Anchor: A two chequer base in your opponent’s home board (you start with the anchor on point 24 and generally attempt to move it to point 20 for example)

Bot: A robot player on Worldgammon – see Bot pages on the main Skill School page. See also Jellyfish below.

Back pieces: The two checkers you have which are furthest from your homeboard.

Backgammon: A win whereby you bear off all your pieces before your opponent manages to get his pieces out of your homeboard. A backgammon win is worth three points (undoubled).

Bar: The middle of the board where pieces which are ‘hit’ are placed. You need to enter your pieces from here into your opponent’s homeboard

Bear off: To take pieces off the board at the end of the game

Beaver: A particular doubling rule whereby the person who is offered a double can redouble and keep control of the cube at the same time

Blitz: A strategy whereby you attempt to close out your opponent by placing one or more of his pieces on the bar and filling your homeboard so that he cannot bring those pieces into play

Blot: A single chequer which can be ‘hit’

Build: A strategy whereby you attempt to set up good holding positions, often moving towards a priming strategy (see below)

Chequer: Piece or man or counter

Crawford Rule: This rule states that when one player has reached one point short of the total points score needed to win the match, the other player cannot double. At 2-0 for example in a three point match, the doubling cube is not available to either player but if the person trailing wins and it is 2-1, it becomes available again.

Crunch: Crunching your board involves spoiling an even spread of checkers which are preventing your opponent from coming into your home board. Sometimes it is necessary to crunch your board to avoid being ‘hit’ in the outfield.

Cube: The doubling cube determines the number of points that the game is worth

Double: To offer the cube to someone, doubling the number of points the game is worth

Equity: This is a term used when expressing the statistical likelihood of one or another player winning the game at any point in time. Alternative moves are, for example, rated against each other in terms of what statistical advantage each will confer to your existing position.

Gammon: A win whereby you bear off all your pieces before your opponent has born off any of his own. It is worth two points (undoubled).

Gammon-go: A strategy whereby you need a gammon to make up the points difference. For example, you are 6-2 down in a 7 point match and need a doubled gammon to even out the score. It suggests a more aggressive approach to chequer play.

Gammon-save: A strategy whereby you are well ahead in a points match and want to avoid being gammoned. It suggests a more cautious approach to chequer play.

Golden point: There are two golden points – your five point and your opponent’s five point. Try to make one or both of these at the beginning of a game.

Hit: To take an opponent’s chequer you need to land on it when it is on its own on a point (a blot – see above)

Holding game: A strategy whereby you are building position but not attempting to advance your back checkers, hoping for a ‘hit’ on an opponent’s pieces. You usually play a holding game when behind on pip count.

Home board: The six points where you bear pieces off from.

Jacoby Rule: This rule can come into affect in Moneyplay games. It simply states that a gammon win will only count if one of the players has doubled in the game.

Jellyfish: A widely respected program which plays backgammon and simulates various moves and positions to judge chequer play. Other similar programs include Snowie Snowie and Gnu Backgammon.

Matchplay: This is a points match (GameAccount offer 1,3 and 7 point matches). A single game undoubled and where neither player has been gammoned is worth 1 point.

Moneyplay: A method of play whereby players play individual games for a specific amount per point rather than playing first to a certain number of points.

Piece: checkers, men.

Pip(count): You start the game with a pipcount of 167. This is how many pips on a dice you need to roll to bring all your men home. If, for example, you roll a 2-1, your pipcount will be 164 after moving. Pay attention to your relative pipcount versus your opponent as it will suggest different strategies for each player.

Point: A space on the board. Also, ‘to point’ means to place two or more checkers on a point to improve your position.

Prime: A strategy whereby you attempt to box your opponent’s checkers in by establishing a solid line of six points with two checkers on each.

Shot: A shot is either a blot (single piece) or a hit on a blot.

Race: A strategy where you attempt to move your checkers to your homeboard as quickly as possible. You will only want to do this when you are ahead on pipcount.