терминология

английская терминология


Ace-Point game: a position in the late stages of a game in which a player is anchored on the opponent's one-point trying to hit a shot as the opponent brings his checkers home and bears them off
Acey-Deucey: [also spelled "Acey-Deucy" or "Acey-Ducey"] the roll of 1:2
Barabino: [named after backgammon expert Rick Barabino] a roll of 5:4 from the Bar used to make an anchor on the opponent's five-point
Bar: бортик, разделяющий две половины доски на Дома и Дворы. на Баре находятся сбитые фишки игроков, которые должны быть "заряжены" (введены в игру) до совершения ходов другими фишками
Bar-point: пункт 7 (18 - чужой)
Cinque-Point: traditional name for the five-point
Deuce-Point: traditional name for the two-point
Deuce: a rolled die showing the number 2
Liby's Rule: a rule of thumb that says: in a well-timed Ace-point game, the defending player has about a 17% chance of winning the game
Magriel's Safe-Bold Criteria: six criteria for determining whether a situation requires a safe play or a bold play. they are:
(a) opponent's home board strength;
(b) presence of an anchor in opponent's home board;
(c) your home board strength;
(d) blots in opponent's home board;
(e) number of checkers you have back; and
(f) number of checkers opponent has back
criteria (a) and (f) call for making a safe play; the others point towards making a bold play
Pay Later: to play safe in the current position but risk greater danger later in the game
Pay Now: to take an immediate risk (such as leaving a shot) to avoid the prospect of a more serious risk later in the game
Pay-Now-Or-Pay-Later Decision: [from a 1980's television commercial for FRAM oil filters which showed a ruined car engine and a mechanic who quipped: "You can pay me now, or you can pay me later"] the problem of whether to take a modest but definite risk on the current turn or wait and perhaps take a more serious risk in the future
Point Game: an old method of scoring in backgammon that is no longer used. the winner of the game gets 1 point for each checker in the loser's home board, 2 points for each checker in the loser's outer board, 3 points for each checker in the winner's outer table, and 4 points for each checker on the Bar or in the winner's home table
Pottle's Law: [named for backgammon player Sam Pottle] "Always run the last checker" - if you have only one checker back, the best move is usually to run that checker
Silver Point: by analogy to the Golden Point- a term sometimes used for the opponent's four-point, the second best point on which to anchor
Staine's rule: an optional rule where rolls of doubles are played like any other roll; that is, each number is played once, not twice. aka Irish rule
Sydney: the roll of 1:6 to escape a prime, usually from the Bar and often hitting a blot
TMP: too many points
Trice triangle: [named for Walter Trice] the ideal position to aim for during bear-in, consisting of:
7 checkers on your six-point,
5 checkers on your five-point ,
and 3 checkers on your four-point
it has the lowest wastage of any position with all 15 checkers still on the board
Wisecarver Paradox: a straight race position in which a given roll played correctly induces the opponent to correctly Double while an alternate (inferior) play would prevent the opponent from correctly doubling. this can happen when the correct play produces a position of greater volatility. Wisecarever paradox positions are examples of a cube provocation plays
Woolsey's Law for Doubling: a rule of thumb advocated by backgammon expert Kit Woolsey: "If you are not absolutely sure whether a position is a Take or a Pass, then it is always correct to Double"
ace-point: пункт 1 (24)
action play: a play designed to provoke an exchange of hits, typically used after the opponent has escaped his runners
air ball: an unexpectedly poor roll, especially one that fails to hit or fails to make a point
ammunition: checkers in position to carry out an attack, in particular, checkers in the zone
anchor: пункт, занятый двумя или более фишками игрока в Доме соперника
around the corner: a move from the opponent's outer board to the player's outer board
asset: a feature that contributes to the strength of a position, such as made points and flexibility
awkward number: a dice roll which forces a player to leave a shot or break a valuable point
back man: runner; a player's rearmost checker; ваша фишка в Доме соперника
banana split: [because you must be "bananas" to try it] to hit loose by breaking a point in your home board, thereby leaving two blots; опасный сплит в своем Доме, оставляющий два блота (в ситуации, когда все остальные ходы - еще хуже)
battle of primes: a position in which both players have checkers trapped behind an opponent's prime
bear in: to move a checker into your home board prior to bearing off
bear on: to be within six points of, and therefore reachable with a single number of the dice. for example, a checker on the 13-point bears on points 12 through 7
beaver: мгновенное переудвоение ставки (с владением после этого кубом); a rule often used in money play (but never in match play) which says: a player who accepts a Double may immediately redouble (beaver) without giving up possession of the Cube. the opponent (the player who originally doubled) may refuse the beaver, in which case he resigns the game and loses the current (doubled) stakes. otherwise, he must accept the beaver and continue the game at quadruple the stakes prior to the double
behind in the count, behind in the race: having a higher pip count than your opponent
bertha: to mistakenly play the roll of 6-5 from the opponent's One-point to your Mid-point without seeing that the opponent has made his Bar-point and blocks your way
big play: a bold or aggressive play when a safer but less constructive play is available
binache: beaver
blitz zone: пункты с 11 по 1 (с 14 по 24)
blot-hitting contest: an exchange of loose hits in which both players try to gain a key point
blot: одинокая фишка в каком-либо пункте, которую можно сбить
blunder: a large checker play or Cube error, especially one made out of recklessness or inattention;
четвертая, пятая или шестая фишка на пункте (особенно - во Дворе и на старших пунктах Дома; или фишки на младших пунктах Дома - т.е. явный излишек для позиционной игры
bold play: a play that leaves one or more blots that the opponent can easily hit
book a checker: cover a blot
boxcars, boxes: a roll of 6:6
boys (the Boys): a roll of 6:6
break a point: to remove a checker from a point that contains only two checkers, thus leaving an open (the opposite of make a point)
break contact: to move past the last of the opponent's checkers, so that no further hitting or blocking is possible. the game becomes a pure race
break one's board: to open one or more points in your home board after having made your board
broken prime: an incomplete prime with a gap in it
builder: свободная фишка, которая может использоваться для закрытия (захвата) важного пункта
bump and pass, bump and run, hit and pass, hit and run, pick and pass: to hit an opposing blot and continue the same checker to safety on the same play
bury a checker: to play a checker deep within your home board where it has no value
busted Back Game: a backgame attempt that fell apart when the backgame player was forced to move checkers deep into his home board where they could no longer contain a hit checker
button up: to safety a blot by bringing it together with another checker
candlestick: пункт с пятью и более фишками; a position in which a player's checkers are piled high on a few points
cast: to throw a pair of dice
catchers: checkers which have been purposely spread out to maximize the chance of hitting an opposing checker if it tries to escape
chase: play dangerously, especially in offering or accepting Doubles, in an attempt to recover losses
chequer: british spelling of checker
claim a game: to offer a Double which you believe will be refused so that you can collect the current value of the cube; cash a game
clear a point: to move all the checkers off of a point
clear from the rear: a good general strategy to use when bearing in or bearing off against opposition. you clear your highest point first and avoid creating gaps
close a point: make a point; place two or more of your checkers on a point, and thereby prevent your opponent from landing there
close out: to make all six of your home board points while the opponent has one or more checkers on the Bar
closed board: a player's home board when all six points are blocked
cock shot: entering from the Bar with a roll of 6:2 and hitting a blot on the eight-point when the only open point is the two-point
cocked dice: thrown dice which do not both land flat on the surface of the half of the board to the player's right. the roll is disqualified and both dice must be rethrown
coffeehouse: misleading talk to confuse opponent
comeback shot: an opportunity to hit an opponent's blot immediately after being hit yourself; in particular, an opportunity to hit from the Bar
comfort station: mid-point
committed position: a position from which there is only one reasonable game plan for winning, as opposed to a noncommitted position
communicate: to keep checkers within six pips of one another for mutual support
compact position: a position with several made points close to one another and few gaps
connected position: a position in which all fifteen of a player's checkers are located within a short distance of each other. a position which is well-connected will tend to stay well-connected
connectivity: the degree to which all of a player's checkers work together as a unified army without large gaps between them. Connected checkers defend each other and are easily made into points
consolidate: to reduce the number of blots a player has, frequently as a precursor to offering a Double
contact position: a game where the opposing forces have not moved past each other and where it is still possible for one player to hit or block the other
cramped: having little or no mobility
crossover: ход фишкой из одной четверти доски в другую
crunch: собирание фишек на deep points (1-2)
dead checker: a spare checker deep in the player's home board where it serves no useful purpose
dead man: dead checker
dead number: a specific number on the dice which cannot be played in the current position
deep anchor: an anchor on the opponent's one-point or two-point
deep points: пункты 1, 2 (23, 24)
deep: on a low-numbered point, usually the one-point or two-point
deus-point: пункт 2
dilly builder: a spare checker which bears only on points deep in a player's home board
dice mechanic: a person skillful in the use of unfair means to control the dice
disengage: to break all contact and turn the game into a pure race
distribution: the arrangement of checkers among points. a good distribution is compact with spares on most points. you don't want too many points or too few points (candlesticks)
diversification: the spreading out of your checkers to increase the number of good rolls on your next turn
double Ducks: the roll of 2:2
double in: to offer a Double which should be properly accepted. opposite of Double out
double out: to offer a Double which should be properly dropped, thus taking your opponent out of the game. same as cashing a game. opposite of Double in
double shot: one blot which can be directly hit two different ways, or two blots each of which can be directly hit one way
doubling window: the range of game winning chances which are both a proper Double and a proper Take if neither player could use the Cube again
doubling on the come: offering a Double in anticipation of a good roll
down: an early-game move of a checker from the mid-point to the same player's outer board
dyscommunication: the negative impact on flexibility of having spare checkers exactly six pips apart
easy take: ситуация, когда удвоение тут же принимают, ввиду равности позиций
edge of a prime: the open point directly in front of a prime
eject: to abandon an Ace-point game to avoid losing a backgammon or a gammon
eyes of Sheeva: 1:1 если нужны и rat eyes, snake eyes - если бесполезны
fast board: speed board
field goal: when you have an opportunity to hit two checkers that are two spaces apart and roll a number than lands between them
flexibility: the degree to which checkers are arranged to allow the greatest number of future rolls to play constructively or at least comfortably
fly shot: a long indirect shot with few combinations ; in particular, a roll that hits an outfield blot from the opponent's one-point
forced play: a roll of the dice for which there is only one legal play
forward anchor: advanced anchor
forward game: a game plan in which the chief objective is to enter as rapidly as possible into a pure race
a running game
any game plan other than a back game
freeze a builder: to bring a checker to near on a point held by exactly two opposing checkers, and thus restrict the use of those checkers as builders
front a prime: to make a point directly in front of an opponent's prime
full prime: a prime of six consecutive points which completely block the opponent from escaping
fun, dance: название ситуации, когда числа на выпавших костях не позволяют вернуться в игру фишкой из Бара и игрок пропускает ход
gain a tempo: hit the opponent and thereby deprive him of half a roll
gamesmanship: the use of ethically dubious means to obtain an advantage in a game. this includes intentionally distracting, confusing, or generally duping an opponent
girls (the Girls): a roll of 5:5
golden point: пункт 5
half a roll: one of the two numbers on a pair of thrown dice
heavy point: a point with more than three checkers on it
high (advanced) anchor: Якорь на пунктах 6,5 или 4
hit and cover: to hit an opposing blot and then continue on with the same checker to cover your own blot
hit and split: to hit a blot with one number while splitting your runners with the other number. the hit provides protection for the advanced split checker, making it less likely the opponent will be able to point on it
hit loose: to hit an opposing blot and while leaving your own blot(s) in danger of a return hit, particularly in your own home board
hit: перемещение фишки в пункт, занимаемый одиночной фишкой соперника (блотом), и выставление ее на Бар
holding point: the defensive point you control when playing a holding game, usually the opponent's four-point, five-point, or bar-point
home board, inner board: Дом
huge Double: ситуация, когда игрок удваивает имея явное преимущество
huge Pass: ситуация, когда от удвоения тут же отказываются, ввиду явного преимущества удваивающего
in the air: on the Bar
initiative: a term used to describe a situation where one player has relative freedom to build his position or attack the opponent as he chooses, while the other player is reduced to making forced plays and trying to stave off disaster. the first player is said to have the initiative
joker: an exceptionally good roll, especially a roll that reverses the likely outcome of the game
a roll much luckier than average
junior: a player's farthest-back checker
kill a checker: to move an extra checker deep within your home board where it serves no useful purpose
last call for breakfast: a player's last opportunity to make a throw which will give him a chance of winning the game or saving a gammon
liability: an feature that contributes to the weakness of a position, such as too many blots, buried checkers, or inflexibility
loaded dice: dice weighted or shaped so that the distribution of rolled numbers is not even
loose hit: a hit which leaves a blot in the player's home board where it is exposed to a direct return shot
loose play: a play that leaves one or more blots in a dangerous position
lose one's market: to go from a position in which your opponent would accept your Double to a position in which your opponent would refuse your Double
lover's leap: [sometimes spelled "lovers' leap"] an opening roll of 6:5 played from the opponent's one-point to the player's mid-point
low (far) anchor: Якорь на пункте 2 или 1
major split: moving one of your two runners from the opponent's Ace-point to the opponent's Silver-point or Golden-point
make a point: to close the point in the field with one checker
make one's board: to close all the points in your home board
market (for a Double): an opportunity to offer a Double while it will be accepted by the opponent
market gainer: [by analogy to market loser] a sequence of two rolls (one for you and one for your opponent) which takes a game from a position in which your opponent would refuse a Double to a position in which your opponent would accept a Double
market loser: a sequence of two rolls (one for you and one for your opponent) which takes a game from a position in which your opponent would accept a Double to a position in which your opponent would refuse a Double. knowing the number and size of your market losers is an important consideration in whether or not to double
mid-point: пункт 13 (12) - крайний во Дворе
minor split: moving one of your two runners from the opponent's Ace-point to the opponent's Deus-point or three-point
move around the corner, move down: a move from the opponent's outer board to the player's outer board
move out: a move from the opponent's home board to the opponent's outer board
move up: a move forward within the opponent's home board
n-point board: a home board with n made points
n-roll position: a position in which you will bear off all of your checkers in n rolls or less
next: a move that is clearly better than the alternatives or obvious enough that it requires no explanation
opening game: the first phase of a backgammon game where the players have yet to establish their initial game plans
outer board: Дворы (свой и чужой)
outside prime: a contiguous sequence of blocked points in which the majority of those points are in the outer board
partial prime: a prime of fewer than six consecutive points
point on a blot: to hit an opposing blot with two of your checkers at the same time, thereby also making the point
preclear: to evacuate a high point in your home board before all of your checkers are home in preparation for bearing off. You sometimes do this when the opponent holds an anchor deep in your home board and you are worried about clearing a high point safely during the bear off. By preclearing, you take advantage of opportune rolls at the time you get them
premature burial: taking one or more checkers deep into your home board early in the game out of undue concern for short-term safety
premature roll: a dice roll made by a player before the opponent has ended his turn by picking up the dice. Under U.S. rules, the premature roll is invalid and must be rethrown. Under BIBA rules, the premature roll stands but the player who did not pick up the dice may change his play in light of the new information
pressure: to advance a runner so it directly bears on an opponent's blot, forcing the opponent to cover the blot, move it, or risk it being hit
prime fighter: a player who accepts a Double when he has one or more checkers trapped behind an opponent's prime
prime zone: пункты с 9 по 4 (с 16 по 21)
puff: the german name for backgammon; a German backgammon variant in which players enter in the same quadrant and move around the board in the same direction
pure play: ["pure" because it focuses on one game plan.] playing with the goal of making a prime. Pure play includes bringing builders into play quickly, slotting to make key points, keeping your checkers in front of the opponent's checkers, and recirculating checkers as necessary
quads: the roll of 4-4 on the dice (double 4's)
quatre-point: traditional name for the four-point
quiet Play: an unassuming play that does not hit, or slot, or pose an immediate threat; it just maintains the status quo
raccoon: an immediate redouble by the player who just accepted a beaver
raccoon: мгновенное переудвоение бивера (с владением после этого кубом)
safe play: a play that leaves no blots, or a play that leaves blots only in positions where the opponent is unlikely to hit
safe: free from danger of being hit
safety a checker: move a checker out of danger of being hit
safety up: cover a blot or move it out of range of being hit
sandbag: 1. to conceal or misrepresent your true ability
2. to enter a tournament division below your skill level
save Backgammon: to escape all of your checkers from the opponent's home board before he is able to bear off all of his own checkers, and thereby avoid losing a backgammon
save Gammon: to bear off one of your own checkers before the opponent has borne off all of his, and thereby avoid losing a gammon
save a number: to leave a position in which a particular number will play comfortably next turn so you will not be forced you to destroy your position if you roll that number. typically, you save a number to avoid having to leave a shot or break a valuable point
secure a point: cover a blot
semiactive Builder: a checker which may or may not be available to make another point, depending on the roll
shark: a good player who seeks out weaker players and persuades them to play for high stakes. ("Sharks eat fish")
shift gears: change game plan
shift points: to give up one point in order to make an adjacent point
shot: ВОЗМОЖНОСТЬ сбивания блота. прямой шот - для сбивания требуется одно выпавшее на костях число. непрямой (комбинационный) шот - для сбивания требуются оба числа из выпавших на костях. возвратный шот - сбивание фишкой, находящейся на баре
shut out: close out
single game: a completed game which is not a Gammon or a Backgammon; a game in which the losing player has borne off at least one checker. the winner of a single game receives the value of the doubling cube only and no bonus
single shot: one blot which can be directly hit one way
six-point: the sixth point in a player's home board; the point adjacent to the bar
slot and split: to slot a checker in your own home board while your runners are split
slot: to place a single checker on a point you wish to make with the intention of covering the blot on your next turn
slot: поставленная в пункт одиночная фишка с целью захвата этого пункта ближайшими ходами
small play: a safe play when a bolder, more aggressive play is available
snake eyes: the roll of 1-1 on the dice (double 1's)
solid prime: a prime with no gaps; a full prime
spare checker: an extra checker that can be used for hitting or making a point without leaving behind a blot
spare checker: an extra checker that can be used for hitting or making a point without leaving behind a blot
speed board: a bearoff position in which you expect to take at least two checkers off every roll, typically when all of your checkers are crowded onto the three lowest points of your home board
split: to separate two checkers which are together on a point (usually the opponent's one-point) and leave them as blots
split: разделение двух фишек, стоящих на одном пункте, образуя при этом два блота
splot: [coined by Chuck Bower.] a play that splits (at the back) and slots (at the front) at the same time. Paul Magriel recommended against splitting and slotting because it leaves you weak in two areas of the board, but there are exceptions
squeeze: to take advantage of the opponent's requirement to make a move. you leave him a position in which the only move he can make hurts his position. often this means he is forced to break a valuable defensive point earlier than he would like
stack: four or more checkers piled on a point
stake: the amount wagered by the participants in a game of backgammon. the current stake is the initial stake multiplied by the value of the doubling cube
stakes play: money play
start a point: to move a checker to a point you wish to make with the hope of covering that checker on your next turn
stay back: remain in the opponent's home board
stay off: fail to enter from the bar
stay out: fail to enter from the bar
steam: what happens when a player reaches the "boiling point" - to play wildly, out of annoyance or impatience at one's bad luck. to lose one's emotional stability in a gambling context; in particular, to take bigger and bigger risks in an effort to recoup earlier losses
steamer: one who steams
stone: checker
straggler: the last lone checker heading for home
straight race: pure race
stretched: a position barren of spare checkers or builders and thus prone to awkward numbers; too many points
strip a point: to remove all but two checkers from a point
stripped point: пункт из двух фишек
stripped: a position barren of spare checkers or builders and thus prone to awkward numbers
stroke: to deliberately make an illegal play or otherwise take an unfair advantage
strong board: a home board with several made points
structural play: a play which makes a strong point
suicide play: to purposely leave a blot to be hit so it can be recirculated. the idea is to improve your timing or shore up your defense in the opponent's home board. aka Hara-Kiri play
swing: 1. the difference in score between winning a game and losing it
2. the difference in your equity before a roll and after it, or the difference between rolling poorly and rolling well
swiss-cheese formation: a position with many gaps and few adjacent made points
switch points: to give up one point to make another, usually in your home board
table stakes: a system of betting where the players' stake in a game is limited to an agreed fixed amount. the idea is to protect the players from losing more money than they have at hand. it also evens the playing field when one player has more money at his disposal than the other
tadge mahal: позиция, когда у одного из игроков - только "свечки"
tailgate: to start to throw your dice before the opponent has picked up his own dice to finish his turn; to roll prematurely
take off: bear off
take point: the minimum game winning chances at which it is correct for a player to accept a Double; the point at which a player is equally well off accepting a Double or refusing a Double; a player's drop point
take up: hit a blot
tell: an inadvertent clue as to whether you will be taking or dropping if offered a Double
temperature Map: a plot showing how a position's equity is distributed among each of the 6 x 6 upcoming rolls. it provides a way to visualize aspects of a position such as volatility and duplication
tempo move: a hit designed to forestall the opponent by depriving him of half a roll when the opponent threatens to hit a blot or make an important point, or needs to consolidate a disorganized position
tempo: a unit of time in positional development equal to half a roll
tempt: to intentionally place a blot in a position where it can be hit with the idea of enticing the opponent to give up a strategic point
the TP: a player's two-point
three-point: the third point in a player's home board, counting from the edge of the board toward the bar
throw off: bear off
time: the average number of rolls or pips that can be played without having to make a major concession, such as leaving a blot, breaking a key point, or burying a checker
timing: how long you expect to retain the desirable features of a position compared to your opponent. good timing means your opponent will be forced to make a major concession, such as leaving a blot, breaking a key point, or burying a checker, before you. you can sometimes help preserve your timing by killing large numbers or recirculating checkers
too good (to Double): a position which you should not Double, even though your opponent has a clear drop, because your equity is higher by playing on for a Gammon
too many points: an inflexible position with many made points and few spare checkers. seven is usually "too many"
touch down: to temporarily land on an intermediate open point after playing one of two numbers with the same checker
touch move rule: an rule rarely used today in Western backgammon, though it is common in the Middle East. the rule requires that once you touch a checker (other than to adjust it) you must move that checker, and once you remove your hand from a properly played checker, that checker must remain where it was played
trailer: the player who is behind in a match or behind in the race
transposition: reaching the same position by different means
trap play: a deliberate attempt to squeeze the opponent off of his Anchor so that the trapper can close out any blots thereby exposed and win a Gammon
trey-point: traditional name for the three-point
triple game: Backgammon
trois-point: traditional name for the three-point
truncated rollout: a rollout which is not played to the end of the game. instead, the position is rolled out a given number of plies (the horizon of the rollout) and estimates of the equities of the resulting positions are averaged together. a truncated rollout has more systematic error than a full rollout but is faster because each trial is shorter, and a truncated rollout has less variance so fewer trials are required to converge on a result
turn the Cube: to offer a Double
turn the corner: move from the opponent's outer board to your own outer board
turn the crank: to offer a Double
twist the Cube: to offer a double
two-point: the second point in a player's home board, adjacent to the one-point; also called the Deuce-point
under the gun: a blot in the opponent's home board which is within direct range of three or more of the opponent's builders and therefore in danger of being pointed on
underdog: the player judged most likely to lose a game or match
underplay: to make a safe, unnecessarily timid play when a stronger, more aggressive play is available
unstack: to remove checkers from a heavy point
vigorish, vig: the small additional considerations that affect the total equity of a position, such as gammon vigorish and recube vigorish
volatility: a measure of how much a position's equity is likely to change in the next roll or two
volunteer a shot: purposely leave a blot within range of being hit now rather than be forced to leave it later when the danger may be greater
walk a prime: roll a prime
wash: 1. a blitzing technique that involves switching points to hit an opposing blot
2. ["wash" the slate clean] a settlement for zero points
wastage: the expected loss in pips from dice rolls not fully utilized during bearoff. wastage is calculated as W = R x 49/6 − PC, where R is the expected (average) number rolls required to bear off, and PC is the pip count of the position. wastage is the difference between the usual pip count and the effective pip count
weaver coup: a ploy which may be attempted when you are playing on for a Gammon and the opponent gets a lucky roll. you offer to Double even if your position is still too good, hoping the opponent will mistakenly accept
whopper: a checker play error or cube play error ; aka a blunder
window: пустой пункт в вашем Доме во время вашей выставки
wipeout: aka blitz
zone of attack aka zone: points 1 through 11 on your side of the board. the success of a Blitz depends on the number of checkers you have in the zone. usually 10 is enough to make a Blitz worth trying