Who goes first in Reversi?
Black always moves first in Reversi. The game starts with four discs in the centre, two of each colour on the diagonals, and Black has four opening moves.
Every game starts from the same position: four discs on the centre squares, set diagonally. White sits on D4 and E5, Black on E4 and D5. Black then makes the first move, and the players alternate from there.
Black’s first move
Black has exactly four legal openings: D3, C4, F5 and E6. Each one encloses a single White disc and flips it, so Black leads 4–1 after the first move. The four openings are mirror images of each other, so none of them is better than the others.
After the opening
Turns alternate, Black then White, for the rest of the game. The only exception is when one player has no legal move: their turn is skipped and the other player moves again. See what happens if you can’t move.
Moving first isn’t a big advantage in Reversi. The early disc count changes hands constantly, and what matters is mobility and the corners.
For practical play beyond this rule, read Reversi Strategy: Corners and Mobility.
Play Reversi free →Invite a friend or practice with the computer. No sign-up.