Backgammon Dictionary

A player's home board when all six points (1) are blocked.

A point (1) containing two or more checkers; a block or an anchor.

A pip counting technique devised by Jack Kissane that involves the mental shifting of checkers to form patterns of reference positions whose pip totals often end in zero for quick and easy addition.   See: "Cluster Count" by Jack Kissane.

Thrown dice which do not both land flat on the surface of the half of the board to the player's right. The roll is disqualified and both dice must be rethrown.

Entering from the bar with a roll of 6-2 and hitting a blot on the eight-point when the only open point is the two-point.

Misleading talk to confuse opponent. For example, in a chouette, when a team player advises the captain not to double knowing full well that the captain will double, he tempts the box to unwisely accept (ethically borderline, at best). (From Backgammon, by Paul Magriel, p 396.)

The two numbers on a pair of rolled dice taken together; see combinations of the dice.

The play of a single checker that uses both numbers of a roll, such as a combination shot.

An opportunity to hit an opposing blot that requires using the numbers on both dice taken together; an indirect shot.   Compare: Direct Shot.

The number of possible rolls out of 36 that accomplish a specific objective.

An opportunity to hit an opponent's blot immediately after being hit yourself; in particular, an opportunity to hit from the bar.

Enter.

Mid-point.

A position from which there is only one reasonable game plan for winning, as opposed to a noncommitted position.

To keep checkers within six pips (2) of one another for mutual support; see connectivity.

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.