Paper here (pdf)
This paper announces a significant milestone: Othello is now solved, computationally proved that perfect play by both players lead to a draw. Strong Othello software has long been built using heuristically designed search techniques. Solving a game provides the solution which enables software to play the game perfectly.
Brian
Does that paper delve into the starting position for Reversi which can either be like Othello’s or you can have two black ieces on one side of the opening box and two white pieces on the other side. Might that make a difference in solving the game?
I didn’t see that, but to be honest I didn’t read the whole paper.
Brian
Kind of surprising… Out of all the possible counts of pieces at the end of the game, I wouldn’t have expected perfect play to lead to exactly 32 of each (which, I believe, is the only way to get a draw).