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BackGammon Glossary
Main terms
During the Backgammon game there are a lot of specific terms that they are used to define a position, a move or part of the game. We though it could be usefull if you find a term that was used in this website to have also a place to search for its meaning. You may see below defined the most important terms in Backgammon
- Ace point
The first or 1 'point' on the board, the closest point to bear off.
- Advanced anchor
A 'made point' (see below) that is positioned on your opponent's 4 point, 5 point or 6 point. See also, 'Anchor' and 'Deep Anchor'.
- Anchor
A 'made point' (see below) on your opponent's 'home board'. Each player begins the game with an anchor (two checkers) on their 24 point, which is their opponent's 1 point. See also, 'Advanced Anchor' and 'Deep Anchor'.
- Automatic doubles
This rule states that if both players get the same number on the first roll of the dice, then a double is called.
- Bar
The dividing line down the middle of a backgammon set, where checkers that have been 'hit' sit until they re-enter the game.
- Bar point
Either of the two points in the outer board adjacent to the bar; the 7-point or the 18-point.
- Bear in
The stage of the game when a player moves his men into his home board.
- Bear off
The stage of the game when a player has all his men on his home board, and is in the process of moving them off the board altogether.
- Beaver
When one player doubles, and his opponent immediately redoubles.
- Blitz
A style of play in which a player hits his opponent repeatedly in his own home board in an effort to keep him on the bar and close him out.
- Block
A point occupied by two or more checkers on the home board or the outer board.
- Blot
A single checker on a point. This is a vulnerable position.
- Checker
One of the 15 playing pieces allotted to each player.
- Contact
The condition under which each player has checkers remaining which have not passed those of his opponent; while there is still contact in the game, blots may be hit.
- Closed board
When a player has 'made' all the points on his inner board, his opponent will be unable to re-enter any checker he may have on the 'bar' into the game until an open point becomes available again.
- Cover
To shield a 'blot' with a second checker, ensuring it is 'made'.
- Crawford game
The first game in a match wherein one player is within a single point of winning the match. It is in this game that the Crawford rule applies.
- Crawford Rule
Used only in match play, when a player reaches a score in which he is only one point away from winning the match, his opponent is not allowed to double in the next game.
- Dance
To have a checker on the bar, and to roll numbers that are blocked in your opponent's home board and do not allow you to re-enter. Also know as 'to fan', 'to flunk', as well as 'to fail'.
- Deep anchor
A 'made point' (see below) that is positioned on your opponent's 1 point, 2 point, or 3 point. See also, ‘Anchor’ and ‘Advanced Anchor’.
- Direct shot
A 'blot' or lone checker that can be hit with a roll of six or less.
- Drop
To resign from a game when one's opponent 'doubles' - to refuse the cube.
- Double
To offer the doubling cube, thus doubling the stakes of the current game.
- Doubles
A dice roll in which both values are identical, e.g. 1-1 or 6-6.
- Doubling cube
A six-sided die which is not rolled, but is marked with powers of two and used to track the stakes of the current game.
- End Game
The phase of a game which starts when one of the players begins to bear off.
- Equity
The chances of winning the game.
- Full prime
A prime of six consecutive points that completely blocks the opponent from moving checkers in front of the prime to behind the prime.
- Fly shot
A checker that can be hit with a roll of seven or more. Also called indirect shot.
- Gammon
A game in which one player removes all his checkers before his opponent can remove any, and counted as a double win.
- Golden Point
The fifth point in from the beginning of one's own home board, also known as the 'five point'.
- Hit Loose
To hit one of your opponent's 'blots', and be unable to follow it up with another checkers, thereby leaving your own exposed.
- Holding Game
This is a strategy used by a player who is behind in the game with the intention of hindering the opponent’s ability to bring his checkers home safely by holding on to one or more points on their opponent's side of the board.
- Home board
See 'inner board'.
- Inner board
The part of the board nearest to the end where you take your checkers off the board. This is the part of the board numbered 1-6 (the 'inner table', 'infield' or 'home board'.)
- Jacoby rule
This rule states that if neither player has offered the doubling cube during the game, there cannot be a gammon or backgammon.
- Made point
A point with two or more 'men' on it, which ensures that it cannot be hit.
- Match
A series of games of backgammon, played until one participant reaches a predetermined score.
- Men
The backgammon pieces or checkers, also known as 'stones'.
- Mid-point
The 13 point.
- Normalized Match Score
A match score expressed in terms of the number of points needed by both sides to win the match. For instance, '2-away/4-away' (or: -2/-4) could indicate the state of seven-point match in which one party has gained five points and the other side three points.
- Notation
In backgammon the common way of describing the movement of checkers involves numbering the points around the board from 24 to 1 such that the numbers diminish when the checkers move towards the home board. This implies that a reverse numbering applies when the opponent is on roll (with the 24-point now referred to as the 1-point, etc.). A move of a single checker is indicated by the start and the end number separated by a slash. If a move results in a checker being hit, this is indicated by adding an asterisk to the number on which a checker was hit.
- Non-contact position
The stage of the game where both players' men have passed each other, and so no more hits can happen.
- Open point
A point a player can in principle move his checkers to. I.e. a point that is not occupied by more than one opposing checker.
- Outer table
The part of the table closest to the player that is next to his home board. Numbered 7-12, it is also called the 'outer board'.
- Pip
One of the markings on the face of a die, corresponding to a movement of one point.
- Pip count
The total number of remaining pips needed to bear off all checkers.
- Point
One of the triangular-shaped spaces on the board, where the backgammon checkers are placed.
- Prime
A consecutive row of four or more made points that block or hinder the opponent's options to move. Six points row is called a 'full prime'.
- Racing position
When both opponents' checkers have passed each other and no further hits are possible, there is a race to see who will reach home and bear off their checkers first. See also the 'non-contact position' above.
- Redouble
To double an additional time; after one player has doubled, a subsequent offer by the other player constitutes redoubling.
- Return shot
When a player is hit and re-enters hitting one of the opponent's checkers.
- Split
To break up two checkers which are together on a point and leave them as blots.
- Slot
To move one checker onto a point, with the intention of adding another to it later, thereby 'making' it.
- Spare
An extra checker on a made point which can be moved without endangering the point.
- Take
Continuing to play after having been doubled.
- Timing
The state of play as it affects a certain player. Generally it refers to maintaining a position when behind in the race to the finish. Timing can more accurately be called 'tempo'.
This Glossary is based on the Party Gammon Glossary and Wikipedia Backgammon Glossary |
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