Brand Othello Notes

NOTES on BRAND OTHELLO © Algorithm: Anders Kierulf © Interface: Valerie Kierulf This program is shareware. If you keep it, please send $10 to: Anders & Valerie Kierulf, Department of Computer Science University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27514 Brand Othello: can serve both as a strong Othello opponent as well as a tutorial aide. These notes do not explain the rules of Othello. They simply give a brief summary of the several useful and flexible features of the Brand Othello program. To make a move: simply click on the desired square. Buttons 1. Left arrow: Takes back previous move. May be used to step back as far as the beginning of a game. Allows you to try a different move, if you feel you made a mistake. 2. Right arrow: Moves forward one move. Works in conjunction with left arrow button to allow you to move backwards and forwards to replay a sequence of moves or an entire game. 3. Evaluate: Clicking on this initiates a display of the search path that Brand uses to determine its next move. You can follow its selection of possible moves and the relative weights it assigns to them. 4. To square: To use this button, first click on it and then click on any occupied square. The board will immediately shift to the position existing when the move to that square was first made. Be careful not to click on an empty square on the game may "freeze." 5. Options: Clicking on this opens up a window that gives you several options, including starting a new game, whether to play Black or White, and the level of skill. Note that it plays extremely slow at the higher skill levels, and that tournament level cannot be selected. 6. Legal moves: Clicking on this results in a display of the locations of all your currently legal moves. 7. Play: The most common option - used when you wish to play against the computer. 8. Enter moves: Used when you wish to play against another human, or when you simply wish to play out a sequence of moves. 9. Enter stones: To use this, first click on it and then click on any square (or set of squares) on the board. It will add (or remove) white (or black) disks to each square clicked on. This permits the set-up of any arbitrary position. Note that you can switch between Play, Enter moves, or Enter stones at any time. Thus, for example, you can set up a position with Enter stones and then switch to Play to play against the computer from that point. The File menu This menu has some additional options, including the ability to Save games and print out Transcripts of games. NOTES on OTHELLO/REVERSI ◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊ The following is an excerpt from the book, Othello: Brief & Basic by Ted Landau, a 64 page Handbook on Othello strategy and tactics, complete with over 100 diagrams. This excerpt has been adapted for MacWrite…