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.
Edge Reversi
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!).
You can download it here – Edge Reversi
Tips:
Many people have emailed me saying they are having difficulty beating Edge Reversi. Here are some tips to help you play a better game!
#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