Backgammon Glossary

   ABT
  Abbreviated American Backgammon Tour, an annual tournament for pros and participants of major U.S. tournaments.

   Accept a Double
  To accept the proposal of your opponent to play at doubled previous stakes. The opposite action is to refuse the double.

   Active Builder
  A free checker, which can move on the board for absolutely free.

   Anchor
  Any point, which is occupied by two or more checkers in the opponent's home.

   Automatic Doubles
  Optional rule available in money-games. If both players roll the same number when they determine the priority to roll dices, the amount of bet is doubled. The doubling cube is turned to 2 and stays in the middle.

   Backgammon board
  Other name is table, board. A board for backgammon, which has 24 triangles of two alternate different colors that indicate points. They are divided into four sections on the table called quadrants and are called home board, outer board, opponent's outer board and opponent's home board. The bar divides the outer and home boards.

   Bar
  The raised barrier in the center of backgammon board. Checkers are placed on the bar when they are hit. Another name – roof, rail.

   Bear off
  To make all you checkers gather on your home board and then leave the board.

   Block
  A point which is occupied by several checkers to intervene opponent's next move.

   Blockade
  A set of blocks to prevent further movement of your opponent.

   Blot
  A single checker which is opened to be hit.

   Board.
   Backgammon board.

   Bump
  Hit a checker.

   Cast
  Throw a pair of dice to make a move.

   Checker
  Known also as men, counters, stones. One of 15 one-colored checks, that you play with.

   Closed point
  Consists of anchors or blocks. A point which is occupied by two and more checkers.

   Control a point
  To have two or more checkers on a point and have possibility to move other checkers on it.

   Count
  Short variant of pip count.

   Dice
  Two cubes with marked faces used for backgammon. Spots on faces of dice indicate the move of your checkers on the board.

   Dice combination
  One of the 36 possible rolls of two die.

   Double
  Possibility to increase the stakes twice given by one player to another. If it is accepted, the game continues at double price; if it is rejected those who proposed wins everything.

   Doubles
  Two dice that have identical numbers on the upper face.

   Doubling Cube
  A cube which keeps the track of stake increase. Its sides are marked with numbers 2,4,8,16,32,64. At the beginning it lies in the center, but if players begin to double it moves from one side to another.

   Enter
  To move a checker from a bar to opponent's home board on a free point according to dice combination. If there are any checkers on the bar, this is the first action to do.

   Flunk
  To fail to enter.

   Fold
  To refuse a double or to pass; to quit a game.

   Hit
  To discover the opponent's blot, place your blot on it and push it to the bar.

   Hit and cover
  To hit the opponent's blot with yours and then move it to another blot to protect it.

   Hit and Pass
  The same as Hit and Run, Pick and Pass.

   Hit Loose
  To hit a blot of you opponent leaving your blots uncovered and exposed.

   Home
  Also called home board. The quadrant of the board, which is the aim of movement of your checkers. You must collect all checkers here to start bearing off the board.

   Mixed roll
  Opposite to the doubles - the dice with different numbers on the upper face.

   Move around the corner
  A move from your opponent's outer board to your own outer board.

   Move in
  Move either from the bar to the opponent's home board or from your outer board to home.

   Odds
  The interrelation of chance that event will happen to the possibility that it won’t. For example the odds of rolling 1-1 are 35 to 1 against.

   Pass
  Refuse a double; to give you right to move checkers to the opponent due to impossibility to make a move.

   Pick and Pass
  To hit a blot of your opponent and then move the checker to save point.

   Pick up
  To hit an opponent’s blot to the bar.

   Pip
  One of the spots on the dice indicating number of moves to be made; the distance that your checker should make indicated by dice.

   Pip count
  The amount of pips that are to be rolled out to make all of your checkers bear off. At the beginning of the game, you have pip count of 167. In the end, it must be 0.

   Point
  One of the 24 spots on the board where you can put your checkers – as well as your opponent can. A spot occupied by two and more checkers.

   Rail
  Another word for the bar.

   Rating
  The number which indicates the level of your playing concerning other players. The more you win, the more points you add to your rating, and vice versa.

   Reenter
  Enter the board with checker from the rail after it was hit.

   Resign
  To recognize your defeat. You can’t resign at tournaments.

   Roll
  To throw two dice; a dice combination which falls when you throw dice.

   Roof
  Analog to bar.

   Runner
  One of the checkers which began to move from the home board of your opponent; a checker on the rail or at home board of the opponent.

   Shot
  An opportunity of a particular dice roll which can hit a blot of your opponent.

  Stack
  Four and more checkers on one point.

   Turn
  The sequence of players’ actions, which consists of possible offer to double, rolling the dice, playing the roll and handling the dice to another player.

   Underplay
  To play very carefully and safely when it is surely safe to play more aggressively.

   WBA
  World Backgammon Association.