“C” Backgammon Terms

A position with several made points close to one another and few gaps. Compact positions are powerful because spare checkers can easily build new points and rear points can be broken safely.

What you sometimes get paid in if you are not careful with whom you play.

A range of values that contain, with a certain probability, a rollout's convergence value. For example, with a 95%-confidence interval, there is only a 5% chance that performing the same rollout an infinite number of times will yield a result outside the interval. See post by Stig Eide.

A position in which all fifteen of a player's checkers are located within a short distance of each other. A position which is well-connected will tend to stay well-connected.

The degree to which all of a player's checkers work together as a unified army without large gaps between them. Connected checkers defend each other and are easily made into points (2).

Consolation flight.

A event for players eliminated early in the main flight of an elimination tournament; sometimes called a sympathy flight.

To reduce the number of blots a player has, frequently as a precursor to offering a double.

Advice offered by the crew to the captain in a chouette.

A game where the opposing forces have not moved past each other and where it is still possible for one player to hit or block the other.   Compare: Pure Race.

To prevent an opposing checker from escaping to its own side of the board by blocking it or hitting it and sending it back.

A player controls a point (1) if he has two or more checkers on that point. Only the player who controls a point may move additional checkers to that point.

Own the cube.

The value approached by a rollout as more and more trials are performed. It is the result you would obtain if you could do a rollout an infinite number of times.

Games played by e-mail.

Pip count.

The relative standing of the players' pip counts. The player with the lower pip count is said to be ahead in the count.

Checker.

The direction your checkers move around the board when they are set up to bear off to the right. When your checkers move counterclockwise, your opponent's checkers move clockwise.

Possibilities for retaliation, switching from a defensive posture to an offensive posture.

To tabulate the players' pip counts to find out who is ahead in the race and by how much.