<p>No. From the <a href="https://www.mastersofgames.com/rules/reversi-othello-rules.htm" rel="noreferrer">Rules of Play</a>:</p>

<ol>
<li><blockquote>
  <p>Each piece played must be laid adjacent to an opponent's piece</p>
</blockquote></li>
<li><blockquote>
  <p>so that the opponent's piece or a row of opponent's pieces is flanked by the new piece and another piece of the player's colour.</p>
</blockquote></li>
<li><blockquote>
  <p>All of the opponent's pieces between these two pieces are 'captured' and turned over to match the player's colour. </p>
</blockquote></li>
</ol>

<p>where I have split up and numbered the clauses of the paragraph for easier reference.</p>

<p>Note that:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>from (1), the suggested move is illegal, not being adjacent to an opposing piece; </p></li>
<li><p>even if one is playing to make <code>-xxyxy--</code> into <code>-xxyxyx-</code>, by (3) only the second 'y' is flipped, resulting in <code>-xxyxxx-</code> upon completion of the move; and</p></li>
<li><p>playing to make <code>-xxxyy--</code> into <code>-xxxyyx-</code> <strong>does</strong> convert multiple opposing counters, by (2) and (3), flipping to yield <code>-xxxxxx-</code> upon completion of the move.  </p>

<p><strong>Reason:</strong></p>

<p>"All of the opponent's pieces between the these two pieces <em>[(the just placed piece and the enabling friendly piece at the far end of the just surrounded enemy row of pieces)]</em> are 'captured' and turned over to match the player's colour."</p></li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-12-31T20:47:19.970Z
What about a case like `XYY-YYX` where an X is played in the center? Ignoring for the moment whether such a board scenario is possible, I would think that it would flip all the Ys as two separate lines can be drawn from the move coordinate: one to the left and one to the right. If not, what is the precedence when this is generalized to 2 dimensions? Say you have a move that would draw a line up and down-right, for example.
Braden Best
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-01T07:00:59.190Z
My expectation was correct
Braden Best
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-08-10T14:16:23.240Z
2019-08-10T14:58:31.433Z
2019-08-10T14:58:31.433Z
Forget I was ever here
<p>In <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reversi" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Reversi</a> if you have a line of chips <code>--xxxy--</code>, you can place another <code>x</code> in the 5th position and overwrite the <code>y</code> you for sure <em>can</em> get the line <code>--xxxxx-</code> (where x is light, y is dark, and - is empty, line may be horizontal, vertical or main diagonal).</p>

<p>Can you do the same if the line contains one (or more) enemy chip in between? If you for example have <code>-xxyxyx-</code>, can you get <code>-xxxxxxx</code>?</p>

<othello>
In reversi, can you overwrite two chips in one move?
Someone
# In reversi, can you overwrite two chips in one move?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-08-10)

In [Reversi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reversi) if you have a line of chips `--xxxy--`, you can place another `x` in the 5th position and overwrite the `y` you for sure *can* get the line `--xxxxx-` (where x is light, y is dark, and - is empty, line may be horizontal, vertical or main diagonal).

Can you do the same if the line contains one (or more) enemy chip in between? If you for example have `-xxyxyx-`, can you get `-xxxxxxx`?

**Tags:** othello


---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2019-08-10. Score: 8 | Accepted answer

No. From the [Rules of Play](https://www.mastersofgames.com/rules/reversi-othello-rules.htm):

1. > Each piece played must be laid adjacent to an opponent's piece
2. > so that the opponent's piece or a row of opponent's pieces is flanked by the new piece and another piece of the player's colour.
3. > All of the opponent's pieces between these two pieces are 'captured' and turned over to match the player's colour.

where I have split up and numbered the clauses of the paragraph for easier reference.

Note that:

* from (1), the suggested move is illegal, not being adjacent to an opposing piece;
* even if one is playing to make `-xxyxy--` into `-xxyxyx-`, by (3) only the second 'y' is flipped, resulting in `-xxyxxx-` upon completion of the move; and
* playing to make `-xxxyy--` into `-xxxyyx-` **does** convert multiple opposing counters, by (2) and (3), flipping to yield `-xxxxxx-` upon completion of the move.

  **Reason:**

  "All of the opponent's pieces between the these two pieces *[(the just placed piece and the enabling friendly piece at the far end of the just surrounded enemy row of pieces)]* are 'captured' and turned over to match the player's colour."

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: What about a case like `XYY-YYX` where an X is played in the center? Ignoring for the moment whether such a board scenario is possible, I would think that it would flip all the Ys as two separate lines can be drawn from the move coordinate: one to the left and one to the right. If not, what is the precedence when this is generalized to 2 dimensions? Say you have a move that would draw a line up and down-right, for example.  
> **username_2**: My expectation was correct  

---

