“T” Backgammon Terms

A plot showing how a position's equity is distributed among each of the 6 x 6 upcoming rolls. It provides a way to visualize aspects of a position such as volatility and duplication.

A unit of time in positional development equal to half a roll.

A hit designed to forestall the opponent by depriving him of half a roll when the opponent threatens to hit a blot or make an important point, or needs to consolidate a disorganized position.

To intentionally place a blot in a position where it can be hit with the idea of enticing the opponent to give up a strategic point (2).

A player's two-point.

A formula devised by Edward O. Thorp for making doubling decisions in pure race games. It is a modification of the basic pip count designed to take into account elements of checker distribution. Each player's Thorp count is his pip count, plus 2 for each of his checkers still on the board, minus 1 for each of his occupied home board points, plus 1 for each checker on his one-point. Then the player on roll increases his count by 10 percent if it is more than 30. Thorp advises: Double any time your count does not exceed the opponent's by more than 2; redouble any time your count does not exceed opponent's by more than 1; accept the double if your count does not exceed doubler's by more than 2. See post by Simon Woodhead. For a comparison with other methods, see the article, "Cube Handling In Noncontact Positions".

The third point (1) in a player's home board, counting from the edge of the board toward the bar.

To shake a pair of dice in a dice cup and release them onto a backgammon board. If the dice are cocked, they must be rethrown.

Bear off.

The average number of rolls or pips (2) that can be played without having to make a major concession, such as leaving a blot, breaking a key point, or burying a checker. See post by Marty Storer.

A feature of digital chess clocks which gives each player a specified number of seconds at the start of each turn before that player's clock begins running. Typical time delays in backgammon range from 8 to 15 seconds per move. The idea is that players are charged only for "thinking time" and not for the time required to roll the dice, wait for them to settle, read the numbers and move the checkers.

How long you expect to retain the desirable features of a position compared to your opponent. Good timing means your opponent will be forced to make a major concession, such as leaving a blot, breaking a key point, or burying a checker, before you. You can sometimes help preserve your timing by killing large numbers or recirculating checkers.

Too many points.

A position which you should not double, even though your opponent has a clear drop, because your equity is higher by playing on for a gammon.

An inflexible position with many made points and few spare checkers. Seven is usually "too many."

To temporarily land on an intermediate open point after playing one of two numbers with the same checker.

An rule rarely used today in Western backgammon, though it is common in the Middle East. The rule requires that once you touch a checker (other than to adjust it) you must move that checker, and once you remove your hand from a properly played checker, that checker must remain where it was played. See this thread and this thread.

A formal competition among multiple entrants in which a winner is decided.

The person who organizes and oversees a tournament.

A game popular in seventeenth-century France in which players have just three checkers each and play only on their own side of the board.  See: How to Play Tourne-case.