How to Take Corners in Reversi and Why They Cannot Be Flipped

Sitting before a board after a long time often brings back faint childhood memories. Reversi rules are straightforward: on an 8x8 board, black and white discs are placed alternately, outflanking and flipping opposing discs, with the player holding the most discs at the end claiming victory. Yet once play begins, many wonder why they so often suffer late reversals.

The first step toward winning consistently as a beginner is understanding the logic of how to take reversi corners. Once secured, discs on the four corners of the board can never be reclaimed by an opponent. Let us calmly examine from the fundamentals why the four corners are so unique.

Why Corner Discs Can Never Be Flipped

To flip a disc in Reversi, you must outflank opposing discs from both sides with your own. For discs placed on the four corner squares at the board's edge (a1, h1, a8, h8), no squares exist beyond them. Because there is physically no opposite side from which to sandwich, your opponent simply cannot outflank them.

A disc placed in a corner remains yours until the end of the game. Furthermore, using a corner as a foothold to extend your discs along the edge ensures a growing, stable disc count that cannot be flipped.

Avoid Placing Discs on Dangerous Squares Next to Corners

Wanting a corner does not mean you can simply reach out and take it. The sound path to securing a corner lies in having the patience not to play into the squares diagonally adjacent to it yourself.

This diagram illustrates a position where Black has just played e3 to solidly fortify the central area. To give no openings to an opponent aiming for the a1 corner, it is crucial to direct your moves toward the interior of the board, just like e3.

A common mistake beginners make is leaping into dangerous squares like b2 diagonally adjacent to a corner, lured by the excitement of flipping many discs. Placing a disc on b2 while the corner is still open allows your opponent to outflank diagonally and easily claim the a1 corner on the next turn. Staying away from dangerous squares and quietly favoring the interior, as in e3, is the steady approach.

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Small dots mark valid squares, letting you play comfortably from move 1 while relearning the rules.

Narrowing Opponent Choices to Guide Them to Corners

While taking care not to play into dangerous squares yourself, next consider making your opponent play them. In Reversi, you must make a move as long as there is an outflanking square available; passing is permitted only when no valid moves exist.

This diagram shows the position right after Black played c6. By selecting squares on the board's interior like c6 to flip discs, you avoid adding discs on the perimeter that the opponent could outflank, effectively narrowing White's mobility on the next turn.

Once an opponent's choices run out, they will eventually have no option but to place a disc on a dangerous square that yields a corner. Key tips for cornering an opponent into such tough spots include:

• Do not take many discs in the opening phase: Holding too many discs gives your opponent more places to outflank.
• Concentrate discs inside the board: Leaving perimeter discs unflipped reduces your opponent's mobility.
• Wait patiently: When your opponent runs out of squares, they must play a dangerous square that surrenders a corner.

Regain Your Feel on a Solo Smartphone Board

Once you grasp the logic in your mind, playing solo on a board is the fastest way to improve. Having a setting where you can experiment calmly at your own pace without pressure makes the game enjoyable.

The smartphone Reversi app Legends (Reversi: Legends of Edo) is designed exclusively for portrait orientation, allowing you to journey alongside 50 opponents through to the end even offline without mobile signal. Because the AI thinks on-device, you can relax and play solo whenever you have free time without network worries.

Small dots indicate where you can play, helping anyone unsure of the rules proceed smoothly from their first move. After finishing, you can review the transcript 1 move at a time, making it easy to reflect on your play, such as noticing when an errant move handed over a corner.

Immersed in Edo atmosphere, why not travel from Nihonbashi toward Edo Castle while enjoying the deliberate tactical push and pull for corners?

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Tour Edo landmarks and play across the board against 50 opponents in the Reversi app Legends. With on-device AI, enjoy full matches even with no reception.