“D” Backgammon Terms

[From the action a player makes as he first reaches to enter his checker then pulls his arm back when he notices the numbers are blocked.]  To throw numbers which fail to enter a checker from the bar.

Danish Backgammon Federation.   Website: www.dbgf.dk.

A spare checker deep in the player's home board where it serves no useful purpose.  See: Bury a Checker.

A doubling cube with no further doubling value. In match play, the cube is said to be dead when the player owning the cube has no reason to double. For example, a player who owns a 2-cube when he is two points (4) away from winning the match will never double because he can win the match with the cube at its current level.

Dead checker.

A specific number on the dice which cannot be played in the current position; see kill a number.

Refuse a double.

On a low-numbered point (1), usually the one-point or two-point.

An anchor on the opponent's one-point or two-point.

A rolled die showing the number 2.

Traditional name for the two-point.

[Plural of die.]  Two small cubes, each with faces marked with spots (pips (1)) representing the numbers 1 to 6. Dice for backgammon usually have rounded corners so they roll more easily. You throw a pair of dice at the start of each turn, and move your checkers according to the numbers thrown.

One of the 36 possible rolls using two dice.

A container, usually made of leather, plastic, or wood, used for shaking and rolling dice. There is often a ridge around the inside of the open end designed to trip up the dice as they leave the cup. Dice cups make it possible to shake the dice thoroughly before rolling them, ensuring a random roll. Presumably dice manipulation is harder when dice are rolled from a cup.

Any unfair means used to influence the roll of the dice.

A person skillful in the use of unfair means to control the dice.

See Meyer dice tube.

Singular of dice.

An electronic chess clock with digital displays showing the time remaining for each player. A display shows 00:00 when a player has run out of time. Digital clocks typically have a time delay feature which makes them particularly well suited for backgammon.  Compare: Analog Clock.

A spare checker which bears only on points deep in a player's home board.