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Common backgammon terms and related words used when playing backgammon
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Ace-Point
The one point.
Ace-Point Game
A game where you have two or more checkers on your opponent's ace-point, and your hope of winning depends on getting a shot, hitting it, then keeping his hit checker from coming back around. If you hold a single point in your opponent's board and it's a different point, sometimes you can be said to be playing a "Deuce-point game" or "Three-point game" but these terms are less commonly used.
Advanced Anchor
A made point higher in your opponent's board than the 24-point. In general, advanced anchors are good because (a) they give you more opportunity to hit his checkers if he brings them into his outfield and (b) they give you a better opportunity to escape your own checkers.
Anchor
A made point in your opponent's inner board. You start with an anchor on the 24-point.
Automatic Doubles
A rule, sometimes used in money play and Chouettes and never in match play. When automatic doubles are in effect, if the first roll (where each player rolls one dies) is a double, the cube is turned one level. Sometimes there can be a limit of, say, one or two doubles. This rule has no effect except to increase the stakes at random, which adds to the excitement of gambling for some players.
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Backgame
A game where you hold two (or sometimes three) points in your opponent's board, and he has a lead in the race. You hope to make points in your board and eventually your back checkers make some of his rolls awkward to play, so you hit him one or more times and you have already made it hard for him to come back in. Backgames can often be won even though you are far behind in the race, but they also lead to many gammons and even backgammons when they are lost. (See also "Holding Game.")
Bar point
The 7-point
Bearin phase
The phase of the game in which you are bringing all your checkers to your inner board. Usually, but not necessarily, this term would be applied when your opponent has at most one point from which he could possibly hit you.
Bearoff game phase
The phase of the game in which you have moved all your checkers to your inner board and are removing them from the board.
Beaver offer
A rule commonly used in money play and Chouettes, and never in match play. If your opponent doubles and you feel you are actually the favorite, you may say "Beaver." You turn the cube an additional level, but you keep control of the cube. You may only do this as soon as you are doubled. Some players allow a "Raccoon" in which if you Beaver, the opponent who doubled can have the cube turned yet again. Beavers are rare, because they require the players to have very different opinions of the current board position. (When the Jacoby Rule is in effect, there are some positions where both a double and a beaver can be theoretically correct.)
Backgammon Blitz
A game plan where you hit your opponent aggressively in your inner board, often hitting loose, hoping that before he hits you back too many times you can make several points and perhaps even close him out.
Backgammon Blot
A single checker on a point
Builder play
A checker, either a blot or a spare, that is available to make new points without giving up old ones.
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Closeout position
A position where your opponent has one or more checkers on the bar and you have made all the points in your inner board, so he can't move. A closed board is when you have all the points in your inner board made.
Contact position
The opposite of a non-contact position. Non-contact positions favor the player with the lower pip count remaining - if you are trailing in pip count you often want to maintain contact.
Cover point
To put a second checker on a blot, making the point.
Crawford Rule
Named for Johnny Crawford, a rule used universally in match play. When one player reaches a score where he needs one point to win the match, his opponent may not double in the next game only. Most online software is set up to not allow such doubles. In real-life tournaments, rules vary as to what happens if an illegal double is made. Most players take the cube off the board at the beginning of the Crawford game.
Crunch
A position where you have one or more checkers back, and have made a lot of points in your inner board. If you have to start giving up those points because you have to move checkers in, you are said to be "crunching."
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