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Backgammon glossary
Welcome to our backgammon dictionary.
This backgammon glossary was the best we could come up with after playing, reading books and websites for the meanings to every backgammon word and saying you will come across.
- A -
Ace-Point
The one point.
Ace-Point Game
A game where you have two or more checkers on your opponent's ace-point, and your hope of winning depends on getting a shot, hitting it, then keeping his hit checker from coming back around. If you hold a single point in your opponent's board and it's a different point, sometimes you can be said to be playing a "Deuce-point game" or "Three-point game" but these terms are less commonly used.
Advanced Anchor
A made point higher in your opponent's board than the 24-point. In general, advanced anchors are good because (a) they give you more opportunity to hit his checkers if he brings them into his outfield and (b) they give you a better opportunity to escape your own checkers.
Anchor
A made point in your opponent's inner board. You start with an anchor on the 24-point.
Automatic Doubles
A rule, sometimes used in money play and Chouettes and never in match play. When automatic doubles are in effect, if the first roll (where each player rolls one dies) is a double, the cube is turned one level. Sometimes there can be a limit of, say, one or two doubles. This rule has no effect except to increase the stakes at random, which adds to the excitement of gambling for some players.
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- B -
Backgame
A game where you hold two (or sometimes three) points in your opponent's board, and he has a lead in the race. You hope to make points in your board and eventually your back checkers make some of his rolls awkward to play, so you hit him one or more times and you have already made it hard for him to come back in. Backgames can often be won even though you are far behind in the race, but they also lead to many gammons and even backgammons when they are lost. (See also "Holding Game.")
Bar point
The 7-point
Bearin phase
The phase of the game in which you are bringing all your checkers to your inner board. Usually, but not necessarily, this term would be applied when your opponent has at most one point from which he could possibly hit you.
Bearoff game phase
The phase of the game in which you have moved all your checkers to your inner board and are removing them from the board.
Beaver offer
A rule commonly used in money play and Chouettes, and never in match play. If your opponent doubles and you feel you are actually the favorite, you may say "Beaver." You turn the cube an additional level, but you keep control of the cube. You may only do this as soon as you are doubled. Some players allow a "Raccoon" in which if you Beaver, the opponent who doubled can have the cube turned yet again. Beavers are rare, because they require the players to have very different opinions of the current board position. (When the Jacoby Rule is in effect, there are some positions where both a double and a beaver can be theoretically correct.)
Backgammon Blitz
A game plan where you hit your opponent aggressively in your inner board, often hitting loose, hoping that before he hits you back too many times you can make several points and perhaps even close him out.
Backgammon Blot
A single checker on a point
Builder play
A checker, either a blot or a spare, that is available to make new points without giving up old ones.
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- C -
Chouette play
See "How to play a chouette game".
Closeout position
A position where your opponent has one or more checkers on the bar and you have made all the points in your inner board, so he can't move. A closed board is when you have all the points in your inner board made.
Contact position
The opposite of a non-contact position. Non-contact positions favor the player with the lower pip count remaining - if you are trailing in pip count you often want to maintain contact.
Cover point
To put a second checker on a blot, making the point.
Crawford Rule
Named for Johnny Crawford, a rule used universally in match play. When one player reaches a score where he needs one point to win the match, his opponent may not double in the next game only. Most online software is set up to not allow such doubles. In real-life tournaments, rules vary as to what happens if an illegal double is made. Most players take the cube off the board at the beginning of the Crawford game.
Crunch
A position where you have one or more checkers back, and have made a lot of points in your inner board. If you have to start giving up those points because you have to move checkers in, you are said to be "crunching."
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- D -
Dance
To have a checker on the bar and fail to enter. Also referred to as flunk, fail.
Deuce-point
The two-point.
Direct shot
A checker that can be hit by your opponent with a roll of 6 or less.
Drop
To forfeit the game when your opponent doubles. Called "resign" on the MS Gaming Zone.
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- E -
Backgammon Equity
"Equity" is the value of ownership. In backgammon, it means either the value of your game, or your chances of winning the match. This is discussed more fully in the Key Concepts section of this site.
Tournament
Backgammon tournament that begins according to a prefixed time and date.
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- F -
Fan
See "Dance"
Game Flunk
See "Dance"
Fly shot
A checker that can be hit by your opponent with a roll of 7 or more.
Free-roll Tournament
A competition that has no entry fee.
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- G -
Golden Point
The 5-point. This is not an "accepted" term but you may hear it. Paul Magriel, in his excellent book on backgammon, coined this term to emphasize the importance of owning the 5-point.
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- H -
Hit loose
Hitting an opponent's checker where you cannot make the point, but have to leave a blot.
Holding Game
A game in which you have one point made over which your opponent's checkers have to pass before getting off, and except for that, your checkers have all passed your opponent's. Usually you are trailing in the race, but slightly enough that a big set of doubles (if you are able to use them to escape your back checkers) will make you more or less even.
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- I -
Indirect shot
See fly shot.
Inner board (or inner table, or infield)
The six lowest-numbered points for each player. Your "inner board" is the points numbered 1-6 for you, your opponent's inner board are his points numbered 1-6.
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- J -
Jacoby Rule
Named for Oswald Jacoby, a rule never used in match play and almost always in money play and Chouettes. If the cube has not been turned, the winner cannot score a gammon or backgammon. This rule eliminates situations where a player postpones doubling because he has a small chance of a gammon; it encourages him to double, the opponent drops, and they get on to the next game.
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- M -
"Made" point
A point with two or more checkers on it.
Midpoint
The 13-point.
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- N -
Noncontact Game
A position where all your checkers have passed all your opponent's, so that no further hits are possible.
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- O -
Outer board (or outer table, or outfield)
The points numbered 7-12.
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- P -
Play65 or Play 65
In some countries play65 is the way the board game is referred to online, originating from the Persian language, shesh besh is Persian for backgammon, which means 6 and 5, but is also an online synonym for the backgammon game. Thus play65 has become a popular way to communicate the new online name for the famous board game play65.
Prime
A solid row of made points - in theory six points in a row, but often used for a 5-in-a row - as in a "5-point prime."
Backgammon Proposition
An agreement between two (or more) players to set up a board and play out a given position many times, to settle a difference of opinion about the proper action. Stakes are almost always involved. A fuller description is on the key concepts page.
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- R -
Racing position
See "Non-contact position"
Rake
Fee charged by the hosting company, which is taken from winner's proceeds
Return shot
A situation where, in hitting an opponent's checker, you leave him some rolls where he can hit you on his next turn.
Runners
The two men in your opponents inner board.
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- S -
Slot
To move a single checker to an unoccupied point, with the intention of trying to cover it in the near future so as to make the point.
Spare
A checker in excess of two on a point. It is a spare because it can be moved without giving up the point.
Split
To move one checker off your opponent's ace-point, hoping to either run that checker to safety or to make an advanced anchor.
Stripped Point
A point which has two checkers on it, but whose primary value is to help make further advanced point, and which further is in range of a direct shot by the opponent if you move one of the checkers.
Satellite Tournament
The winner of a satellite competition receives a free entry to another tournament.
Sit-and-go Backgammon Tournament
Tournament that begins only after a certain number of players have registered.
Single Games
The most common style of competition, where games are played independently.
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- T -
Take
To continue play when doubled. Called "accept" on the MSN Gaming Zone.
Table Stakes
The limit on the money that can be placed on a single game. This is the highest amound which can be won or lost.
Timing
Timing refers to whether your position is likely to improve or disintegrate over time. It most commonly refers to being behind in the race when you would like to maintain your board without crunching while waiting for a shot. This is discussed more fully in the Key Concepts section of this site.
Other important terms:
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