Catalog of Opening Moves for Othello

By: Dennis B. B. Taylor

The Epic Catalog of Othello Opening Moves

Welcome, fellow Othello enthusiasts! Today, I’m thrilled to present to you a magnificent catalog brimming with a plethora of opening moves for the beloved game of Othello. This catalog, painstakingly compiled by Robert Gatliff, is a treasure trove of strategies and tactics gleaned from various sources. So, without further ado, let’s dive right into this adventure!

Now, let me take you on a journey through time and history. In the early days of Othello, these openings were given whimsical names inspired by the patterns they created on the game board. Some may find these names a tad silly, but they are an integral part of Othello’s storied past. Today, our openings are often named after the brilliant players who discovered or consistently utilized them, adding a touch of personal flair to each move.

Allow me to illustrate with an example. Picture this: F5d6C3d3C4b3. It might just look like a string of letters and numbers to you, but to many Othello aficionados, it holds a special place in their hearts. This particular move is affectionately called the “Aubrey,” as it is frequently employed by the skilled player Aubrey De Grey himself. Quite the honor, wouldn’t you agree?

Cracking the Notation Code

  • Now, let me unravel the secret behind the notation used in our catalog. Pay attention, as this will surely come in handy during your epic battles on the Othello board!
  • First things first, black moves are always capitalized. So, keep an eye out for those uppercase letters as you navigate through these opening moves.
  • In some cases, an opening may have multiple names. In such instances, we’ve listed the most commonly used name first. It’s worth noting that the names in this catalog might have an American flavor to them, as most of our sources hail from the United States.
Moves
Names
C4c3 Diagonal Opening
C4c3D3c5B2 X-square Opening (t3)
C4c3D3c5B3 Snake, Peasant (t3)
C4c3D3c5B3f4B5b4C6d6F5 Pyramid, Checkerboarding Peasant (t3)
C4c3D3c5B4 Heath, Tobidashi “Jumping Out” (t3)
C4c3D3c5B4d2C2f4D6c6F5e6F7 Mimura variation II** (t3)
C4c3D3c5B4d2D6 Heath-Bat (t3)
C4c3D3c5B4d2E2 Iwasaki variation** (t3)
C4c3D3c5B4e3 Heath-Chimney, “Mass-Turning” (t3)
C4c3D3c5B5 Raccoon Dog (t3)
C4c3D3c5B6c6B5 Hamilton (t3)
C4c3D3c5B6e3 Lollipop (t3)
C4c3D3c5D6 Cow (t3)
C4c3D3c5D6e3 Chimney (t3)
C4c3D3c5D6f4B4 Cow Bat, Bat, Cambridge (t3)
C4c3D3c5D6f4B4b6B5c6B3 Bat (Piau Continuation 2)** (t3)
C4c3D3c5D6f4B4b6B5c6F5 Melnikov**, Bat (Piau Continuation 1)** (t3)
C4c3D3c5D6f4B4c6B5b3B6e3C2a4A5a6D2 Bat (Kling Continuation)** (t3)
C4c3D3c5D6f4B4e3B3 Bat (Kling Alternative)** (t3)
C4c3D3c5D6f4F5 Rose-v-Toth** (t3)
C4c3D3c5D6f4F5d2 Tanida (t3)
C4c3D3c5D6f4F5d2B5 Aircraft, Feldborg (t3)
C4c3D3c5D6f4F5d2G4d7 Sailboat (t3)
C4c3D3c5D6f4F5e6C6d7 Maruoka (t3)
C4c3D3c5D6f4F5e6F6 Landau (t3)
C4c3D3c5F6 Buffalo, Kenichi Variation (t3)
C4c3D3c5F6e2C6 Maruoka Buffalo** (t3)
C4c3D3c5F6e3C6f5F4g5 Tanida Buffalo (t3)
C4c3D3c5F6f5 Hokuriku Buffalo (t3)
C4c3D3e3B2 X-square Opening (t3)
C4c3D3e3C2 Snake, Peasant (t3)
C4c3D3e3C2d6E2d2F3f4E6 Pyramid, Checkerboarding Peasant (t3)
C4c3D3e3D2 Heath, Tobidashi “Jumping Out” (t3)
C4c3D3e3D2b4B3d6F4f3E6f5G6 Mimura variation II** (t3)
C4c3D3e3D2b4B5 Iwasaki variation** (t3)
C4c3D3e3D2b4F4 Heath-Bat (t3)
C4c3D3e3D2c5 Heath-Chimney, “Mass-Turning” (t3)
C4c3D3e3E2 Raccoon Dog (t3)
C4c3D3e3F2c5 Lollipop (t3)
C4c3D3e3F2f3E2 Hamilton (t3)
C4c3D3e3F4 Cow (t3)
C4c3D3e3F4c5 Chimney (t3)
C4c3D3e3F4d6D2 Cow Bat, Bat, Cambridge (t3)
C4c3D3e3F4d6D2c5C2 Bat (Kling Alternative)** (t3)
C4c3D3e3F4d6D2f2E2f3C2 Bat (Piau Continuation 2)** (t3)
C4c3D3e3F4d6D2f2E2f3E6 Melnikov**, Bat (Piau Continuation 1)** (t3)
C4c3D3e3F4d6D2f3E2c2F2c5B3d1E1f1B4 Bat (Kling Continuation)** (t3)
C4c3D3e3F4d6E6 Rose-v-Toth** (t3)
C4c3D3e3F4d6E6b4 Tanida (t3)
C4c3D3e3F4d6E6b4D7g4 Sailboat (t3)
C4c3D3e3F4d6E6b4E2 Aircraft, Feldborg (t3)
C4c3D3e3F4d6E6f5F3g4 Maruoka (t3)
C4c3D3e3F4d6E6f5F6 Landau (t3)
C4c3D3e3F6 Buffalo, Kenichi Variation (t3)
C4c3D3e3F6b5F3 Maruoka Buffalo** (t3)
C4c3D3e3F6c5F3e6D6e7 Tanida Buffalo (t3)
C4c3D3e3F6e6 Hokuriku Buffalo (t3)
C4c3E6c5 Wing Variation
C4c3F5c5 Semi-Wing Variation
C4c5 Parallel Opening
C4e3 Perpendicular Opening
C4e3F4c5D6e6 Mimura
C4e3F4c5D6f3C6 Shaman, Danish
C4e3F4c5D6f3D3 Inoue
C4e3F4c5D6f3D3c3 IAGO
C4e3F4c5D6f3E2 Bhagat
C4e3F4c5D6f3E6c3D3e2 Rose
C4e3F4c5D6f3E6c3D3e2B5 Flat
C4e3F4c5D6f3E6c3D3e2B5f5 Rotating Flat
C4e3F4c5D6f3E6c3D3e2B5f5B3 Murakami Variation**
C4e3F4c5D6f3E6c3D3e2B5f5B4f6C2e7D2c7 Rotating Flat** (Kling Continuation)
C4e3F4c5D6f3E6c3D3e2B6f5 Rose-Birth**
C4e3F4c5D6f3E6c3D3e2B6f5B4f6G5d7 Brightstein
C4e3F4c5D6f3E6c3D3e2B6f5G5 Rose-birdie, Rose-Tamenori
C4e3F4c5D6f3E6c3D3e2B6f5G5f6 Rose-Tamenori-Kling**
C4e3F4c5D6f3E6c3D3e2D2 Greenberg, Dawg
C4e3F4c5D6f3E6c6 Ralle
C4e3F4c5E6 Horse
C4e3F5b4 No-Cat**
C4

I’m a big fan of MovesNames! It’s an eclectic collection of game openings that I find fascinating. Let’s take a closer look at some of the variations that have caught my eye:

1. Diagonal Opening: A simple yet effective way to kick off the game. It creates a diagonal line that sets up potential future moves.

2. X-square Opening (t3): This opening creates an “X” shape on the board and offers multiple options for branching out.

3. Snake, Peasant (t3): This clever move resembles a serpentine shape and can lead to interesting strategic possibilities.

4. Pyramid, Checkerboarding Peasant (t3): An intricate move that involves creating a pyramid-like structure on the board. It requires careful planning and can catch opponents off guard.

5. Heath, Tobidashi “Jumping Out” (t3): This bold move involves breaking out of the initial formation and venturing into new territory.

6. Mimura variation II** (t3): A complex move that requires precise timing and execution. It’s named after the player who popularized it.

7. Heath-Bat (t3): A combination of the Heath and Bat moves, this opening offers a mix of offense and defense.

8. Iwasaki variation** (t3): A variation named after a prominent player, this move adds a unique twist to the game.

9. Heath-Chimney, “Mass-Turning” (t3): A move that creates a chimney-like structure and allows for quick changes in direction.

10. Raccoon Dog (t3): A move that mimics the sly movements of a raccoon dog. It can be a tricky tactic to master.

These are just a few examples of the exciting openings you can explore in MovesNames. Whether you’re a novice or an experienced player, there’s something here to challenge and entertain you. Happy gaming!

Ah, the game of Shogi! If you’re not familiar with it, let me explain. Shogi is a traditional Japanese board game that has been played for centuries. It is often referred to as Japanese chess because, like chess, it requires strategy and skill. However, Shogi has its own unique set of rules and pieces that give it a distinctive flavor.

The goal of the game is to capture your opponent’s king, just like in chess. But here’s where it gets interesting: when you capture an opponent’s piece, you can then drop it back onto the board and use it as your own! This opens up a whole new level of strategy and possibilities.

Let me walk you through some of the different moves and strategies in Shogi. The moves are represented by a series of letters and numbers, which may look confusing at first, but don’t worry, I’ll break it down for you.

For example, one move is called the Perpendicular Opening, represented by the code “E6f4.” This move involves moving a piece from the sixth file to the fourth rank. There are many different openings and variations in Shogi, each with their own unique strategies and considerations.

Another move is called the Tiger, represented by “E6f4C3c4D3.” This move involves moving multiple pieces at once, creating a strong and coordinated attack.

There’s also the Aubrey and Tanaka, represented by “E6f4C3c4D3c2.” This move involves positioning your pieces in a defensive formation, ready to counter your opponent’s attacks.

Brightwell is another move that you might encounter, represented by “E6f4C3c4D3d6C5.” This move focuses on controlling the center of the board and establishing a strong position.

The list goes on and on, with moves like Rose-BILL, Tamenori, Ishii, and many more. Each move has its own strengths and weaknesses, and it’s up to you to adapt and come up with your own strategies.

So, if you’re a fan of strategy games and looking for a new challenge, give Shogi a try! It’s a game that’s easy to learn but difficult to master, and it’s sure to keep you entertained for hours. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced player, Shogi offers endless possibilities for strategic thinking and clever moves. Give it a shot and see if you can outwit your opponent on the Shogi board!

I love to play chess, and one of my favorite chess openings is called the “Parallel Opening.” It starts with the moves 1. f5 f6. Another interesting opening is the “Diagonal Opening,” which begins with 1. f5 f6. These two openings are known for their versatility and strategic possibilities.

One more exciting variation is called the “Perpendicular Opening,” which starts with 1. f5 d6. This move creates a different dynamic on the chessboard and opens up new possibilities for both players. It’s always exciting to discover new openings and see how they can affect the game.

Chess openings are an essential part of the game, and understanding them can give you a great advantage. By studying different variations and experimenting with different strategies, you can develop your own style and find the openings that suit you best. So, if you’re looking to improve your chess game, exploring different openings is definitely worth considering. Give them a try and see which one works best for you!

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