“R” Backgammon Terms

[Because you "root" for your opponent to roll one.]  A dice roll that forces a position to collapse.

A period in a tournament during which each contestant (except those who received a bye) plays another contestant. For example, each round of an elimination tournament eliminates half the players.

A tournament format in which every contestant plays every other contestant in turn. The number of rounds required is one less than the number of contestants.  Compare: Elimination Format.

To escape a runner from the opponent's home board and it advance toward home as quickly as possible.

One of the two checkers that began the game on the opponent's one-point.

Any checker on the bar or in the opponent's home board.

The strategy employed by a player who is ahead in the race and tries to bring his checkers home and bear them off with as little interaction with the opponent as possible.

The stage of a backgammon game which begins when contact with the opponent is broken; a pure race.

A backgammon variant in which all checkers start off the board, and both players enter in the same quadrant, move around the board (1) in the same direction, and bear off from the same quadrant.  See: How to Play Russian Backgammon.