Two Classic Abstract Games

Reversi and checkers are both classic abstract strategy board games with simple rules and deep strategy. Both are played on 8×8 boards, both have been solved by computers, and both occupy the middle ground between tic-tac-toe’s triviality and chess’s immense complexity.

But the way the two games actually play is remarkably different.

Rules Comparison

Feature Reversi Checkers
Board 8×8, all 64 squares used 8×8, only 32 dark squares used
Pieces 64 identical two-sided discs 12 per player (24 total), with kings
Piece types One (disc) Two (man and king)
Movement Placement only — no piece movement Diagonal movement, forward only (men) or any direction (kings)
Capture Flipping (reversible) Jumping and removing (permanent)
Forced moves Must outflank at least one disc; if not possible, pass Must jump if a jump is available
Objective Most discs when board is full Capture all opponent pieces or block all opponent moves
Game end Board full or both players pass One side eliminated or blocked

The Fundamental Difference

Checkers is an attrition game — pieces are captured and removed permanently. The game narrows over time as pieces disappear from the board. The endgame is typically sparse, with a few pieces maneuvering on an increasingly empty board.

Reversi is an accumulation game — the board fills up over time. No pieces leave the board; they change color. The endgame is dense, with nearly every square occupied and massive flips determining the final score.

This single difference creates completely different strategic experiences.

Complexity Comparison

Computational Measures

Measure Reversi Checkers
State space (positions) $\sim 10^{28}$ $\sim 5 \times 10^{20}$
Game tree size $\sim 10^{28}$ $\sim 10^{31}$
Average branching factor ~10 ~8
Average game length ~58 moves ~70 moves (per player)
Solved? Yes (2023, draw) Yes (2007, draw)

An interesting nuance: reversi has more possible board positions than checkers but fewer possible games. This is because reversi games are shorter (the board fills up in 60 moves) while checkers games can be quite long as pieces maneuver without capturing.

Both Are Draws

With perfect play:

  • Checkers: Draw — neither player can force a win. Proven in 2007 by Jonathan Schaeffer’s Chinook project at the University of Alberta, after 18 years of computation.
  • Reversi: Draw (33–31 disc split) — neither player can force a win from the standard starting position. Announced in 2023 by Hiroki Takizawa.

This makes them two of the most complex games whose theoretical outcomes are fully known. For more on reversi’s solving, see the AI guide.

Strategy Comparison

What You’re Thinking About

In checkers, you’re thinking about:

  • Position: Controlling the center, maintaining back rank presence
  • Tempo: Forcing your opponent to move first in critical situations
  • King activity: Getting kings and using their bidirectional movement
  • Forced jumps: Exploiting the mandatory-capture rule to create combination plays
  • Piece exchanges: Trading down when ahead in material or to simplify the position

In reversi, you’re thinking about:

  • Mobility: Maximizing your legal moves while minimizing your opponent’s
  • Corner control: Competing for unflippable corner positions
  • Stability: Building formations of discs that can never be flipped
  • Frontier management: Keeping your exposed disc count low
  • Parity: Controlling who plays the last move in each board region

Counterintuitive Strategy

Checkers strategy is largely intuitive:

  • More pieces = better (usually)
  • Kings are better than men (always)
  • Controlling the center is good (always)
  • Protecting your back row is good (usually)

Reversi strategy is deeply counterintuitive:

This is the defining difference in the new-player experience. Checkers beginners make small strategic mistakes but generally understand what’s happening. Reversi beginners often have their understanding of the game completely inverted — they pursue disc count when they should pursue mobility, and they take edges when they should stay in the center.

Forced Moves

Checkers has a mandatory capture rule: if you can jump, you must. This creates rich tactical opportunities — setting up forced jump sequences that capture multiple pieces.

Reversi has no forced moves in this sense (you must make some legal move, but you choose which one). However, when a player has very few legal moves, they’re effectively forced into bad positions — an X-square move when it’s the only option, for example. Mobility restriction in reversi is analogous to forced captures in checkers as a tactical weapon.

Learning Curve

First Game

Aspect Reversi Checkers
Rules to learn 1–2 minutes 3–5 minutes
Can play legal moves immediately? Yes Yes
Obvious what to do? Somewhat (place discs, flip opponents) Yes (move forward, jump opponents)
First-game mistakes Disc maximizing (seems logical) Minor positional errors
Time to “get it” Several games First game

Intermediate Level

Aspect Reversi Checkers
Key concepts Mobility, avoid X-squares, don’t maximize discs Center control, king activity, back rank protection
Counterintuitive elements Many — disc count deception Few — strategy is largely intuitive
Time to reach 2–4 weeks of focused play 2–4 weeks of focused play
Study materials Moderate availability Extensive availability

Advanced Level

Both games have comparable advanced skill ceilings. Advanced checkers and advanced reversi both require:

  • Deep pattern recognition
  • Precise calculation
  • Opening preparation
  • Endgame technique
  • Competitive experience

Competitive Scenes

Checkers

  • World Championship: Active since the late 1800s in various formats (English draughts, international draughts 10×10)
  • National organizations: American Checker Federation, English Draughts Association, and others
  • Variants in competition: English (8×8), International/Polish (10×10), Brazilian, Russian, and others
  • Notable champions: Marion Tinsley (considered the greatest checker player in history, lost only 7 games in 45 years of competitive play)

Reversi

  • World Othello Championship: Annual since 1977
  • National organizations: Japan Othello Association, US Othello Association, British Othello Federation, and others
  • Single ruleset: Standard Othello rules used worldwide in competition
  • Notable champions: Multiple Japanese champions; increasingly international

Comparison

Aspect Reversi Checkers
Competitive history Since 1977 Since 1800s
International body World Othello Federation World Draughts Federation (FMJD)
Variant diversity Several but one dominant Many regional variants played competitively
Online community Moderate Moderate
Spectator appeal Low Low to moderate

Both games have devoted but relatively small competitive communities compared to chess.

Game Feel

Checkers

Checkers feels gradual and tactical. The board slowly empties as pieces are captured. Tension builds in the midgame when combinations become possible. The endgame often features careful king-versus-king maneuvering with drawn positions being extremely common at the top level.

The emotional arc: cautious opening → tactical middlegame → precise endgame.

Reversi

Reversi feels explosive and positional. The board fills up with apparent chaos as discs flip back and forth. A player who looks completely lost can win the game on the final move. Large swings in disc count create dramatic visual moments.

The emotional arc: quiet opening → tense midgame positioning → dramatic endgame flips.

Key Feel Differences

  • Reversals: Checkers positions evolve slowly; reversi positions can flip in one move
  • Visibility: In checkers, you can see who’s ahead (more pieces). In reversi, disc count is misleading — the position that looks lost is often winning
  • Endgame drama: Checkers endgames tend toward draws with careful play. Reversi endgames are decisive — someone wins, and often by a lot

Which Game Suits You?

You’ll prefer reversi if… You’ll prefer checkers if…
You enjoy counterintuitive strategy You prefer strategy that’s intuitive to understand
You like dramatic board reversals You prefer gradual positional buildups
You want the simplest possible rules You enjoy movement mechanics (diagonal hopping)
You want a game where every game is decisive You appreciate drawn positions as a sign of skill
You like the idea of a “filling” board You prefer a board that empties over time

Or Play Both

Reversi and checkers are complementary games. Checkers develops tactical calculation and forced-sequence thinking (mandatory jumps). Reversi develops positional judgment and the ability to evaluate non-obvious positions. Both are easy to learn, hard to master, and available for free play online.

If you already play checkers and want a new challenge, reversi offers a completely different strategic experience on the same size board — with rules you can learn in two minutes.