BackGammon is a board game that has two players taking part, and it is played on a board consisting of 24 triangles, or points, presented in alternating colours. Each of the players receives 15 checkers, and these are arranged in a particular format on the board, with the players’ objective being to move their pieces into their inner boards and then remove them from it entirely.

A working knowledge of Backgammon terminology allows players to start enjoying a game with a very long history, thought to extend back as much as 5 000 years. There are a number of simple rules to learn, and these combined with a working knowledge of the glossary will bring players endless enjoyment and, possibly, some significant wins.

The Glossary Terms for Backgammon

Accepting a double is an example of backgammon terminology, and this means that a player has agreed to double the stakes of the game. An ace is a dice rolled to reveal the number one, and an ace point is the first point on the backgammon board for each of the players. Acey deucy refers to a rolled dice combo of a one and a two, or a variation of the game in which this roll awards players an extra turn.

A back game, as far as backgammon terminology is concerned, is the name given to a defensive backgammon strategy that has a player holding two or more points on his or her opponent’s inner board, and the back man is the name given to the checker involved in this. A backgammon is a the term given to the completed game in which the losing player has not managed to bear off any of his or her checkers, and still has one in either the winner’s inner board or on the bar.

Candlesticks refer to many checkers being stacked on only a few of the points on the board, and players are said, in the Backgammon glossary, to cast the dice when these are thrown. Catchers refer to checkers which are spread across the board, and which are being used to multiply the chances of one player hitting the opponent’s blot.

Players who chase are those that engage in a reckless game and wildly accept or offer the doubling cube in an attempt to cover losses. Covering a blot refers to the process of moving a second checker onto one of the points, thereby rendering it inaccessible to one’s opponent. A dead checker is a checker that is trapped within one’s inner board, and a dead cube refers to the doubling cube when there is no good reason to double the wager.

A deep anchor refers to the process by which two or more of the checkers belonging to a player are filling the opponent’s one- or two-points on the board, and a deuce is a roll of the dice that reveals two ones.

Image of Backgammon Board

Why Players Learn Backgammon Terminology

In order to enjoy this game to its full potential, players do need to have a working knowledge of backgammon terminology, and repeatedly checking up on the phrases in its glossary and making sure one has a handle on their various meanings will greatly increase the chances of a successful game.