corners if one is
going to capture the corner. |
| 3 |
Try to
maximise the number of moves that you could possibly make. If you do
this you will be able to avoid trouble and automatically minimise your
opponents moves. |
| 4 |
Early in the
game try to minimise the number of disks you have. This is counter
intuitive at first but by aiming to minimise your disks you will
automatically increase the number of moves you have available and reduce
the moves available for your opponent |
| 3 |
Search the
web for information about playing Reversi and Othello. Use the links
provided above. You could also use a search engine such as Hotbot,
Alta Vista or Northern
Lights. In addition there are a number online sites (e.g. the Zone)
where you can play Othello against other people. |
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