Backgammon Dictionary

An early plastic, similar to bakelite, that was popular in the 1930's and 40's in the creation of backgammon playing pieces.

Checkers which have been purposely spread out to maximize the chance of hitting an opposing checker if it tries to escape.

The position of the doubling cube before either player has offered a double. A centered doubling cube is placed halfway between the players at the start of each game with the number 64 facing up (representing a value of 1).

Open division.

Play dangerously, especially in offering or accepting doubles, in an attempt to recover losses.

One of the fifteen markers, all of one color, that a player moves around the board according to rolls of the dice. Also known as men, pieces, stones, or counters.

The movement of the checkers according to numbers on the dice.

The art or skill of moving the checkers.   Compare: Cube Play (2).

British spelling of checker.

Two adjacent connected clocks with buttons that stop one clock while starting the other so that the two component clocks never run simultaneously. The purpose is to keep track of the total time each player takes and ensure that neither player unduly delays the game. Clocks may be analog or digital. Digital clocks work best in backgammon because they have a time delay feature.

[Pronounced "shoo-ETT". From the French word for "barn owl," a bird that is often attacked by all other birds.]  A social form of backgammon for three or more players. One player, the box, plays on a single board against all the others who form a team led by a captain.  See: How to Run a Chouette.

Traditional name for the five-point.

To offer a double which you believe will be refused so that you can collect the current value of the cube; cash a game.

A move completed legally.

To move all the checkers off of a point (1).

A good general strategy to use when bearing in or bearing off against opposition. You clear your highest point (1) first and avoid creating gaps.

Software that runs on a user's computer and communicates with a backgammon server to allow the user to play backgammon (1) with others on the Internet. The client software displays the board and interacts with the user as he rolls the dice and moves the checkers.

Chess clock.

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

Make a point; place two or more of your checkers on a point (1), and thereby prevent your opponent from landing there.

To make all six of your home board points while the opponent has one or more checkers on the bar. The opponent is then prevented from entering his checker or making any other move until one of the closed home-board points is opened.