Desdemona (Patreon)

I started playing Othello again recently. It’s also known as Reversi, the only difference being that Othello has a standardized opening. I played it with my mom quite a bit as a kid. I was bad at it and used the losing strategy of trying to flip over as many discs as possible. My mom taught me that the game is more about positioning and forcing opponents to make less than ideal moves. This often leads to one capturing the corners and causes the board to flip in their favor. That knowledge helped, but it took me a long time to implement it in-game. Eventually, I was able to beat her at a few games. I pick it back up every few years and try to get a little bit better. I’ve been playing more frequently now in an attempt to internalize the things I learn better.

I’ve been practicing on three different versions, just for kicks. The first up is Pocket Reversi for the Neo Geo Pocket Color. It’s a clean and simple version with a five level AI that puts up a fight from the get-go. There are also some tips and techniques to learn contained in the Dr Reversi section. The lessons are succinct, but very helpful. They improved my game when I read them for the first time decades ago. Each AI is assigned a profile picture that frowns or smiles depending on the moves made. There’s also a cool Skill Assessment Mode that requires playing multiple games with different AI levels to get a ranking. I’ve also been playing on an old Radio Shack LCD version. I bought this a while back in a different Othello phase. It’s a black rectangle with a soft plastic flip cover. I think it’s kind of slick in an eighties/early nineties sort of way. It has three skill levels and I can beat the first two fairly regularly. The third level still gives me some trouble. Lastly, I’ve been playing with friends on eothello.com. This is my first time using the site. It’s cleanly designed, free, and easy to use. It gives players a generous 72 hours between turns as the default, so it has a low time commitment. It’s nice to put some strategy to the test against humans instead of computers.

So, that’s been keeping me busy! If anyone wants to play a game, I’m pxlsicle on eothello.com    

-Ian