Reversi Strategy: Corner Control and the Parity Trick

New Reversi players chase disc count early — strong players chase position. Here's what actually wins games.

Corners are permanent

A disc in a corner can never be flanked, because there's no square beyond it in any direction. Controlling corners gives you a stable anchor to build flips from later. Avoid handing your opponent a corner just to flip a few extra discs early.

Be careful next to corners

The squares diagonally adjacent to a corner ("X-squares") are dangerous — playing there often lets your opponent flank into the corner itself. Early in the game, avoid them unless you have a specific reason.

Having fewer discs early is often good

Counter-intuitively, having a low disc count in the opening and midgame usually means you have more legal moves and more flexibility. Don't panic if you're "behind" on the scoreboard at move 20 — it often flips completely in the endgame.

The parity trick

In the final stretch, whoever is forced to move into a weak square first often loses the initiative. Counting how many empty squares remain (parity) can tell you whether you want to move now or pass the initiative to your opponent — useful when you're deciding between two similarly-safe moves.

Play Reversi on GAMEAREA and put these ideas to the test.