Backgammon Glossary

 An Anchor
   An anchor is a point controlled in the opponent's home board.


 Attacking Strategy
   In an attacking strategy, the player hits and closes out the opponent by controlling the points in his home board.


  Back Game
   When a player is behind in the race but has at least two anchors in his opponent's home board, he may play
   a back game strategy in which he hits a late shot and tries to contain his opponent's checker behind
   a prime.


 Backgammon
   It is called backgammon if the losing player has not borne off any men and still has one or more checkers in
   the winner's home board or on the bar when the winner has finished bearing off. In this case, the winner
   receives three times the value of the doubling cube.


 Backgammon Board
   The backgammon board is the board on which the game is played; also called the backgammon table.


 Bar
   The bar is the bar which separates the two halves of the board, and it is also called the rail.
   This is where checkers wait to enter the board after being hit.


 Bear Off
   To bear off is to remove a checker from the board.


 Beaver
   When a player immediately redoubles and retains ownership of the cube, it is called a beaver.
   His opponent may accept or refuse the redouble.
   This option is available in most, but not all online backgammon games.


 Blocking Strategy
   In a blocking strategy, the player attempts to build blockades.


 Blot
    When a single checker is on a point, vulnerable to being hit, it is a blot.


 Builder
   A builder is a single checker on a point which the owner intends to add another checker to.


 Checker
   A backgammon piece is called a checker or a marker.


 Contact Position
   A contact position is a point at which checkers are still engaged and still may hit or block each other.


 Control a Point
   To control a point is to have at least two checkers on a point so your opponent cannot land on it.


 Crawford Rule
   In match play, the first game in which one player is a single point from winning is called the Crawford game,
   and the Crawford rule states that during this game, no doubling is allowed. Game values can still
   be doubled or tripled in gammon or backgammon wins.


 Direct Hit
   A direct hit is a hit using the number on one of the dice.


 Doubles
   When the dice both show the same number, it is treated as four dice with that number.


  Doubling Cube
   A cube with one of the following numbers on each of its six sides: 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64.
   The doubling cube is used for one player to offer the other the option of doubling
   the stakes of the game.


 Enter
   Entering refers to coming into the opponent's home board from the bar.


 Game Plan
   There are three main game plans (strategies): run, block, and attack.


 Gammon
   A gammon is a situation in which the losing player has not borne off any men by the time the winner has
   finished bearing off. In this case, the winner receives twice the value of the doubling cube.


 Hit
   To hit is to bump or knock off an opponent's blot by landing on it.


 Holding Game
   A holding game is a game played using a defensive, or blocking, strategy.


 Home Board
   The inner or home board is the section of the board from which the checkers are removed from the game.


 Own the Cube
   The last player to accept the offer of doubling the stakes owns, or has control of, the cube.


 Pass
   To pass is to turn down the offer to double the stakes and forfeit the game, also referred to as folding.


 Pip
   The number on the die / the number of spaces the checker moves.


 Pip Count
   The pip count is the total number of points that a player still needs in order to bear off all his men.
    At the beginning of the game, each player has a pip count of 167.


 Point on a Blot / Point on a Head
   When you hit a blot with two checkers and make a point.


 Points
   The 24 triangles on the board are called points. The term point can also refer to the score
   for winning one game.


 Position
   Position refers to the layout of the checkers on the backgammon board.


 Preclear
   To vacate a high point in your home board before all your men are in your home board,
   in preparation for bearing off.


 Prime
   A prime is a situation is which six sets of checkers are on consecutive points blocking
   the opponent's men who are behind the prime.


 Pure Race
   When all of the checkers are heading for home with no opponent checkers on the way and the
   players' goal is to move forward as quickly as possible, the game is referred to as a pure race.


 Resign
   To resign is to forfeit the game.


 Running Strategy
   A running strategy employs as little interaction with the opponent as possible.


 Slot
   To slot is to leave an unprotected checker (a blot) on a point.


 Split
   To split is to separate two checkers that had been on one point.


 Take
   To take is to accept an offer to double the stakes and get possession of the doubling cube.

 Related Pages

How to play Backgammon
Backgammon Features