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Years playing backgammon: 20+ Learned to play on fibs.com playing bots and review with gnubg analysis FIBS rating 1750-1850
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Backgammon Terminology

Backgammon words and phrases..

Ace the number 1
Ace-Point the first point (position) on the board
Ace-Point Game game where 2 or more checkers are still on the ace point.
Anchor Two or more checkers that occupy a point


Back Game strategy of occupying the opponents home board (back) positions
To lose triple the value of the cube if checkers still in opponent's home board
Bar The center of the board where checkers go when they are hit
Bar-Point Position adjacent to the bar (7)
Bear In Bring checkers into the home quadrant
Bear Off Take checkers off the board
Beaver Redouble while maintaining possession of the cube (used in money games)
Blitz All out atttack (hitting loose) in an attemp to close out.
Blot Single checker vulnerable to getting hit
Bot Program that plays backgammon (short for robot)
Boxcars A roll of 6-6


Chouette Backgammon variant played by a group as a team.
Closed Board all Exits from the bar closed.
Cover a Blot Safety a blot by pairing it
Crawford Rule that prohibits the cube for 1 game to protect the leader from automatic doubles
Crunch forced to play checkers deep into home board
Cube doubling dice with the numbers 2-4-8-16-32-64


Dance Lose a turn from the bar
Dead Cube Score + cube value exceeds match length. Ex 3 pt match score 1-1 cube at 2
Direct Shot A shot 6 or less points away
Double Offer the cube
Drop Refuse a double
Dropper Online player that disconnects when losing
Duplication Ex. If you need a 6 to hit a blot but also like to jump a prime with it, your 6s are duplicated.


Equity A numeric value placed on the probably settlement value of a position


Fan To roll a number that does not allow re-entering from the bar
FIBS Online backgammon server (first-internet-backgammon-server)
Fish Weak player that plays for money
Flunk To roll a number that does not allow re-entering from the bar
Free Drop An option by the leader to drop a post crawford double without losing winning chances


Gammon Win double the stake if opponent fails to bear off any checkers
GNU Backgammon Free open source backgammon programming project
Golden Point The 5 pt, so called because it is a valuable point to own.
Greedy Bearoff Setting in some backgammon programs that automatically bears off


Home Board Quadrant of the board that players head towards before bearing off
Hyper-Backgammon Variant of backgammon played with 3 checkers each.


Indirect Shot A shot that requires both rolls of the dice (7 or higher) to hit


Jacoby Rule Money game rule that states cube must be turned before gammon or backgammon take effect
Jellyfish First commercial neural net backgammon program
Joker Perfect roll


Kibitz To chat or watch while a game is in progress


Ladder Ongoing rated competition
Loose Hit To hit an opponet inside your own home board with a single checker as opposed to making a point.
Lover's Leap Running a back checker from 24-13 pt with a 6-5 roll.


Make a Point Place 2 checkers on a point.
Mandatory Double An automatic post crawford double by the trailng player.
Match Predefined length games used for tournament style competitions
Money Play Single style games commonly used while gambling.
Monte Carlo Traditional location of the Backgammon world championships


Nackgammon Variant invented by expert player Nack Ballard. (4 checkers back instead of just 2)
Neural Net An advanced programming method that involves 'training'..perfectly well suited for backgammon


Pip Count The total number of spaces that all your remaining checkers must cover to bear off.
Post-Crawford All the games following the crawford game. (Doubling cube is alive)
Prime consecutive positions occupied by 2 or more checkers to form a block. (6 prime cannot be escaped)
Proposition Prearranged position played repeatedly


Runners The 2 checkers furthest away from your home board


Save Gammon To frantically run for home trying to bear off at least 1 checker.
Shesh Besh Turkish backgammon
Slot Place a single checker on a point with the intention of hopefully covering it on the next roll.
Snowie A commercial NN backgammon program (Jellyfish, Gnubg, Snowie, BGBlitz are the main contenders)


Take Accept a double
Tavla Turkish backgammon
TD-Gammon The pioneer of neural-net backgammon programs (1991), written by Gerald Tesauro
Timing Pacing of the game relevant to a backgame strategy of waiting for a shot before crunching
Too Good (to Double Playing on without doubling because the chance of gammon or backgammon is high.
French backgammon
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