PAPER DECISION STUDIES
Reversi — Decisions: compare what happens next
Four starting positions, then four separate answer sheets. The IDs match the online studies.
Playfield's classic Reversi uses a six-by-six board with four starting centre discs. Violet moves first and alternates with Cream when both have legal moves. A placement must bracket one or more consecutive opposing discs between the new disc and an existing friendly disc in at least one of eight directions. Every bracketed line flips. The interface automatically passes a player with no legal move. The game ends when neither player can move, even with empty squares left; the greater disc count wins and equal counts draw. All discs count equally in this version.
Printing and using this pack
Use Print or Save as PDF. The first page contains instructions, the next four pages contain the tasks, and the remaining pages contain answers. An answer may continue onto another page. Check your print preview before choosing a page range. Print only the challenge pages if you want to keep answers separate.
Write a move and a reason before consulting the key. Rows count from the top and columns from the left. Four in a Row and Reversi diagrams state whose turn it is. The full online comparison includes all legal first moves; the answer sheets include the complete first-move comparison or a checked route.
CHALLENGE · reversi-05
More flips can leave more replies
Violet to move. Compare immediate flips with the number of legal replies you leave the opponent. Which move leaves the fewest replies? Does the largest capture always do that here?
My move or route: __________________________________________
My reason: ________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
CHALLENGE · reversi-06
Count choices as well as discs
Cream to move. Compare immediate flips with the number of legal replies you leave the opponent. Which move leaves the fewest replies? Does the largest capture always do that here?
My move or route: __________________________________________
My reason: ________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
CHALLENGE · reversi-07
No move means an automatic pass
Violet to move. Find a move that leaves the opponent unable to play. Does the mover get another turn, or do both players have no move and the game end?
My move or route: __________________________________________
My reason: ________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
CHALLENGE · reversi-08
The game can end with empty squares
Violet to move. Find a move that leaves the opponent unable to play. Does the mover get another turn, or do both players have no move and the game end?
My move or route: __________________________________________
My reason: ________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
ANSWER · reversi-05
More flips can leave more replies
The fewest opposing replies is 5, after R2C3. At least one maximum-capture move leaves more replies. Fewer replies is a position feature to compare, not a proof of best play or victory.
Every legal first move
| First move | Immediate effect | Checked consequence |
|---|---|---|
| R1C2 | Flips 2: R2C2, R3C2. | Opponent has 8 legal replies, including corner R1C1. |
| R1C6 | Flips 2: R2C5, R3C4. | Opponent has 8 legal replies. |
| R2C1 | Flips 1: R3C2. | Opponent has 7 legal replies. |
| R2C3 | Flips 2: R3C2, R3C3. | Opponent has 5 legal replies. |
| R3C6 | Flips 1: R2C5. | Opponent has 10 legal replies, including corner R1C6. |
| R4C5 | Flips 1: R4C4. | Opponent has 10 legal replies. |
| R4C6 | Flips 1: R3C5. | Opponent has 9 legal replies. |
| R5C4 | Flips 2: R4C4, R3C4. | Opponent has 9 legal replies. |
| R6C5 | Flips 1: R6C4. | Opponent has 7 legal replies. |
ANSWER · reversi-06
Count choices as well as discs
The fewest opposing replies is 7, after R1C5, R5C4. At least one maximum-capture move leaves more replies. Fewer replies is a position feature to compare, not a proof of best play or victory.
Every legal first move
| First move | Immediate effect | Checked consequence |
|---|---|---|
| R1C3 | Flips 1: R2C4. | Opponent has 8 legal replies, including corners R1C1, R1C6. |
| R1C5 | Flips 1: R2C4. | Opponent has 7 legal replies, including corners R1C1, R1C6. |
| R2C3 | Flips 1: R2C4. | Opponent has 8 legal replies, including corners R1C1, R1C6. |
| R3C1 | Flips 2: R4C2, R5C3. | Opponent has 10 legal replies, including corners R1C1, R1C6. |
| R5C1 | Flips 1: R4C2. | Opponent has 10 legal replies, including corners R1C1, R1C6, R6C1. |
| R5C2 | Flips 2: R4C2, R4C3. | Opponent has 8 legal replies, including corner R1C1. |
| R5C4 | Flips 2: R4C3, R4C4. | Opponent has 7 legal replies. |
| R5C5 | Flips 2: R4C4, R4C5. | Opponent has 8 legal replies, including corner R1C6. |
| R5C6 | Flips 1: R4C5. | Opponent has 8 legal replies, including corners R1C1, R1C6. |
| R6C2 | Flips 3: R5C3, R4C4, R6C3. | Opponent has 8 legal replies, including corner R1C6. |
ANSWER · reversi-07
No move means an automatic pass
R6C5: opponent passes and Violet continues. An empty square does not by itself guarantee that either player has a legal capture.
Every legal first move
| First move | Immediate effect | Checked consequence |
|---|---|---|
| R2C1 | Flips 2: R2C2, R2C3. | Opponent has 1 legal reply. |
| R3C1 | Flips 2: R2C2, R3C2. | Opponent has 2 legal replies. |
| R3C6 | Flips 6: R2C5, R2C6, R3C5, R3C4, R4C5, R5C4. | Opponent has 4 legal replies. |
| R4C6 | Flips 5: R3C5, R4C5, R4C4, R4C3, R4C2. | Opponent has 4 legal replies. |
| R5C1 | Flips 1: R4C2. | Opponent has 2 legal replies. |
| R5C5 | Flips 4: R4C4, R4C5, R3C5, R2C5. | Opponent has 4 legal replies, including corner R6C6. |
| R6C1 | Flips 4: R5C2, R4C3, R3C4, R2C5. | Opponent has 2 legal replies. |
| R6C5 | Flips 1: R6C4. | Opponent has no legal move and passes; Violet moves again. |
ANSWER · reversi-08
The game can end with empty squares
R5C5: neither player can move; finish at Violet 34, Cream 0. An empty square does not by itself guarantee that either player has a legal capture.
Every legal first move
| First move | Immediate effect | Checked consequence |
|---|---|---|
| R5C5 | Flips 4: R4C4, R4C5, R5C4, R5C3. | Ends the game: Violet 34, Cream 0; Violet wins. |
| R6C5 | Flips 1: R5C4. | Opponent has 1 legal reply. |