What is Reversi on 6×6 and 10×10?
Reversi needs nothing more than a square board with an even number of squares on each side, so it can be played at any size. Here you can choose a 6×6 board or a 10×10 board in the table setup instead of the standard 8×8. Every rule stays the same: the four centre squares start with two discs of each colour placed crosswise, Black moves first, each move must outflank and flip at least one line of opposing discs, and the player with more discs at the end wins.
The 6×6 board holds 36 squares, so a game is over in about 32 moves. It is a fast, tactical game in which the edges are always close and a single corner can decide everything, which makes it a good board for learning how discs become stable.
The 10×10 board holds 100 squares. There is much more room in the middle before anyone reaches an edge, games last almost 100 moves, and quiet, patient play to keep your options open matters even more than on 8×8.
Rule changes
| Rule | Standard Reversi | Reversi on 6×6 and 10×10 |
|---|---|---|
| Board | Standard Reversi8×8, 64 squares. | Reversi on 6×6 and 10×106×6 (36 squares) or 10×10 (100 squares), chosen in the table setup. |
| Starting position | Standard ReversiTwo Black and two White discs on the four centre squares, placed crosswise. | Reversi on 6×6 and 10×10The same four discs on the four centre squares of the smaller or larger board. |
| Game length | Standard ReversiAt most 60 moves, since 60 squares are empty at the start. | Reversi on 6×6 and 10×10At most 32 moves on 6×6 and 96 moves on 10×10, plus any passes. |
| Perfect play | Standard ReversiA 2023 computer study reported that perfect play on 8×8 ends in a draw. | Reversi on 6×6 and 10×106×6 is solved: the second player, White, wins with perfect play. 10×10 is far too large to solve. |
History
Reversi has been played on 8×8 since Lewis Waterman's version of the 1880s, but players and programmers have long tried other sizes. Small boards were the first to be solved by computer: the 4×4 and 6×6 games are both wins for the second player, and Joel Feinstein's search in 1993 showed that on 6×6 White wins by 20 discs to 16 with perfect play. In 2023 Hiroki Takizawa reported a computer proof that the 8×8 game is a draw with perfect play.
The 10×10 board is the best-known large size. Japanese makers sell a 10×10 set alongside the standard one, and it is a regular choice in computer programs and on game sites for players who want a longer game with more room for strategy.