“B” Backgammon Terms

Having a higher pip count than your opponent; see count (2).

Having a higher pip count than your opponent.

To mistakenly play the roll of 6-5 from the opponent's one-point to your mid-point without seeing that the opponent has made his bar-point and blocks your way.

British Isles Backgammon Association.  Website: BIBA.

A bold or aggressive play when a safer but less constructive play is available.

Beaver.

An all-out attack on enemy blots in your home board aimed at closing out your opponent.

A quick elimination tournament consisting of short matches.

[Noun.]  A point (1) occupied by two or more checkers held for the purpose of hindering the opponent's progress.

[Verb.]  To prevent forward movement of the opponent's checkers by making points in front of them.

A series of blocks arranged to prevent escape of the opponent's runners. The ideal blockade is a prime.

A backgammon variant in which one checker by itself controls a point (1).  See: How to Play Blocking Backgammon.

A game plan where the primary strategy is to build a strong blockade.

A single checker sitting alone on a point (1) where it is vulnerable to being hit.

An exchange of loose hits in which both players try to gain a key point.

A kind of collusion in a chouette. Two or more players silently agree to share their winnigs, thus if either of them is in the box and the other is captain, the captain deliberately makes bad moves or wrong doubling decisions. (From Philipp Martyn on Backgammon, p. 162.)

A large checker play or cube error, especially one made out of recklessness or inattention.   Compare: Whopper. See post by Daniel Murphy.

A backgammon board.

One of the four quadrants that make up the playing area: your home board, your outer board, the opponent's home board, and the opponent's outer board.

A player's home board. For example: a strong board is a home board with several made points; an n-point board is a home board with n points made; to make your board means to close all the points in your home board.

See: Starting Position.

See: Starting Position.

A play that leaves one or more blots that the opponent can easily hit.   Compare: Safe Play.

See: Magriel's Safe-Bold Criteria.