Backgammon Dictionary

All Backgammon Terms

There are - 780 - terms.

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Blocking Backgammon

A backgammon variant in which one checker by itself controls a point (1)See: How to Play Blocking Backgammon.

Blocking Game

A game plan where the primary strategy is to build a strong blockade.

Blot

A single checker sitting alone on a point (1) where it is vulnerable to being hit.

Blot in backgammon

Blot-Hitting Contest

An exchange of loose hits in which both players try to gain a key point.

Blue game

A kind of collusion in a chouette. Two or more players silently agree to share their winnigs, thus if either of them is in the box and the other is captain, the captain deliberately makes bad moves or wrong doubling decisions. (From Philipp Martyn on Backgammon, p. 162.)

Blunder

A large checker play or cube error, especially one made out of recklessness or inattention.   Compare: Whopper. See post by Daniel Murphy.

Board

One of the four quadrants that make up the playing area: your home board, your outer board, the opponent's home board, and the opponent's outer board.

A player's home board. For example: a strong board is a home board with several made points; an n-point board is a home board with n points made; to make your board means to close all the points in your home board.

Bold Play

A play that leaves one or more blots that the opponent can easily hit.   Compare: Safe Play.

Bot

A computer program on a backgammon server that plays and competes just as if it were a human player.

Any computer program that can play backgammon (1) and analyze positions (such as Jellyfish, Snowie, or GNU Backgammon).

Box

[Short for "man in the box," a person in a difficult or trying position.]  The player in a chouette who plays alone against all the others.

Boxcars

A roll of 6-6 (double 6's).

Boxes

A roll of 6-6 (double 6's).

Boys (The Boys)

A roll of 6-6 (double 6's).

Break a Point

To remove a checker from a point (1) that contains only two checkers, thus leaving an open. (The opposite of make a point.)

Break a Prime

To open one or more points (2) in a prime.