Backgammon Basic Glossary
Ace point
Also known as one-point, the ace point is located in the home board and it is the farthest point from the bar.
Anchor
When 2 or more checkers are placed in an opponent's point.
Backgammon Board
A board of Backgammon is formed by 24 triangles, known as points. There are 4 quadrants that have 6 triangles with alternative colors. Each player has a home board and they are separated by a bar in the centre of the board.
Checker
Each player has a set of checkers (in all 15), each of different colors. Normally, they are black and white. Checkers are moved according to the dices.
Clockwise
In Blackgammon, checkers are moved clockwise while your opponent's do it counterclockwise.
Dice
Backgammon dices have numbers from 1 to 6 and they usually have a special shape in order to roll more easily. Players have to throw both dices in order to move their checkers. You move your checkers according to the number shown by the dices.
Home Board
Each player has a home board where checkers must come back at the end of the game. Your opponent has to enter it in order to get rid of his checkers on the bar. It contains your one to six point.
Illegal Move
The rules of Backgammon set a number of moves considered illegal. Normally, these are moves that do not match the dices' results.
On the bar
When a checker is hit, it should be placed on the bar that separates the board. The objective is to move that checker into the board again, in order to move the rest.
Point
Each quadrant of the board has 12 triangles, which make a total on 24. These narrow triangles where checkers are placed are called Points. They are numbered from 1 to 24 and therefore what is point-one for one player is point-twenty-four for his opponent.
Quadrant
A Backgammon board is formed by 4 quadrants, which are a quarters of the board. Each quadrant contains 6 points, numbered from 1 to 24.
Six Point
This is the point nearest to the bar on each backgammon board.