Othello is the western version of an ancient Chinese game called Go, which is played on a much larger board, has slightly different rules and is about a million times harder. If Go is meant to simulate a war, Othello is the battle. Othello is one of those games that it only takes a few moments to learn, but a lifetime to master.
The basic strategy is simple: capture your opponent’s pieces by sandwiching them between your own. And you must never, I repeat, never forget that the corners are crucial and, in many, though certainly not all, cases they can make or break the match.
In Othello, the tide can turn at any moment and your biggest advantage can cripple you, leaving you in a tough spot. If you aren't careful, just when you think you are winning, you can lose half of your pieces.
Othello, and to a far greater extent, Go, can reveal your inner workings and the inner workings of you opponent. Your strategy says a lot about how you go about getting the things that you want. There are a variety of strategies, ranging from sitting back and patiently waiting for your opportunity to steal the advantage or laying traps for your opponent all the way to a full out offensive The full offensive is the strategy that a great many beginning players adopt, before moving
on to more advanced and, in many cases, more risky strategies as they become more comfortable and familiar with the game.
I have found that the full offensive strategy is the easiest to read and foil and, by far, the easiest to bait into giving up critical positions, such as the first piece along one of the sides and the corners. In the end, the player with the most pieces on the board is declared the victor. You do not win any spoils, but there is an indescribable sense of pride that is bestowed upon you when you win your first match.
When I sit down to play this game, it usually ties me up for an hour or two, especially if I'm losing. I would recommend this game for people who value strategy over graphics and value the small victory and endless playability over beating an entire game and saving the world and what not. A word of criticism for computerized matches: you can advance slightly beyond your hardest opponent.
