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Backgammon Glossary
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The Backgammon Board
The board, or the table, is the area on which the game is played.
Points
The board is divided into 24 triangles. The triangles are called points.
Inner Board/Home Board
The inner or home board is the area
of the board where the checkers or men gather before they can be borne off of
the board.
Checkers/Men
Checkers and men are two ways of referring to backgammon pieces.
Bar/Rail
The backgammon board generally folds in half. The seam is known as the bar, and
it is on this bar that checkers that have been captured await re-entry into the
board.
Blot
When a single checker is on a point, vulnerable to being hit, it is called a blot.
To Hit
To hit is to knock off your opponent’s blot by landing on it
Direct Hit
A direct hit is a hit using the number on one of the dice.
Bar
In most backgammon tables, the table folds in half. The bar is the seam, and it
is where checkers are placed after being hit while waiting to re-enter.
Enter
To enter is to leave the bar, coming into your opponent's home board.
Bear Off
Bearing off is removing your checkers from the game board.
Doubles
Doubles is the term referring to when the dice both show the same number.
Make a Point
To make a point is to put two checkers on a point, giving you control over the point
Control a Point
To control a point is have at least two checkers on a point so that your opponent
can't land on it
Anchor
An anchor is a point you control in your opponent’s inner board.
Prime
When a player controls six consecutive points, the opponent cannot pass them.
This is called a prime.
Outer Board
The outer board is the area which is neither side's home board.
Pip
Pips are the number of dots on the dice.
Pip Count
The pip count is the number of spaces that all of the player's checkers
still need to move in order for all of them to be borne off. At the beginning of the game each player has a pip count of 167.
Gammon
When the losing player has not borne off any men by the time the winner has finished bearing off, the winner receives twice the value of the doubling cube.
This situation is referred to as a gammon.
Backgammon
A backgammon is a situation in which the winning player bears off all of the
checkers while the opponent has not yet started to bear off, and has at least one checker in
the winner's home board or on the bar.
Chouette
A chouette is a variant of backgammon which allows several players to play on a
team against a single opponent.
Cube
The cube, also called the doubling cube, is a cube with one of the following numbers on each of its six sides: 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64. The cube is used for one player to offer the other to double the stakes of the game.
Holding game
A holding game is a backgammon game played using a defensive strategy.
Slot
To slot is to leave an unprotected checker on a point .
Own the Cube
The last player to accept the offer of doubling the stakes owns the cube.
Take
To take is to accept an offer to double the stakes and get possession of the doubling cube
Pass/Fold
When a player is offered the cube and refuses it, it is called pass or
fold. A player who is offered the cube and refuses it loses the game
automatically.
Resign
To resign is to forfeit the game. If a player believes that he will lose, he may
choose to resign. The opponent, however, can refuse the resignation if the
opponent believes that the game could otherwise end in gammon or backgammon. A
player may also offer to resign as a gammon or backgammon.
Match play
Match play is a two-player tournament in which the players play a series of
games until one of them attains a predetermined number of points. This series of
games is called a match.
Cocked
A die that lands badly is said to be “cocked” and both of the dice must be thrown again.
Precision Dice
Precision dice are dice that are made specially to be precise by having flat rather than indented pips.
Back Game
When a player is behind in the race but has one or more checkers 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.
A player playing a back game risks losing in a gammon or a backgammon.
Preclear
To preclear is to vacate a high point in your home board before all your men are in your home board, in preparation for bearing off
Premature Roll
If a player rolls the dice before the other player has removed his dice from the
board, it is considered a premature roll. In most backgammon tournaments and
rules, premature rolls must be rerolled.
Game Plan
There are three main game plans (strategies): run, block, and attack.
Running Strategy
A player playing a running strategy avoids contact with the opponent to the
greatest extent possible.
Blocking strategy
A blocking strategy relies on building primes and keeping the opponent's
checkers from progressing.
Attacking Strategy
A player using an attacking strategy hits and closes out the opponent as much as
possible by controlling the points in his home board.
End Play
The end of the game when at least one of the players has started to bear off is
called end play
Contact Position
If checkers have not all passed each other and it is still possible to hit or
block, it is considered a contact position.
Pure Race
When players are no longer in a contact position, and are only trying to bear
off as quickly as possible, the backgammon game is referred to as a pure race.
Beaver, Raccoon, Jacoby Rule, Crawford Rule, Automatic Doubles - see
Additional Backgammon Rules.
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