Backgammon terms

Anchor

A point you hold, with two or more checkers, in your opponent's home board. An anchor gives your back checkers a safe place to land and something to wait on.

Back checkers

Your two checkers that start on your 24-point, furthest from home. They are the hardest to bring round.

Backgammon (the result)

A win worth three times the cube: the loser has borne off no checkers and still has one on the bar or in the winner's home board.

Bar

The ridge down the middle of the board. Checkers that are hit are placed on it and must re-enter before their owner can move anything else.

Bar point

Your 7-point, just outside your home board, next to the bar.

Bearing off

Taking your checkers off the board once they are all in your home board. The first player to bear off all fifteen wins.

Blitz

An all-out attack: hitting your opponent's checkers again and again while you close your home board points.

Blot

A single checker alone on a point. A blot can be hit.

Builder

A spare checker placed where it can help make a new point next turn.

Closed board

A home board with all six points made. A checker on the bar can't enter against it, so its owner can't move until a point opens.

Crawford game

The game played without the cube straight after a player first gets within one point of winning a match.

Doubling cube

The die marked 2 to 64 that shows the stakes. A player may double before rolling; the opponent takes or passes.

Doubles

A roll with the same number on both dice, such as 4-4. It is played four times instead of twice.

Gammon

A win worth twice the cube: the loser hasn't borne off any checkers.

Hit

Landing on a point with one opposing checker, which sends that checker to the bar.

Home board

Your points 1 to 6, where you bring your checkers before bearing them off. Your opponent's home board is your points 19 to 24.

Lover's leap

The opening play 24/13 with a 6-5: one back checker runs all the way to the mid-point.

Match

A series of games played until one player reaches a set number of points, such as 5 or 7.

Mid-point

Your 13-point, where five of your checkers start.

Pass (or drop)

Turning down a double. The player who passes loses the game at the stakes before the double.

Pip

One point of distance. Moving a checker from your 8-point to your 3-point uses 5 pips.

Pip count

The total number of pips a player needs to bear off all their checkers. Each player starts with 167.

Point

One of the 24 triangles on the board. Making a point means putting two or more of your checkers on it, so your opponent can't land there.

Prime

Several points in a row that you own. A full prime of six points can't be passed at all.

Race

The part of the game after both players' checkers have passed each other, when nothing can be hit and only speed counts.

Shot

A chance to hit a blot. A direct shot is within 6 pips, so one die can hit it; an indirect shot needs both dice together.

Slot

Placing a single checker on a point you want to make, planning to cover it next turn, at the risk of being hit.

Split

Moving your two back checkers apart, so they have more ways to escape and to make an anchor.

Take

Accepting a double. The game goes on at twice the stakes and the taker owns the cube.

See the notation in the opening moves