        ммммммммммммм                            ммм           мммм
     мллллллллплпппппллм       ммппппмммм млм  мллллллллмммммлпп плл
    пллллллллллллллм  плл   млллмллммм   пллллм плллллллмллмммллн лп
        пппллллллллллм он  лллллллллллпплмоллл    лллллм    пплллоп
Mo.iMP  мллм  плллллллнл  оллллллллл    олллл     олллллн      плп
      мллллллл  ллллллллн оллллллллн     ллл       лллллл
     млллллллн  олллллллл олллллллл       п        оллллллм   мл
    млллллллн    лллллллл  ллллллллн               оолллллллллп
   млплллллл мм  ллллллллн ллолллллн               оллллллпп
  млпллллллмллллмолллллллл ол пллллл           м   лнллллл             м
 мл оллллллллллп  ллллллллл плм  плллмм    ммлллп ол олллн         ммлл
лл   ллллллллп    ллллллллллм плм  пплллллллллп мммп ллллмммммммлллллп
 плм   млллп       пллллллллллм  ппмм ппмллпп  пллм   ппплплллллллпп
    ппппп                ппллп      ппппп        ппппппппппппп
          ARRoGANT                CoURiERS      WiTH     ESSaYS

Grade Level:       Type of Work           Subject/Topic is on:
 [ ]6-8                 [ ]Class Notes    [Instructions of Othello ]
 [x]9-10                [ ]Cliff Notes    [game strategy.          ]
 [ ]11-12               [ ]Essay/Report   [                        ]
 [ ]College             [x]Misc           [                        ]

 Dizzed: 07/94  # of Words:760   School:Public          State:NY
ФФФФФФФФФ>ФФФФФФФФФ>ФФФФФФФФФ>Chop Here>ФФФФФФФФФ>ФФФФФФФФФ>ФФФФФФФФФ>ФФФФФФФФФ

OTHELLO PROJECT

     Othello is a game very similar to tic tac toe.  In both games you must
flank your opponent diagonally, vertically, horizontally, or orthogonally
(any row or line.)  A strategy without voluntary pass is described here.
(voluntary pass is where you give up one move, or lose a turn.)

THE COMPUTER AND ITS MOVES

     The computer will at the beginning of the game make short moves, which
are moves which include less than 5 stones changing hands.  These are setup
moves.  You, on the other hand, make long moves for points, while the
computer is sitting, waiting patiently for you to finish.  So, do not make
very long moves at the beginning of the game.  Keep yourself to making
short moves, and NEVER put a stone where the computer has another one on
the end. Example:You see a row of 5 black stones, with a white stone on the
end, and beside that white stone a black.  You of course, would put a white
stone at the end with the 5 black stones, but that is a bad mistake.  Go to
the side with the one black (a setup move so the computer cannot capitalize
when you turn 5 black stones white, and the computer your seven whites
black.

     Always play within your set "square".  If you had on the bottom row 3
white, and on the second row 2 blacks, you would only play within that
designated square, which is 3 x 3 stones.  (see diagram.)  This ensures
that the computer can only play one stone past the square at any time,
which will help you in predicting where the computer will move and a basic
strategy.

     Always try to keep yourself to one move to win (if you could have two
moves in a row, you would win something to zero.)  Don't have long rows of
white connecting to one black.  If you do, the computer can get up to 6 in
one move.

GAME OVERVIEW STRATEGY

FIRST MOVE:Always move north or south.  North and south means top or
bottom, and east and west means horizontally.  Then calculate where your
square will be and wait for the computer to make its move.

SETUP MOVES:For the next 10 or so moves, or until the board is about half
full, restrict yourself to only short moves.  These will setup yourself for
long ones.  Also, keep yourself to one move to win.  The one move to win
system is effective for winning close to moderately close games.
Eventually the computer will make one long move that will mess up your
short setup moves, but after that go for blocking the computer instead of
points.  If you can successfully block the computer, going for points will
be unnecessary.  The points will make themselves if you block properly.
Also, once in a while fall behind to setup moves if you are stuck.  Be
careful that you do not fall behind too much though!

MOVES FOR POINTS:After the board is about half full, or you've made about
10 or so moves, it is time for getting some points.  If you have setup
yourself properly, you should see several long moves which will effectively
obliterate the computer.  After this stage, you should be leading by at
least fifteen points or more.  When you have reached that goal (I would go
for more, at least twenty, if possible) there should be less than 7 spaces
on the board.  If there isn't, keep going until there is.

FINAL BLOW:Now you should just watch yourself.  Don't make foolish moves
where the computer can connect for more than 5 points.  If it was
inevitable, just leave it.  If you then keep blocking properly, you should
win easily.

NOTES

     You are using the same strategy the computer would use on you.
(basically the same.)  The computer has the advantage of passing moves
whenever it wants, but it will not likely unless the game is close or
hopeless, or there are no legal moves for it to  make.

     You can make yourself lose something to zip.

     Completed short moves by the computer can easily be changed into long
ones, by the same method described above.  (page one, paragraph two.)
