Othello's History

Othello, originally known as Reversi, has captivated players for over a century with its strategic depth and simple rules. The exact origin of Reversi is shrouded in controversy, as two Englishmen, Lewis Waterman and John Mollett, each claimed to have invented the game independently, accusing one another of dishonesty and idea theft.

Despite this interesting beginning, the game eventually faded into obscurity, until it was revived and transformed in the 1970s by a Japanese salesman named Goro Hasegawa. Hasegawa encountered Reversi and saw great potential in its strategic gameplay, but he believed it needed a fresh start. He made subtle adjustments to the game's rules and initial setup, standardizing the starting position of the disks to create a more balanced and competitive experience. Photo of Goro Hasegawa

Hasegawa also decided to rename the game, drawing inspiration from William Shakespeare's tragedy, Othello. The title was chosen not only for its thematic connection to the black-and-white pieces on the board but also for the dramatic shifts in control and fortune that mirror the intense emotions of jealousy and betrayal in Shakespeare’s play. Just as Othello, the character, is caught in a battle between love and jealousy, the game Othello embodies a struggle for dominance between two opposing forces, where a single move can change the entire outcome.

This rebranding proved to be a masterstroke. The game, now called Othello, quickly gained popularity in Japan and soon spread internationally. By combining the timeless appeal of Reversi with a fresh name and slightly refined rules, Hasegawa succeeded in reviving the game and introducing it to a new generation of players. Today, Othello is celebrated not only for its deep strategic gameplay but also for its rich history and the creative vision that brought it back to life.

Rules of the Game

  1. The objective of the game is to have the most discs of your color on the board at the end of the game.
  2. The initial setup for an Othello game begins with 4 discs placed in the very center of the board: two white discs positioned diagonally from each other and two black discs positioned diagonally from each other.
  3. The black player always goes first.
  4. The two players take turns placing a disc of their color onto the board.