How to play

Play a match

1. Black starts. Place a disc on a dotted empty square.
2. One or more opponent discs must lie between your new disc and another disc of your color, in a straight row, column or diagonal. Every bracketed line flips.
3. If a player has no legal move, their turn passes automatically. Passing is required; it cannot be chosen while a legal move exists.
4. When neither side can play, the match ends, even if squares remain empty. The side with more discs wins. Equal counts draw.

Choose your opponent

Play the computer as Black or White, or choose two players on one screen. Choose Gentle or Steady computer difficulty. Match settings take effect when you choose Start match.

Undo, hints and practice

Undo restores the previous human decision against the computer, or one placement in two-player play. Hint marks a legal suggestion. Pause stops play and the computer's turn.

Closing study is an original one-move end position. Play Black at H8 to finish it. The standard match starts with the usual four center discs.

Keyboard

Tab to the board. Use arrow keys to choose a square, Home or End for the first or last square, and Enter or Space to play. Dots mark available moves.

Rule reference: World Othello Federation official rules.