Taking First: Occupy the Opponent's Key Square

Moves that flip few discs and keep your discs together are good for your opponent too. So the next step in reading is to take away the opponent's good moves. An opponent who loses good moves has no choice but to play worse ones, and the balance of the game tips. The ways to do this are taking first, defense and spoiling.

First imagine that you have passed the turn to your opponent and find where the opponent would like to play. If that square is good for you too, take it now. In Othello you cannot play on an occupied square, so a square you take first disappears for the opponent.