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Ok, so I told Goran I was going to post old Othello stuff I wrote... now I have to actually do something. Or else I would be BAD.

So let's start with this, a classic- this is stuff from my "Othello schematic"- which was this thing I started in 2001 as my master plan for Othello success. I don't think after early 2002 or so that I ever did much with it, but it was a lot of fun for a while, and there is some of it that I still rely on.

A few notes about it... some of it will sound really funny... some of it is because I had been thinking in parts of it about turning it into something that was useful to any Othello player (a book or whatever). Also, I was never as disciplined as this schematic implies, only as obsessed. And I don't feel like I am giving away all my secrets here, my "system" is a lot simpler and more robust now...

If you do laugh at what is here, that's good, because conventional forms of humor are not my forte.

Othello Schematic

Success

1. The Learning Cycle

A. Open-ended Experience cycle

Specific instructions: Start this when it feels the most fun and is easiest; Stop when burnout starts

Quantity playing:

All Othello sites: VOG, Yahoo Japan, Yahoo USA, GGS, Nethello, Reversi Net 24, It's Your Turn, Zone, Playsite, Lycos

All good players- +- 300 rating points difference

Bulk numbers of games- mostly blitzing games, with some long games sessions

Lots of tournaments- VOG and Yahoo Japan

Lots of bots and progs- Wzebra, GGS bots, VOG bots, Forest, Booby, TOOThought, Edge Reversi, WinOth, Junior, Saio, Javello, MasterHand, Deep Green, Ajax, Edax

Variety playing:

Switch openings frequently: any opening at all

Switch styles frequently:

Play many Othello variants:

Reverse Reversi

10x10

Octagonal board

Diamond board

Any variant conjunction of dimension, shape, komi, and objective.

Good time to:

Expand opening book, midgame study

View/use game archives for more exposure to the othello world

Teach othello

B. Specialization/ Extracurricular cycle

Special instructions: Move on to this when it feels the most apropos and/or prior to a major competitive event/period

Quality playing

Sites with the primary competition- VOG, Yahoo Japan, GGS

Play only your competition and tough players

Play few and highly focused/studied games

Specialization/Extracurriculars

Optimized openings- technically strong, much experience

Increase depth and comprehensiveness on these, emphasize the most probable lines

Optimize personal style

Reinforce and hone known skills

Emphasis on endgames

Happy end

Icare

Study opponents' openings and style, and prepare for them

Create a player file, listing all known details about those people

A break from playing for a time before performance period, for freshness

Good time to:

Practice against strong bots and progs

Teach Othello

Go over elite players' games

Practicing flipping

2. Performance Cycle

A. Physical proponents

Energy/Minimized fatigue:

Rest- you can only have two bad nights in any competition period + prior 2 days

Food- need to maintain high glucose levels throughout the competitive period

Good lighting (sunlight)- helps increase alertness and alleviates jet lag

Stimulants- an extra way to improve alertness and/or calmness and/or mood - caffeinated foods, chocolate, yerba mate, teccino,

Make sure to use the bathroom often enough

Hydration- improves concentration, body chemistry

Low heart rate, low muscle tension- stretching, loose clothing, alcohol

Get rid of physical distractions- aspirin for headaches, etc

B. Emotional proponents

Positive Attitude- positivism, ambition, an embrace of the goal

Maintenance of attitude- quickly dissolve losing sentiments, immediately focus on the next challenge

Confidence- you will do well

Comfortability/relaxation- humor, talking, pranks, fun games

Humbleness- it takes energy to be proud

C. Mental proponents

Desire- desire to win

Awareness- be aware of what is going on!

Attention- focus on what needs to be dealt with

Alertness- interest, excitement

Minimized brain fatigue- win games quickly, easily, with little tension about the outcome

Clear-headedness- make sure all your concentration can be used for the Game- wake up, forget other concerns, no rock & roll or anything else staticcy

D. Spiritual proponents

Embrace the game

Attention and Attitude

Accept your place in the Othello world

Surrender to what will happen

(((Note- Much of the above is based on my experience in long distance running, where they focus on training cycles a lot... )))

3. Game cycle

A. Pre-game

Warm up with some fun games

Know opponent's openings, style, strengths and weaknesses

Know what opening is going to be played

Determine what style you will use

Greet opponent

Offer respect and best wishes for the game

Don't start til every proponent of performance is set to go

Start clock

B. Set process for thinking- manualized version

On each turn list each move worth considering

On those moves consider opponent's possible responses, and then your possible responses, etc-

Consider a SEQUENCE of moves, not your moves in a vacuum

Look at the board from your opponent's perspective in equal proportion to your own (perhaps doing this on your opponent's turn)

Emphasize comprehensiveness in the near term and specific strength in depth

Literalize the reason for possibly taking --- move

Then decide by process of elimination

Utilize time effectively- No time for opening, 50% for midgame, 50% for endgame

Simplified version: Comprehensive perspective. Deep analysis. Evaluating on the basis of fronts, using my awareness of lines.

Or- list moves, list responses, compare moves, decide

C. What to think about- THE GAME

1. Tactical aspects

Defined ways to win

These generally occur in/for the endgame, and represent ways to convert mobility and positional strength into clearer routes to a win

1. Force play- leading opponent along continuations where he feeds you stable discs- the longer the force play period, the better

2. Corner region domination swindles- getting all the moves in a corner region, without it being dependent on a second edge- generally contains this order: take Corner, take X-square

3. All-disc swindles- controlling the second edge, preventing opponent's access to a wedge- constant order: opponent's X-square, your Corner move , your adjoining C-square move

4. Non-disc swindles- a lack of participation in the second edge- constant order: opponent's X-square, your C-square, your Corner

5. Parity- being the player who lasts flips the discs in regions on the board- explicitly linked to having more discs than the opponent at the end

6. Diagonal control- controlling the main diagonals; playing devastating X-squares, or blocking opponent's critical diagonal access

7. Stoner traps and precursors- an advantageous exchange of corners and stable discs

8. Opponent edges- converting 5's or any similar formation to stables, using wedges to gain stable discs

9. Edge creeping- monoedge, dual adjacent edges, triedges- taking enough tempi to force opponent to give away stable discs in order to retain some positional strength and/or future hope

10. Strong disc formations (Landau second-edges, major sections of edge discs)- all other things being equal, you will have more stable-like discs- hard for opponent to catch up

11. Multi-tempi corner regions- using tempi in corner regions to gain mobility on the rest of the board, and still exploit a wedge and parity- general simplified order: your X-square, opponent's move elsewhere, your move to a C-square, opponent's Corner, your adjoining C-square

12. Exposed discs- clear sections of non-primary-edge discs- a way to convert opponent's discs to your own stable or semi-stable discs in the end

13. Critical outbooking- establishing a clear winning position through a strong opening (quick advantage)

Got to:

1. Prevent any way to win for opponent

2. Claim your own way to win

Ways for opponent to lose - Ways he manifests his own loss

1. Times out

2. Gives opponent force play

3. Forced to offer swindle(s)- mobility reduced to that point

4. Creates/allows the precursor for his opponent's future swindle (of any type)

5. Creates/allows his opponent parity (via parity precursors) on the board

6. Negative exchanges to retain/gain parity

7. Does not have access to critical primary diagonal/s, controls diagonal for an all-disc swindle

8. Exposes his discs

9. Takes bad edges- failed edge creeps, taking opposing edges, taking an adjacent edge to his unbalanced edge

10. Allows his opponent's killer edge creep

11. Plays bad technical openings/midgame/endgame

12. Creates/allows opponent stoner or precursor; misses his own stoner/ precursor

13. Allows critical outbooking- outbooked by opponent to critical disadvantage

It's a loss if he:

1. Does not prevent his opponent's way(s) to win

2. Does not play his way to a win

Literal list of Othello playing styles- (opposites paired)

edge creeping; edge feeding

blocking; poisoning

controlller of rows/columns; anti-participator of rows/columns

maximizer; minimizer

consolidated; dispersed/dispersable

swindler; normal position player

diagonal controller; diagonal accessor

X player; X-square player

C-square player; C player

stables player; parity player

good moves player; good situations player

tricks player; regular player

waller; board opportunities player

fronts player; attractions player

organic player; artificial player

Descriptive list:

offensive; defensive

controlling; flexible (bamboo)

simplifying; complexifying

aggressive; conservative

defined-risk taker; defined-risk avoidance

experimental; standardized (human or computer)

intimidating; mentally/psychologically easy

home-run player; general-advantage seeking

quick win player; long term player

impatient; inflector/patient

global; local

freestyler: pre-set player /booker

Note- here is a sample player analysis- my analysis of Brian Rose from 2001-

strong edge creeping; weak edge feeding

decent blocking; strong poisoning

not a controlller of rows/columns; anti-participater of rows/columns

not a maximizer; good minimizer

consolidated; strong dispersed/dispersable

strong swindler; strong normal position player

great diagonal controller; decent diagonal accessor

non X player; X-square player yes

C-square player yes; non C player

stables player yes; parity player yes

good moves player kind of; good situations player yes

tricks player no; regular player yes

waller mildly; board opportunities player yes

fronts player; attr actions player

organic player; artificial player yes

Descriptive list:

offensive yes; defensive

controlling yes; flexible (bamboo)

simplifying yes; complexifying

aggressive; conservative yes

defined-risk taker; defined-risk avoidance yes

experimental; standardized (human or computer) yes

intimidating; mentally/psychologically easy yes

home-run player; general-advantage seeking yes

quick win player; long term player

impatient; inflector/patient

global; local

freestyler: pre-set player /booker yes

C. How Othello Works

You want to win

You win if you have more discs than your opponent by the end of the game; generally this means 33+ for you

In order to get 33+ discs , you must either get many stable discs during the game

(These would be stable edges, any kind of swindle, use of stable edges to make adjoined discs of those edges stable/semi-stable)

And/or get the final flipping of sections of discs

The forms this takes include parity,exposed discs, semi-stable discs

The simplest expression of an optimal game situation is force play- opponent must continually give you moves that allow you to take more and more stable discs

The formost aspect of this situation is that the opponent is forced- ie, he only has one possible move at a time (or less), and they are directly linked to your stable disc accumulation.

Hence, the balance of mobility(quantity) (the balance between your number of moves vs. your opponent's) is the primary aspect of coherent strategy.

It doesn't matter how many moves you have sometimes- you can also be just as limited in your selection of moves (or more limited), and yet be accumulating more stable discs than your opponent.

Then the difference between your opponent and you is defined by your position- what it is about the placement of your existing discs that makes your moves valuable or not, affecting you in the present and long-term scope of things.

Hence, position(quality) is the secondary aspect of coherent strategy.

Mobility: (Quantity)

Limit the discs you have that opponent can use for moves; Maximize potential for usage of opponent's discs

Forever limited:

Corners, Stable discs

Temporarily limited:

Non-stable discs with no adjacent opponent discs forming the line of sight triplet (opponent disc, your disc(s), empty square

Categorical examples-

Discs on edges with no adjoining opponent edge discs- only two possible lines of sight for using the edge disc(s), as opposed to eight in the center of the board

Discs totally internal to opponent discs

Discs only on fully occupied straights and diagonals

Extremely external discs- discs at least one empty square removed from all opponent discs along all lines of sight (i.e. these are discs primarily surrounded by empty squares, the lone adjoining discs forming a fully occupied straight or diagonal)

The discs on the ends of concurrent fully occupied straights or diagonals

Purely Controlled straight or diagonal end discs- having no adjacent disc(s) to the straight/diagonal disc(s) external contact points

Partial limitation:

Central discs- discs towards the center of the board- more internal, and can only be used along with adjoining more external discs of yours

Minor limitation:

Disc(s) removed by 1+ squares (filled with your discs) from opponent's disc(s) along a line of sight with empty square(s) immediately past your discs along that line of sight

No limitation: (Ultra-accessible discs)- any disc(s) directly adjoined to an opponent disc with an empty square at the end of the line of sight from the opponent's start disc to your adjoined disc(s)

Position: (Quality)

Decrease the value of your opponent's moves, increase your own

Discs

Minimization- if you have few discs, no matter where they are opponent has few moves;

:or force him to overuse your discs in his moves

Non-limitation with No Function-

Inaccessibile discs

Othello dictionary:

Access (or "accessed straight/diagonal"): when you have a disc along a straight/diagonal that grants you the ability to make a move to the end of that straight or diagonal by flipping the discs in between

Central discs: discs close to the center of the board; centrality measured by the number of squares in between a disc and the closest of the 4 original center discs

Controlled straight/diagonal: a straight or diagonal that is fully occupied (with no adjacent usable discs at the ends) thus denying any move along that whole line of the board for the opponent

Edge creep: when a player gets a series of tempi (moves) along an edge, resulting in a serious mobility crunch for the opponent due to the concentration of tied up mobility from that edge creep

External discs: externality beaing a measure of how few empty squares are adjoined to those disc(s), with measurement 0 meaning least external, and 7 most external

Inaccessible discs: discs that cannot used in or for a move by opponent

Internal discs: internality being a measure of how few empty squares are adjoined to those disc(s), with measurement 0 meaning most internal, and 7 least internal

Minimization: the practice of trying to flip very few discs on each move as an approach to limiting opponent mobility (the theory being that the opponent will have too few discs to work with)

Occupied straight/diagonal: a straight or diagonal section of discs that is entirely made up of one color's discs

Stable discs: discs that can never again be flipped, because there is no angle from which the opponent can flip the disc(s); these must be linked to a corner somehow

List of patterns or topics for writing-

Categories:

Edge patterns

Second edge patterns

Parity

Corner regions

Landaus

Swindles

Stoners

X-squares

Controlled primary diagonals

Loser's choices

Sweet 16

Control of straights

Control of secondary diagonals

Access/participation

Domination of center 16

Strong edge feeding

Set up, set up, set up

Strong frontalism

Multi-purpose moves

Mobility coup's

Inflection points

Comfortability

Complexity, simplicity

Possible mental processes

Opposite edges

Adjacent edges

Dominating central 4

Controlling sweet corner 16s

Visualization

Patience

Novelty value

Late midgame, early midgame

Home run playing

Balance vs Extremity playing

Distractions

Focus

Forced line playing

Open-ended positions

Mood

Path of least resistance

Tricky tricky tricky style

Suekuni tricks- parity wedge home run

Perfect edge

Inaccesibility

Blocking

Poison

Non-edge formations