Glossary extracted starting with automatic seeds, with PTM for the domain spo and language EN
| mixed roll | Two thrown dice with different numbers on their upper faces. Compare: Doubles. |
| time | 1 |
| chess.fm | An online chess radio station open to Internet Chess Club members - Dan had a radio show, "Ask the Renaissance Man" every Thur night, now does Instructional Videos |
| soprano | the highest of the standard four voice ranges (bass, tenor, alto, soprano) |
| pin | where it is legal to move the pinned piece |
| master | A strong player who has achieved a USCF rating of 2200 or higher. |
| royal fork | A fork between king and queen. |
| hustler | A player who, by charm or other means, persuades another player to take part in game where the other player is at a disadvantage. |
| jackpot | A elimination event, usually with a large entry fee, in which only the winner and runner-up receive prize money. |
| critical position | Any decisive turning point in a game that ultimately affects the outcome. |
| space | The territory controlled by each player. |
| active builder | A checker which is completely free to make another point. |
| winawer variation | A variation of the French Defense involving 3) Nc3, Bb4. |
| melisma | the technique of changing the note (pitch) of a syllable of text while it is being sung |
| strategy | The formation and execution of an overall plan. |
| cadenza | a solo section, usually in a concerto or similar work, that is used to display the performer's technique, sometimes at considerable length |
| illegal position | A position which cannot be reached through any sequence of legally played rolls |
| unrated | An unrated player who has never played a rated game, or one whose rating has not yet become official. An unrated game is one that will not be played for a rating. |
| tournament book | A book recording the scores of all the games in a tournament, usually with analysis of the best or most important games and some background on the event and its participants |
| eco | The Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings, a standard and comprehensive chess opening reference |
| dice manipulation | Any unfair means used to influence the roll of the dice |
| long backgammon | LongGammon. |
| mate | See "Checkmate". |
| opera box game | Paul Morphy's celebrated win against The Duke of Brunswick and the Count Isouard during a performance of Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro" at the Paris Opera House in 1858. |
| k | Abbreviation for King. |
| play | See ply. |
| matrix | An idea in a vacuum is of very little value to the composer |
| center | The sqaures e4, e5, d4, and d5. |
| confetti | What you sometimes get paid in if you are not careful with whom you play. |
| mate | Short for checkmate. |
| wim | See Woman International Master. |
| trey-point | Traditional name for the three-point. |
| my system | Aaron Nimzowitsch's enormously influential work describing his theory of chess, first published in English in 1929. |
| chess.fm | An online chess radio station open to Internet Chess Club members - Dan had a radio show, "Ask the Renaissance Man" every Thur night, now does Instructional Videos |
| counter | Checker. |
| p | Abbreviation for pawn. |
| sandbagger | Someone who purposely keeps his rating low in order to qualify for easier sections and a better chance to win money. |
| annotation | Written comments about a game or position |
| wallchart | A more complete crosstable posted at events showing the player's name, rating, ID, opponents, color each round, and results |
| increment | Refers to the amount of time added to each player's time before each move |
| second | An assistant, often hired to help a player in preparation for and during a major match or tournament. |
| tempo | The most famous example is Torre–Lasker, Moscow 1925 |
| open | 1 |
| scholar's mate | The name given to an |
| twist the cube | To offer a double. |
| fairy chess | Non-orthodox chess problem compositions |
| a cappella | in the manner of singing in a chapel; i.e., without instrumental accompaniment |
| royal game | Commonly used description for the game of Chess. |
| strategy | The overall, long range plans for a game |
| expert | Someone with a US Chess Federation rating between 2000 and 2199 |
| master | Someone with a US Chess Federation rating between 2200 and 2399 is a national master (NM) |
| position card | A card with a preprinted diagram of a backgammon board designed for recording a position. |
| castled | Also known as castling by hand. |
| obstruction | TODO |
| book move | An opening move found in the standard reference books on opening theory |
| wallchart | A more complete crosstable posted at events showing the player's name, rating, ID, opponents, color each round, and results. |
| imbalance | A noticeable difference between the white and black armies |
| 10-percent doubling rule | A guideline for cube handling in pure race positions |
| kid | King's Indian Defense. |
| king | The most important of the Chessman, and consequently usually the largest |
| shark | A good player who seeks out weaker players and persuades them to play for high stakes |
| tournament | Pairing is made more difficult in chess because of the need to try to give each player an equal number of games playing white and black and to try to not assign a player the same color in too many consecutive games |
| shift points | To give up one point in order to make an adjacent point. |
| wining game | According to the laws of chess, a game is won by the player whose opponent resigns from the game |
| 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. See: Market Loser. |
| blunder | A horrible mistake that hangs material or makes enormous positional or tactical concessions. |
| rybka | The best PC-based chess playing program in 2006-10. |
| simulation | Rollout. |
| opening roll | The first roll of the game in which both players simultaneously roll one die |
| blunder | due to a miscalculation or missed observation. |
| drop-take | In a chouette, an agreement between two players after a double by the box that one player will accept the double, the other will refuse, and they will share their combined earnings or loss. |
| roll-over | A backgammon variant in which players have a once-per-game option of rerolling their own dice or asking for a reroll of the opponent's dice. See: How to Play Roll-Over. |
| book player | A person who memorizes opening theory |
| comfort station | Mid-point. |
| 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. |
| gg | Gammon-go. |
| quacks | Double ducks. |
| team 4545 | An online league which plays on the ICC and provides fun team play at the time control of 45 minutes with a 45 second increment |
| simultaneous display | Event where a single player (commonly a strong player) play several people all at the same time |
| coordinates | Unique square identifiers, made up of a number indicating rank and a letter indicating file. |
| point count | A way of determining the worth of the pieces by assigning them a numerical value |
| half a roll | One of the two numbers on a pair of thrown dice. |
| elo rating | A numerical measure of a chess player's strength |
| elo rating | A mathematical system, now used worldwide, devised by Prof |
| rating | A measure of a player's skill, calculated as a number using a generally accepted formula by an official organization |
| draw | End of the game where neither side wins and neither side loses |
| cramped | Having little or no mobility. |
| houdini | The highest rated computer program in the world 2011-2012 |
| iqp | An abbreviation for Isolated Queen Pawn |
| house | The kingside formation of a centrally-developed knight, fianchetto'ed bishop, and castled king. |
| file | A row of eight squares from one end of the chessboard to the other |
| appoggiatura | a grace note that "leans" on the following note, taking up some of its value in the measure |
| notation | A system for writing down chess games |
| space | time, material, and threats. |
| opposition | A situation where the kings face each other with one square in between them, in a king-and-pawn ending |
| cube ownership | Which player has the right to make the next double |
| move in | To go all-in. |
| arbiter | See International Arbiter. |
| rating | A quantitative measure of skill. USCF Ratings are based on a formula originally postulated by Dr |
| wing | See Flank. |
| move down | Move around the corner. |
| dynamic play | Dynamic play occurs as a result of frequent structural changes that demand constant reevaluation of one's strategy |
| gs | Gammon-save. |
| unorthodox opening | See Irregular opening. |
| initiative | When you have an advantage in time and space, while your opponent is on the defensive. |
| handicap | See odds. |
| polgar family | Well-known Hungarian family which has produced three strong female chess players. See our Girls Only page for more info. |
| brevity | (chiefly British) See Miniature. |
| coach misconduct | Penalty following a conference with the referee to discuss misapplication of the rules when it is determined that the rules were properly applied. |
| pgn | See Portable Game Notation. |
| td-gammon | The first strong neural-net backgammon program (1991), written by Gerald Tesauro |
| strategy | Your long range master plan |
| forward anchor | Advanced anchor. |
| grandmasters | A "strong showing" refers to a player's high win ratio in a tournament |
| game winning chances | The probability of winning the current game if it is played to conclusion without a doubling cube; also called cubeless probability of winning. |
| greedy bearoff | A mode in some computer programs and on some backgammon servers where the computer will automatically bear off the maximum number of checkers possible. |
| depletion | Either: a |
| over-the-board | Overworked 1 |
| control | To dominate or have the sole use of a file, a square or group of squares, an area of the board, etc |
| master | A player whose Elo rating is 2200 or higher |
| control | The domination or sole use of a square, group of squares, file ordiagonal |
| straight race | Pure race. |
| unsound | Antonym of sound. |
| temperature map | A plot showing how a position's equity is distributed among each of the 6 x 6 upcoming rolls |
| castling on opposite wings | When one player castles short and the other castles long. |
| j'adoube | French "I adjust" |
| knight fork | Any double attack by a knight. |
| contain a checker | To prevent an opposing checker from escaping to its own side of the board by blocking it or hitting it and sending it back. |
| brilliancy | A game containing a very deep strategic idea, a beautiful combination, or an original idea or plan. |
| castle long | Queenside castling. |
| mental shift | A technique used in pip counting in which you imagine that some checkers have been moved to a higher or lower point where they can be counted more easily |
| cup | Dice cup. |
| pieces | referred to as "the black pieces", are sometimes actually some other (usually dark) color |
| bearoff | The last stage of the game during which checkers are borne off. |
| sharp | Risky, double-edged, highly tactical |
| dead draw | A drawn position in which neither player has any realistic chance to win |
| junior | Affectionate name for a player's farthest-back checker. |
| odds | The ratio of the probability of an event happening to that of its not happening, or vice versa |
| central pawns | Cheapo 1 |
| kingside | The half of the board from which the king starts |
| horse | An informal word for a knight |
| pawns | See also good bishop. |
| master | In the U.S., a player with rating of 2200 or more |
| pair | Two-of-a-kind |
| plan | A method or line of play designed to improve a |
| lost position | Any chess game |
| jsd | Joint standard deviation. |
| intermediate division | A division of a tournament designed for players too strong for the novice division and who do not wish to compete in the open division. |
| study | A make believe position that highlights tactical themes. |
| uscf | United States Chess Federation. |
| 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. |
| arpeggio | like a harp; i.e., the notes of the chords are to be played quickly one after another (usually ascending) instead of simultaneously |
| repetition of position | A player may claim a draw if he can demonstrate that a three-fold repetition of the position has occurred, with the same player having the move each time. |
| dropper | [From the server message: Player xxx drops connection.] A player on a backgammon server who avoids a reduction to his rating by intentionally leaving a match he is about to lose before the result recorded. |
| joker | An exceptionally good roll, especially a roll that reverses the likely outcome of the game; a roll much luckier than average. |
| pawn push | The general advance of two or more connected pawns. |
| gammon count | The minimum number of pips a player needs to roll to bring all his checkers home and bear off his first checker, thereby avoiding losing a gammon. Compare: Pip Count. |
| vig | Vigorish. |
| wba | World Backgammon Association. Website: WBA. |
| amateur | The distinction between professional and amateur is not very important in chess as amateurs may win prizes, accept appearance fees, and earn any title including World Champion |
| knight | see knight |
| technical play | A checker-play decision which primarily depends on tactical considerations |
| hyper-backgammon | A backgammon variant where each player has just three checkers. See: How to Play Hyper-Backgammon. |
| semi-closed systems | A family of openings beginning with d4 and followed by any move other than d5 (contrast with double queen pawn openings), resulting in a "semi-closed" game. |
| fritz | A popular and very strong chess engine. |
| fan | To fail to reenter after being hit; to dance. |
| baffle box | A device through which dice are dropped to randomize a roll |
| overextension | When space is gained too fast |
| tacet | silent; do not play |
| hole | A weak square on the opponent's side of the board. |
| q | Symbol used for the queen when recording chess moves in English. |
| mechanics' institute | The major chess club in San Francisco, and one of the most important clubs in the United States. |
| post-mortem | Analysis of a game after it has concluded, typically conducted by one or both players and sometimes spectators (kibitzers) as well. |
| norm | The number of points a player in an international tournament must score to gain one qualification for a FIDE title. |
| board | See chessboard. |
| dice combination | One of the 36 possible rolls using two dice. |
| scordatura | out of tune; i.e., an alternative tuning used for the strings of a string instrument |
| transition | Changing from one phase of the game into another; i.e |
| gruenfeld defense | TODO |
| crescendo | growing; i.e., progressively louder (contrast diminuendo) |
| cast | To throw a pair of dice. |
| beaver | An immediate redouble by a player who just accepted a double |
| attack | 1 |
| pawn race | A situation where both opponents are pushing a passed pawn in effort to be first to promote. |
| trompowksy attack | The opening 1) d4, Nf6 2) Bg5. |
| ace | A rolled die showing the number 1. |
| half-crossover method | A pip counting method devised by Douglas Zare |
| lock up a point | Make a point. |
| er backgammon | ER stands for Error Rate |
| tremolo | shaking; i.e., a rapid repetition of the same note, or an alternation between two or more notes |
| simultaneous play | A player contesting a number of games against a number of players at the same time. |
| wcc | Abbreviation for the World Chess Championship. |
| french backgammon | A backgammon variant in which players start with all their checkers off the board and doubles are played using both sides of the dice. See: How to Play French Backgammon. |
| kibitz | As a spectator, making comments on a chess game that can be heard by the players |
| post-mortem | The discussion of a game after it has been completed. |
| pieces | May also refer to a certain square, e.g |
| variation | Sometimes, the player or the venue of the stem game is then used to refer to that opening. |
| segue | carry on to the next section without a pause |
| error rate | A measure of the average equity lost per move due to errors in play |
| master | Title given by the USCF to players achieving a rating of 2200 or more. |
| simultaneous exhibition | A type of event or show ("exhibition") where a player plays many opponents at one time |
| settlement limit | A method of reducing the variance of a cubeful rollout |
| swiss-cheese formation | A position with many gaps and few adjacent made points. |
| winning percentage | A number calculated by taking the percentage of games won by a player plus half the percentage of drawn games |
| advantage | Having a superiority in position based on a particular imbalance or series of imbalances |
| on tilt | Steaming. |
| chess oscar | Award given by the Association of Chess Journalists for the outstanding male and female players of the year. |
| combination shot | An opportunity to hit an opposing blot that requires using the numbers on both dice taken together; an indirect shot |
| fibs rating formula | The ratings system used on FIBS |
| section | A specific group of players who compete against each other in a tournament. Tournaments may have several sections. Players may be placed in sections according to a rating range (or "unrated" status), age or grade, or a variety of other possible categorizing factors. |
| endgame | The final phase of the game when there are few pieces left on the board |
| master | Title offered by many national Chess federations to strong players. |
| pass | Refuse a double. |
| short side defense | The standard method for drawing the ending of K/R/P vs |
| extreme gammon | A neural-net backgammon program introduced in 2009 |
| j'adoube | (from French) "I adjust" |
| rim | Bar. |
| redouble | A double other than the first double of a game |
| deflection | A tactic which forces an opponent piece from a square where it had to be, either because it was defending a piece or square or because it was blocking a threat. |
| double game | Gammon. |
| stay out | Fail to enter from the bar. |
| quad | A round-robin style tournament between four players, where each participant plays every other participant once. |
| beugung | A logical effect |
| roof | Bar. |
| unorthodox | Unusual play; moves or style that is different than the way most people play, or different from the ways of playing which are generally considered to be correct. |
| move off | Bear off. |
| guff | A player's one-point. |
| tournament types | See Round Robin, Knockout, Swiss System, Open, Closed, Invitational. |
| compensation | An equivalent advantage in one imbalance that balances the opponent's advantage in another |
| slump | When a player consistently plays below his normal average playing strength |
| outflanking | This happens in a king-and-pawn ending, when after the opposition forces one side's king to move out of the way the other side's king then outflanks the opponent |
| gwc | Game winning chances. |
| en passant | French for `in passing' |
| study | An especially instructive and/or beautiful position (usually a composition) in which one side is challenged to find a clear way to win or draw the game. Studies differ from some other types of chess problems, in that they could actually occur in a real game. |
| codetta | a small coda, but usually applied to a passage appended to a section of a movement, not to a whole movement |
| the t.p. | A player's two-point. |
| decoy | 1 |
| floobly | (Dan) Something which allows a player to suddenly win/draw despite his opponent's easily won position, e.g |
| intuition | A ability of an experienced player to decide on a move or plan by feel, rather than by extensive analysis. |
| pay later | To play safe in the current position but risk greater danger later in the game. Compare: Pay Now. See: Pay-Now-or-Pay-Later Decision. |
| cube proxy | A player in a chouette who temporarily handles the cube for another while that player is away from the game |
| j'adoube | French |
| cut time | same as the meter 2/2: two half-note (minim) beats per measure |
| tiebreak | A method used for differentiating places between two players with the same score |
| mco | Abbreviation for Modern Chess Openings. |
| ply | One play in a Chess game. |
| wbf | Worldwide Backgammon Federation. Website: WBF. |
| national chess day | October 9th. In 1976, U.S |
| chess.com | The largest online chess website with almost 6,000,000 members |
| bcm | An abbreviation for the British Chess Magazine. |
| on the bar | Where a checker is placed after it is hit |
| combination | A series of forced moves (usually involving a sacrifice) which leads to an advantage for the initiating player. |
| caïssa | The goddess of chess, occasionally invoked to indicate luck or good fortune: "Caissa was with me". |
| die | Singular of dice. |
| bco | An abbreviation sometimes used for the chess opening reference Batsford's Chess Openings |
| chessmen | Pieces. |
| bankroll | The amount of money you have available for betting, or the maximum amount you are willing to lose in a session. See: Money Management. |
| single shot | One blot which can be directly hit one way. Compare: Double Shot. |
| blitz | Fast chess. Many blitz games are 5 minutes per player for the entire game |
| enemy | See: opponent. |
| rank | file, or diagonal so that if the middle piece moves a discovered check will be delivered |
| 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 |
| rank | A row of eight horizontal squares |
| diagram | A drawing of a Chess position where White is at the bottom of the picture and Black is at the top. |
| own the cube | The player who last accepted a double is said to own the doubling cube |
| safety a checker | Move a checker out of danger of being hit. |
| positional mistake | A mistake with no immediate tactical repercussions, but will lead to a disadvantage by surrendering control of critical squares, losing time or space, or creating a structural weakness. |
| modern benoni | The opening 1) d4, Nf6 2) c4, c5 3) d5, e6. |
| partie | French for game. |
| territory | See "Space". |
| outflanking | A manoeuvre in the endgame with kings where one makes forward progress up the board while: 1) not allowing the opponent to gain the opposition, or 2) temporarily giving up the opposition in order to achieve a certain goal. |
| pseudo-sacrifice | See Sham sacrifice. |
| romantic | Having to do with a past time in history when less was known about chess, and players played "by the light of nature", attacking (see "attack") and sacrificing (see "sacrifice") without worrying too much if their ideas were correct |
| distance to conversion | A phrase used to describe the number of |
| legal moves rule | A rule that says that an illegal play should be pointed out by the opponent if he notices it, and such play corrected before the game continues |
| prime fighter | A player who accepts a double when he has one or more checkers trapped behind an opponent's prime. |
| novice | A beginning chess player. |
| quadrant | One quarter of the playing area on a backgammon board |
| effective pip count | The average number of rolls required to bear off all your checkers multiplied by the average pip value of a roll (49/6 pips) |
| root number | [Because you "root" for your opponent to roll one.] A dice roll that forces a position to collapse. |
| counterplay | Possibilities for retaliation, switching from a defensive posture to an offensive posture. |
| illegal play | A play that does not conform to the roll of the dice as defined by the rules of backgammon |
| walk a prime | Roll a prime. |
| expansion | Increasing the amount of space directly under your control |
| new solution | As a consequence of logical action and re-action, a hitherto unforeseen winning manoeuvre becomes possible (e.g |
| gin position | A position from which a player cannot lose. |
| early game | The first few moves of a game, before the players have settled on a particular game plan. |
| california rule | An optional rule that says the winner of the opening roll has the option of rerolling both dice if he also turns the cube to 2 |
| compensation | An equivalent advantage that offsets an advantage of the enemy's, for example material vs |
| fm | Abbreviation for FIDE Master. |
| opening repertoire | A set of openings that a player is prepared to play in advance of a game to give himself or herself an advantage. |
| discovered check | TODO |
| fortress | A chess |
| ratings system | A method of assigning ratings to players based on their performance in such a way that players with greater ability will, over time, tend to have higher ratings. |
| resigns | When you purposely turn down your King or say “I resign” – the game is over and you lose. Note that shaking hands does not end a game. |
| tournament organizer | The individual responsible for the venue, prize distribution, and other details necessary to run a successful tournament. |
| skittles | Informal or casual Chess games, often played quickly. |
| ply | Term mainly used in computer chess to denote one play of either White or Black |
| elo rating | An internationally accepted mathematical system for ranking chess players, created by Arpad Elo |
| castle short | Kingside castling. |
| outside prime | A contiguous sequence of blocked points in which the majority of those points are in the outer board. |
| unpin | To break or escape from a pin (see "pin") |
| pscf | PA State Chess Federation |
| initiative | Instant Chess Where no-nonsense coffee addicts forget the world's troubles, dose-up and play chess online .. |
| deflect | The inverse of a decoy (see above) |
| pizzicato | pinched, plucked; i.e., in music for bowed strings, plucked with the fingers as opposed to played with the bow; compare arco (in this list), which is inserted to cancel a pizzicato instruction |
| automaton | A machine which purported to play Chess without human assistance. |
| knight on the rim | A knight on the edge of the board |
| bullet chess | A form of chess in which each side has less than 3 minutes for the entire game. |
| dice tube | See Meyer dice tube. |
| finalist | One of the two players competing in the finals of an elimination tournament. |
| pieces | "A lot of wood came off the board" conveys that several piece exchanges occurred. |
| nimzowitsch defense | 1) e4, Nc6 2) d4, d5. |
| motherboard | A form of Bughouse with three players per side, instead of two. Team members on the outer two boards pass captured men to the central board (the "motherboard"), and the central player passes captured men to either of the outer boards as needed. |
| dead number | A specific number on the dice which cannot be played in the current position; see kill a number. |
| tapa | A game popular in Bulgaria in which players pin opposing blots rather than hit them. See: How to Play Tapa. |
| hydra | A multiprocessor, hardware-based chess program |
| advantage | A term used to describe the |
| last chance event | A tournament for players who lose in the first rounds of the consolation flight or later rounds in the main flight. |
| hutton pairing | A pairing technique invented in 1921 by George Dickson Hutton for matching teams of players in which only one game is required per player |
| patzer | German word for a weak player. |
| one-checker model | A model for estimating winning chances in a pure race based on the players' pip counts |
| asset | A feature that contributes to the strength of a position, such as made points and flexibility. Compare: Liability. |
| classical | Style of play which encourages direct control of the center and a systematic approach to strategy. Compare to 'hypermodern'. |
| dead man | Dead checker. |
| slapball | "Slapball |
| pseudo-sacrifice | See sham sacrifice. |
| checker | One of the fifteen markers, all of one color, that a player moves around the board according to rolls of the dice |
| too many points | An inflexible position with many made points and few spare checkers |
| 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. |
| tavli | The Greek name for games played on a backgammon board |
| anti-joker | A very bad roll; the opposite of a joker. |
| antiform | 'The antiform of any Chess-Motion consists in its Retraction (Un-doing or Reversal), the aim of the side 'willing' the retraction being directly opposed to that of the side 'willing' the Motion' (Palmon). |
| iqp | An abbreviation for isolated queen pawn |
| bass | the lowest of the standard four voice ranges (bass, tenor, alto, soprano); the lowest melodic line in a musical composition, often thought of as defining and supporting the harmony |
| won the exchange | Woman Candidate Master The lowest-ranking chess title awarded to Women chess players, by FIDE |
| committed position | A position from which there is only one reasonable game plan for winning, as opposed to a noncommitted position. |
| confidence interval | A range of values that contain, with a certain probability, a rollout's convergence value |
| parlay | A succession of events, each of which depends on the preceding event |
| space count | A method of counting the squares controlled or attacked by each side's pieces (A square can be attacked more than once.) The player ahead in the space count has a spatial advantage, and thus more mobility. |
| national master | See Master. |
| novelty | See Theoretical Novelty (TN). |
| motif | A Java applet that plays backgammon. Website: Motif Plays Backgammon. |
| n | Abbreviation for Knight. |
| establish a point | Make a point. |
| demonstration board | A large standing chess board used to analyse a game or show a game in progress |
| opening repertoire | A set of openings that a player prepares in advance to get to a preferred middlegame position. |
| coloratura | coloration; i.e., elaborate ornamentation of a vocal line, or (especially) a soprano voice suited to such elaboration |
| main line | The principal variation used or analysed. |
| abt | American Backgammon Tour, an annual master-point competition of participants in major U.S |
| flank opening | A chess opening played by White and typified by play on one or both flanks. |
| drawing weapon | An opening line played with the intent of drawing the game |
| girls | A roll of 5-5 (double 5's). |
| combinations of the dice | The number of possible rolls out of 36 that accomplish a specific objective. |
| pgn | See Portable game notation. |
| philidor position | An important drawing method in endgame theory. The Philidor position is the starting point for the fundamental method by which the inferior side draws the endgame of king/rook/pawn vs |
| knight | A species of chessman |
| opposite colour bishops | Where each side has only one bishop that travels on squares of a different colour from that of the enemy |
| center | Usually considered to be the e4, d4, e5 and d5 squares, though the territory within the c4, c5, f4 and f5 parameters can also be thought of as central. |
| stop pot | A progressive jackpot that allows players to enter at any level and cash out when they want |
| winning chances | The level of realistic possibilities for victory in an otherwise apparently equal position. |
| overworked piece | A piece which is required to do too much, defending too many pieces or squares at once |
| light bishop | A bishop which moves on light-colored squares. |
| lipped cup | A dice cup that has a ridge around the inside open end, designed to trip up the dice as they exit the cup and make it more difficult for a dice mechanic to control the roll. |
| flagrant misconduct | Called against competitors for such actions as striking, biting, butting, elbowing, or kicking an opponent |
| position | The arrangement of checkers on a backgammon board. |
| premature roll | A dice roll made by a player before the opponent has ended his turn by picking up the dice |
| risk | A double-edged sword |
| pieces | referred to as "the white pieces", are sometimes actually some other (usually light) color |
| space | The squares controlled by a player |
| indirect hit | A hit that uses the numbers on both dice taken together |
| automatics | Automatic doubles. |
| bare king | Position where one player has only his king left on the board. |
| opposition | An endgame term |
| fibs | First Internet Backgammon Server, an electronic forum for playing backgammon with others from around the world. Website: FIBS. |
| amateur | A person who does not earn a living through chess |
| king's indian attack | Kibitz Describes someone who offers meddlesome advice |
| unnecessary roughness | Called for actions that are unreasonably aggressive. |
| opposition | (Plural: tempos or tempi.) |
| theory | Term to refer the general body of accepted Chess knowledge. |
| horizon | The number of plies played in each trial of a truncated rollout |
| safe-bold criteria | See: Magriel's Safe-Bold Criteria. |
| random seed | A numeric value that uniquely determines the sequence of dice rolls produced by a random number generator. |
| vibrato | vibrating; i.e., a more or less rapidly repeated slight alteration in the pitchof a note, used to give a richer sound and as a means of expression |
| j'adoube | A French word commonly used by English-speaking players that means I adjust |
| nullo play | A play which cannot be profitable for any possible sequence of future rolls. |
| duplication | A position in which the same number can be used constructively in more than one way |
| castling | (PGN format uses Os; FIDE uses 0s.) |
| hara-kiri play | A play which exposes blots for the purpose of recirculating the player's checkers; also known as a suicide play. |
| pawn chains | cramped positions with few opportunities to exchange, and extensive maneuvering behind lines |
| control the cube | Own the cube. |
| board setup | See: Starting Position. |
| centre | The four centre squares e4, d4, e5 and d5 |
| plakoto | A Greek game in which players pin blots rather than hit them. See: How to Play Plakoto. |
| chessbase | An advanced chess database program that enables one to store and search games, etc. |
| jacoby paradox | [Named for Oswald Jacoby, who mentioned it in The Backgammon Book, page 116.] The fact that an improvement in the opponent's position can make redoubling correct in a position in which the player on roll owns the cube and has one remaining chance to redouble. |
| escape | Occurs when a wrestler who is being controlled by his opponent gains a neutral position, creates space, and faces the opponent |
| win an exchange | When an enemy rook is captured at the loss of a knight or a bishop. |
| owner of the cube | The player who last accepted a double in the game |
| man | The attacked king is said to be in check. |
| files | See also isolated pawns. |
| mating attack | An attack that could leat to checkmate. |
| muse of chess | Another term for Caissa. |
| monte carlo | Location of the annual World Championship of backgammon. |
| connoisseur | Someone, anyone, who takes more than just a passing interest in the aesthetic and artistic aspects of studies |
| direct shot | A chance to hit a blot six points or less away using a single number from one die. |
| playbook | Coach Pete's term referring to the tactical weapons a player is prepared to use in a game, depending on how it progresses. |
| loose hit | A hit which leaves a blot in the player's home board where it is exposed to a direct return shot. |
| forfeit | Has 2 Definitions, depending upon context |
| loose checker | Blot. |
| joint standard deviation | The standard deviation of the difference between two rollouts: JSD = sqrt(SD1*SD1 + SD2*SD2) |
| janowski's formulas | A collection of formulas devised by Rick Janowski for estimating cubeful equity from cubeless equity |
| duplicate dice | In a rollout, the use of the same sequence of random rolls with different candidate positions |
| ahead in the race | Having a lower pip count than your opponent. |
| automatic doubles | An optional rule in money play: If both players throw the same number on the first roll of a game, the stakes are doubled |
| reenter | Enter a checker from the bar after it has been hit. |
| handicap | TODO. |
| indian defence | A chess opening that begins 1.d4 Nf6 |
| reti opening | The opening 1) Nf3, d5 2) c4. |
| drop point | The maximum game winning chances at which it is correct for a player to refuse a double; the point at which a player is equally well off accepting a double or refusing a double; take point. |
| dynamics | refers to the relative volumes in the execution of a piece of music |
| bar-point | A player's seven-point, so named because it is physically adjacent to the bar. |
| automaton | A self-operating chess-playing machine |
| coda | a tail; i.e., a closing section appended to a movement |
| tn | See Theoretical novelty. |
| patzer | A bad chess player |
| solid prime | A prime with no gaps; a full prime. Compare: Broken Prime. |
| championship division | Open division. |
| gens una sumus | Latin for "we are one family" |
| material | Another name for chessmen. |
| mid-point | Your thirteen-point (the opponent's twelve-point), where you have five checkers at the beginning of the game. |
| duplicate tournament | See: Duplicate Backgammon. |
| battery | A lineup of pieces that move similarly on a single file or diagonal, usually pointing toward a critical point in the enemy's camp |
| helpmate | A type of problem where Black moves first and cooperates with White to checkmate Black in a fixed number of moves. |
| score sheet | The sheet of paper used to record a game in progress |
| touch down | To temporarily land on an intermediate open point after playing one of two numbers with the same checker. |
| tournament | A competition involving more than two players or teams, generally played at a single venue (or series of venues) in a relatively short period of time |
| point on a blot | To hit an opposing blot with two of your checkers at the same time, thereby also making the point |
| over-the-board | A game is said to be played over-the-board if opponents play the game face-to-face as opposed to online chess or correspondence chess. |
| opening | The position (e.g |
| prime-vs-prime | A game in which both players have primes with opposing checkers trapped behind them |
| time control | The amount of time given to reach a certain number of moves |
| initiative | When your opponent is defending and you are attacking or putting pressure on him, it is said that you have the initiative. |
| deuce-point | Traditional name for the two-point. |
| royal powers | Refers to unique attributes of the king: being subject to check and checkmate |
| tilt | Going on tilt or tilting is when for one reason or another, you're not thinking straight |
| occupation | 1 |
| flank | The files that do not belong to the centre, that is the a, b and c files on the queenside, and the f, g and h files on the kingside |
| emg equity | Equivalent-to-money-game equity. |
| forced play | A roll of the dice for which there is only one legal play. |
| adjournment | An |
| overprotection | The technique of massing forces in support of a strong point, often a Blockade. |
| bye | A tournament round in which a player does not have a game, usually because there are an odd number of players |
| prophylaxis | (adjectival form: prophylactic) |
| button | in live games, a little marker shows who's currently the dealer |
| distance to mate | A phrase used to describe the number of |
| fool's mate | The name given to the fastest possible |
| rating points | Points assigned by a ratings system to players based on their performance against other rated players. |
| adjudication | The process of a strong chess player deciding on the outcome of an unfinished game |
| tactician | A player who specializes in tactical play, as distinguished from a "positional player." |
| checkmate | Or in addition, the king's ability to castle. |
| space | The amount of area of the chess board controlled by each side. |
| roll a prime | To make a new point at the leading edge of a prime using checkers from the rear of the prime |
| woodpusher | Derogatory term for a player who shows little or no understanding of chess. |
| flunk | To fail to enter a checker from the bar; to dance. |
| safety up | Cover a blot or move it out of range of being hit. |
| eat cheese frequently | ECO 1 |
| scope | The number of squares to which a piece can move |
| half-open | Handicap A way of giving a weaker player a chance to win against a stronger player |
| castling short | Castling kingside; in chess notation: 0-0. |
| raking bishops | Another term for Harrwitz bishops. |
| crosstable | A chart in grid form which lists the complete results of a tournament. |
| equal position | Any chess game |
| poof | A backgammon variant in which you always play the lower number of a roll first. See: How to Play Poof. |
| handicap | A means of trying to equalize chances in a game played between opponents of greatly different strengths. |
| crew | In a chouette, members of the team who play with the captain against the box. |
| hit and cover | To hit an opposing blot and then continue on with the same checker to cover your own blot. |
| trois-point | Traditional name for the three-point. |
| thorp count | A formula devised by Edward O |
| cook | 1. An unintended solution of a chess problem |
| chase | Play dangerously, especially in offering or accepting doubles, in an attempt to recover losses. |
| cubeless probability of winning | The chance of winning the game if no doubling cube is used; also called game winning chances. |
| doubles | Two thrown dice with identical numbers on their upper faces. |
| drop | Refuse a double. |
| equality | Where neither player has a discernible advantage over the opponent. |
| connected position | A position in which all fifteen of a player's checkers are located within a short distance of each other |
| opening | A variation does not have to have been played in a game, it may also be a possibility that occurs only in analysis. |
| hack | A derogatory chess term meaning a state of chess ineptitude. |
| army | The formation of a player's checkers as they work together to block and attack the opponent, then and come home safely. |
| clockwise | The direction your checkers move around the board when they are set up to bear off to the left |
| accidental error | (Dan) - an error made with the best intentions but made due to human calculation error; not a purposeful error |
| sacrifice | The voluntary offer of material for the purpose of gaining a more favorable advantage than the material investment |
| shake | To mix the dice using a dice cup prior to rolling. |
| descriptive notation | See: English Descriptive Notation. |
| counterclockwise | The direction your checkers move around the board when they are set up to bear off to the right |
| banana split | [Because you must be "bananas" to try it |
| losing chances | The probability in any complex and roughly |
| pieces | See White and Black in chess. |
| bishop | see bishop |
| defense | 1 |
| rim | The edge of a chess board. "Knights on the rim are dim" is a common expression, because a knight's possible movements are greatly reduced on the edge of the board. |
| internet chess server | Any computer that enables live chess play between remote (usually) players, and is connected to the Internet |
| eco | The Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings (ECO), a standard and comprehensive chess opening reference |
| recube vigorish | The value of cube ownership to the player being offered a double; the additional equity that comes from being the only player who may redouble. |
| boden's mate | Boden's Mate, named for Samuel Boden, is a checkmate pattern in which the king, usually having castled queenside, is checkmated by two crisscrossing bishops |
| 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 |
| acting captain | In a chouette, the crew member who plays for the team against the box after the original captain has declined box's double and is no longer in the game. |
| deep anchor | An anchor on the opponent's one-point or two-point. |
| trébuchet | A position of mutual zugzwang in which either player would lose if it is their turn to move. |
| sotto voce | under voice; i.e., softly and subdued, as if speaking under one's breath |
| meyer dice tube | A 9-inch clear plastic tube with baffles across the middle and capped ends that contains a pair of dice and is used to randomize dice within |
| patzer | An unkind term for a bad chess player. |
| double bump | Double hit. |
| current stake | The initial stake multiplied by the value of the doubling cube. |
| rating | A numeric approximation of a player's strength based on his tournament results against other players. See our Ratings page for more info. |
| x-ray | Another term for skewer. |
| chase | to call with the worst hand, hoping to improve |
| dance | [From the action a player makes as he first reaches to enter his checker then pulls his arm back when he notices the numbers are blocked.] To throw numbers which fail to enter a checker from the bar. |
| shot | A strong, unexpected move which totally changes the game. |
| zugzwang | A German word meaning "move-need" |
| throw | To shake a pair of dice in a dice cup and release them onto a backgammon board |
| dansk backgammon forbund | Danish Backgammon Federation |
| captain | In a chouette, the leader of the team playing against the box |
| king | A species of chessman |
| big play | A bold or aggressive play when a safer but less constructive play is available. |
| common time | the time signature 4/4: four beats per measure, each beat a quarter note (a crotchet) in length |
| advanced level | A player of considerable experience and skill who has moved beyond intermediate level. |
| winning position | A position where a player should win the game, if both players play the best moves |
| square of a pawn | See Rule of the square. |
| action chess | A game where each player has 30 minutes to make all his moves. |
| army | Collectively, a player's chessmen. |
| consultation | Advice offered by the crew to the captain in a chouette. |
| attack | A "passive defense" is a defense offering little prospect of counterattack |
| thematic move | A move which is consistent with the overall strategy pursued by the player. |
| touch move rule | An rule rarely used today in Western backgammon, though it is common in the Middle East |
| major pieces | Also called heavy pieces |
| supporting points | The weight-bearing points of the body, including feet, knees, hands, buttocks, etc |
| prophylaxis | A strategy explored by Nimzovich, where you prevent your opponent from taking action in a certain area for fear of reprisal |
| manhattan chess club | One of the two major/historical chess clubs in New York City. |
| epc | Effective pip count. |
| mechanic | See: Dice Mechanic. |
| prophylactic move | See Prophylaxis. |
| equality | When neither white nor black has any material or positional advantage. |
| intermediate level | A player of some experience who has begun to hone his skills; the level of play between novice and advanced. |
| inactive builder | A checker that is presently part of a prime or a block but which has the prospect of being used later to make another point. |
| zeitnot | German for "time trouble." |
| three-fold repetition | See Triple repetition of a position. |
| table stakes | A system of betting where the players' stake in a game is limited to an agreed fixed amount |
| spanish game | See Ruy Lopez. * |
| clock | Chess clock. |
| live-cube rollout | Cubeful rollout. |
| open division | The main division of a tournament; the division that any player may enter |
| throw off | Bear off. |
| cover a blot | To add a second checker to a blot, thereby making the point. |
| file | A row of eight vertical squares. |
| zugzwang | German "forced to move" |
| zeitnot | German "time trouble". |
| solkoff score | A tie-breaking system used in Swiss tournaments. A player's Solkoff score is equal to the scores of all his opponents. |
| spare checker | An extra checker that can be used for hitting or making a point without leaving behind a blot. |
| lady | Slang for queen |
| tempo | A unit of time in positional development equal to half a roll. |
| take off | Bear off. |
| flexibility | The degree to which checkers are arranged to allow the greatest number of future rolls to play constructively or at least comfortably. |
| minor pieces | Knights and bishops. |
| double | An offer made by one player to his opponent during the course of a game (just before the player rolls the dice) to continue the game at twice the current stakes |
| poh | Point on head. |
| sandwich | To trap someone (or be trapped yourself) between two raisers |
| fide | The acronym for Federation Internationale des checs, the international Chess Federation which organizes the titles, awards and the international rating system. |
| rating | A number associated with each player based on that player's record of performance against other rated players |
| double hit | To hit two opposing blots on one turn. |
| main division | Main flight. |
| marshall chess club | One of the two major/historical chess clubs in New York City. |
| crosstable | A chart showing how each player did in each round. |
| free drop | In match play, after the Crawford game has been played and the trailing player has an even number of points to go, the option of the leading player to refuse a double without reducing the number of games his opponent will need to win |
| chess clock | Two adjacent connected clocks with buttons that stop one clock while starting the other so that the two component clocks never run simultaneously |
| wall chart | Tabular information periodically posted at a tournament which shows players sorted by their original rankings and to which cumulative results are added. Contrast with Standings chart. |
| lift | To move a checker that is alone on a point to the safety of an already made point. |
| arbiter | An arbiter is the person who helps chess players with the rules and restrictions that are required during a chess tournament |
| move | One move technically consists of two "ply," or parts: White makes a play, followed by Black's response. |
| post-mortem | Literally meaning "after death"; in chess it means a discussion between the two opponents after a game |
| openings | Known sequence of moves, usually published in a chess book |
| gm | Abbreviation for International Grandmaster. |
| greek backgammon | Tavli. |
| decline a double | Refuse a double. |
| zwischenzug | German "in-between move" |
| gammon vigorish | The additional equity resulting from the possibility of winning a gammon. |
| coup classique | A win from the seemingly unwinnable position in which your opponent has borne off twelve checkers and has just three checkers remaining on his two-point |
| double attack | The launch of two threats simultaneously |
| chess problem | Also called composition. |
| touch move | The rule that says: |
| rating | A number which describes a chess player's level of skill, on a scale from 100 to about 3000 |
| master | The second-highest international title which one can get |
| kibitzing | Observing and commenting on a chess game, usually in a manner that disturbs the players |
| chessclock | The special clock used in timed chess games. |
| nm | See National Master. |
| cinque-point | Traditional name for the five-point. |
| good bishop | 1 |
| variance | Level of random error in a rollout. |
| four-move checkmate | Another name for scholar's mate. |
| pure race | A game in which the opposing forces have disengaged so there is no opportunity for further blocking or hitting by either side |
| neutral position | Neither wrestler has control |
| senza misura | without measure |
| draw | or as an attempt to gain an advantage by players who are strong in endgame play with simplified positions |
| passed pawns | either yours or your opponent's. |
| n | Abbreviation for knight. |
| point on head | Point on a blot. |
| normal game | Single game. |
| suicide play | To purposely leave a blot to be hit so it can be recirculated |
| material | in extra moves, in time on the clock, or some combination of those elements |
| fritz | A popular and very strong chess engine. |
| lightning chess | A form of chess with an extremely short time limit, usually 1 or 2 minutes per player for the entire game. |
| trice count | Another name for the effective pip count, a concept developed by Walter Trice who wrote extensively about it. |
| weak square | A square that cannot be easily defended from attack by an opponent |
| gain a tempo | Hit the opponent and thereby deprive him of half a roll. |
| move | A turn by each player, but also used to refer to a ply. |
| sicilian defence | An asymetrical answer to White's 1 |
| zwischenzug | An in-between move. For example, after a capture, instead of re-capturing, you give a check first. |
| top board | In team chess, the player who is assigned to face the strongest opponents |
| lewis chessmen | Chess pieces made of walrus tusk discovered on the Isle of Lewis (outer Hebrides) in 1831. |
| isbn 1-901983-16-1 | Usually only decisive games (not draws) are considered miniatures, and a miniature should not be spoiled by an obvious blunder by the losing side |
| distraction | Similar to decoy |
| ladder | A fluid method of ranking Chess players within a club or other group. |
| handicap | An artificial advantage given to a weaker player in an effort to equalize the chances of winning |
| opening | Also called simply a novelty. |
| tempo | time; i.e., the overall speed of a piece of music |
| bughouse chess | A popular chess variant played with teams of two or more. |
| time trouble | Situation where a player has a small amount of time to make a large number of moves. |
| calculation | The part of analysis involving forced sequences. |
| overextension | When a player advances too quickly, creating weaknesses in his position. |
| novice nook | My multi-award-winning column at Chess Cafe on how to improve at chess |
| semi-open systems | A family of openings beginning with e4 and followed by any move other than e5 (contrast with double king pawn openings), resulting in a "semi-open" game. |
| exposed checker | A blot within range of a direct hit. |
| liquidation | 1 |
| hanging | Unprotected and exposed to capture |
| one-sided bearoff database | A bearoff database where the arrangement of checkers on only one player's side is considered |
| break contact | To move past the last of the opponent's checkers, so that no further hitting or blocking is possible |
| switchback | Pattern theme |
| interference | Means "getting in the way" |
| broken prime | An incomplete prime with a gap in it. |
| rating | A way that chess federations measure a player's skill by a number |
| sound | Correct |
| positional chess | A style of play focusing on long-range considerations, including the gradual building up of small advantages, as opposed to short-term tactical infighting. |
| usate | US Amateur Team East - one of the world's biggest team tournaments, held over President's Day weekend at the Hilton in Parsippany. |
| check | Choosing not to bet when it is your turn to act. |
| fischer random | See Chess960. |
| time | Can be used in several contexts |
| style | The individual way a player approaches the game, reflecting his/her personality and preferences. Style shows up best in positions that have more than one reasonable way to continue. In games between players with differing styles (for example, a bold attacker vs |
| moves | maneuvers, positions, and styles of play. |
| theme tournament | A chess tournament in which every game must begin with a particular chess opening specified by the organizers, for example the Budapest Gambit (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5). |
| space | The notion of the initiative was used by Steinitz (e.g |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| unorthodox opening | See irregular opening. |
| adjournment | Suspension of a chess game with the intention to finish it later |
| counterplay | When the defending side starts his own aggressive action, he is said to have or be initiating counterplay |
| time delay | A feature of digital chess clocks which gives each player a specified number of seconds at the start of each turn before that player's clock begins running |
| defensive starting position | Wrestler who is on hands and knees in a par terre |
| ducks | Double ducks. |
| doubling on the come | Offering a double in anticipation of a good roll. |
| insufficient material | A position is said to be a draw (or a drawn position) if either player can, through correct play, eventually force the game into a position where the game must end in a draw, regardless of the moves made by the other player |
| cramped | The quality of a chess |
| castling | Move where the king moves two squares horizontally and the rook is placed beside the king |
| master | A player becomes a master when he reaches an Elo rating of 2200, though he will lose this title if his rating drops below that point. |
| rabbit | A humorous (slightly insulting) term for a non-master. |
| 960 chess | Also known as Fischer Random chess |
| rolled chord | see arpeggiato in this list |
| time limit | usually 3 or 5 minutes per player for the entire game |
| bearoff database | A computer-generated table associating each possible bearoff position with a value that represents the quality of that position |
| backward pawn | 1 |
| scholar's mate | A four-move checkmate (common among novices) in which White plays 1 |
| critical square | See key square. |
| novice level | A player who is new to backgammon. Compare: Intermediate and Advanced level. |
| legato | joined; i.e., smoothly, in a connected manner (see also articulation) |
| center | The squares d4, e4, d5, and e5 |
| cube decision | The choice of whether or not to offer a double, or the choice of whether to accept, or refuse a double that has been offered. |
| cocked dice | Thrown dice which do not both land flat on the surface of the half of the board to the player's right |
| flight | A chart showing which players play each other in an elimination tournament. |
| 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. |
| bughouse chess | A chess variant played with teams of two or more. |
| skittles | Chess for fun or chess without a clock |
| secure a point | Cover a blot. |
| perfecta | The best possible roll; a joker. |
| minor pieces | Name given to the bishops and knights. |
| shut out | Close out. |
| epd | Extended |
| variant | See chess variant. |
| nco | Abbreviation sometimes used for the chess opening reference Nunn's Chess Openings |
| draw offer | The suggestion by one player to the other that they agree to call the game a draw |
| amateur | In chess, a non-master |
| double threat | The execution of the discovery move is called 'firing' the battery. |
| dutch backgammon | A backgammon variant in which the players start with all their checkers off the board. See: How to Play Dutch Backgammon. |
| safe play | A play that leaves no blots, or a play that leaves blots only in positions where the opponent is unlikely to hit. Compare: Bold Play. |
| eco | The Encyclopedia of Chess |
| head-to-head | One player against another player for money. |
| sac | Slang for a sacrifice. |
| chess clock | At chess tournaments, a skittles room is where one goes to play for fun while waiting for the next formal game. |
| swindle | A trick pulled from an inferior position. |
| latto paradox | [Named after Andy Latto, who suggested the possibility in an Inside Backgammon article, (Vol |
| np | Knockout Tournament 1 |
| advanced anchor | An anchor on the opponent's five-point, four-point, or sometimes three-point |
| dyscommunication | [Coined by Danny Kleinman in Double Sixes from the Bar.] The negative impact on flexibility of having spare checkers exactly six pips apart. |
| bind | A stranglehold or grip caused by one side which restricts space for the other side. |
| unit | Another name for a chessman. |
| ppg | Points per Game. |
| hydra | A multiprocessor, hardware-based chess program |
| leverage mechanism | A certain positional construction (e.g |
| near fall | When one shoulder is touching the mat and the second shoulder is past a 45-degree angle, or if both shoulders are within four inches of the mat |
| sans voir | [from French] See blindfold chess. |
| weaver coup | A ploy which may be attempted when you are playing on for a gammon and the opponent gets a lucky roll |
| front a prime | To make a point directly in front of an opponent's prime. |
| online backgammon | This refers to playing backgammon over the Internet |
| pairing | with the most popular systems being round-robin and Swiss |
| removing the guard | See Destruction. |
| tavla | A Turkish game similar to Western backgammon. See: How to Play Tavla. |
| wgm | See Woman Grandmaster. |
| book | 1 |
| double shot | One blot which can be directly hit two different ways, or two blots each of which can be directly hit one way. Compare: Single Shot. |
| resigns | Realizing the hopeless nature of a position and not wanting to insult the intelligence of the opponent, a player can surrender the game (resign) without having to wait for a checkmate |
| overprotection | A strategy, first described by Aron Nimzowitsch, where a player protects strong or important points more times than is necessary |
| equality | When nobody has an overall advantage |
| primed | Trapped behind a prime. |
| sydney | The roll of 1-6 to escape a prime, usually from the bar and often hitting a blot. |
| turn the cube | To offer a double. |
| horse | A beginner's word for a knight (worse: "He took my horsey!") |
| cubeful equity | In money play with the doubling cube, the absolute value of a position to one of the players compared to the initial stake being played for. See: Equity |
| control | Domination of an important square or group of squares (such as the "Center"). |
| board | The playing surface for the game |
| related squares | See corresponding squares. |
| rail | Bar. |
| adjudication | The process of a strong chess player (the adjudicator) deciding on the outcome of an unfinished game |
| semiactive builder | A checker which may or may not be available to make another point, depending on the roll. |
| bump and pass | Pick and pass. |
| weak square | An important square on the chess board that cannot be well protected |
| otb | See Over-the-board chess. |
| initial double | A double offered while the cube is still in the center, as opposed to a redouble where the player making the double has possession of the cube. |
| ply | Term mainly used in computer chess to denote one play of either white or black |
| otb | Abbreviation for over-the-board. |
| hit and pass | Pick and pass. |
| fish | A weak chess player, also referred to as a "duffer", "patzer" or "woodpusher". |
| blockading square | The square directly in front of an isolated or backward pawn |
| spiccato | distinct, separated; i.e., a way of playing the violin and other bowed instruments by bouncing the bow on the string, giving a characteristic staccato effect |
| opponent | White is the opponent of black and vice-versa. |
| legal play | A play that conforms to the roll of the dice as defined by the rules of backgammon. |
| illegal moves rule | The standard rule in backgammon which says: If a player makes an illegal play, the opponent has the option of allowing the error to stand or requesting that it be corrected |
| edge | The "outside" squares of the Chess board. |
| fianchetto | When a bishop moves from its home onto one of the long diagonals. |
| single elimination | A tournament format in which a competitor continues playing until he loses. See: Elimination Format. Compare: Double Elimination. |
| opposition | An endgame term meaning the king not forced to move |
| turn the crank | To offer a double. |
| tactician | A player who specializes in tactical play, as distinguished from a positional player. |
| x-ray/x-ray attack | An "x-ray" is a machine which sees through things |
| bug house | A variant of Chess played on two boards by two teams each consisting of a pair of players |
| strategy | A strategy is a plan. Strategy usually means that you are thinking long-term, rather than "I go here, he goes there" type of thinking |
| powerless piece | For positional reasons a piece exerts much less power than under normal circumstances. |
| digital clock | A chess clock which runs on electricity and shows the time in numbers on a screen |
| catchers | Checkers which have been purposely spread out to maximize the chance of hitting an opposing checker if it tries to escape. |
| rating | A numerical representation of the strength of a Chess player based upon his results in games against other graded players. |
| button up | To safety a blot by bringing it together with another checker. |
| proxy | See Cube Proxy. |
| overextended | Overloading The concept of para-phrasing was suddenly lost on the Chess Glossary Team and the emergency reference kit that is Wikipedia suddenly came to the rescue with this: "Overloading is a chess tactic in which a defensive piece is given an additional assignment which it cannot complete without abandoning its original assignment." |
| correct | Satisfying the canons of soundness, being neither cooked nor bust. |
| patzer | A derogatory term that denotes a hopelessly weak player. |
| kill a number | To create a position in which a specific number on the dice cannot be played on the following turn |
| open positions | two bishops are considered to have an advantage over two knights or a knight and a bishop |
| knock off | Hit a checker. |
| simple direct shot | A blot within range of being hit with a single number but for which there are no ways to hit using a combination of numbers on both dice. |
| x-ray | See Skewer. |
| double out | To offer a double which should be properly dropped, thus taking your opponent out of the game |
| misere | A backgammon variant in which the object is to be the last player to bear off all of your checkers. See: How to Play Misere Backgammon. |
| see-saw | Term to describe a series of alternating direct and discovered checks. |
| unclear | An uncertain situation in which is it not apparent whether either side has an advantage. |
| sac | Short for "sacrifice" |
| volatility | A measure of how much a position's equity is likely to change in the next roll or two |
| ostinato | obstinate, persistent; i.e., a short musical pattern that is repeated throughout an entire composition or portion of a composition |
| pure play | ["Pure" because it focuses on one game plan.] Playing with the goal of making a prime |
| cube handling | The art or skill of making cube decisions. |
| simultaneous chess | A form of chess in which one (usually expert) player plays against several (usually novice) players simultaneously |
| square | See space. |
| double in | To offer a double which should be properly accepted |
| knight on the rim | A knight on the side of the board (one of the wings) |
| knight | A Chess piece which moves either two squares vertically and one square horizontally or two squares horizontally and one square vertically |
| initiative | The player that is on the attack, or otherwise applying pressure to the opponent on the defensive, is said to "have the initiative." |
| whisper | A comment about a chess game not intended for the players |
| classical bishop sacrifice | See Greek gift sacrifice. |
| play safe | To avoid leaving blots which might be hit. See: Safe Play. |
| royal pieces | Refers to the kings and queens |
| hold | To successfully defend. |
| cluster count | A pip counting technique devised by Jack Kissane that involves the mental shifting of checkers to form patterns of reference positions whose pip totals often end in zero for quick and easy addition |
| quiz factor | A feature of a problem that makes it interesting enough to appear on a quiz |
| judge | The person charged with grading of tourney entries and with producing an award |
| pan american intercollegiate | The top college teams in the Western Hemisphere compete each December--see also Final Four of College Chess. |
| woodpusher | A weak chess player |
| 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. |
| arbiter | A person who ensures that the rules are observed, supervises the game, enforces the rules, and imposes penalties on infringing players. |
| equality | A situation in which neither side has an advantage over the opponent. |
| bear in | To move a checker into your home board prior to bearing off. |
| norm | A performance at a chess tournament that indicates a player is ready to receive a title, or the level of performance needed |
| arioso | airy, or like an air (a melody); i.e., in the manner of an aria; melodious |
| initiative | The player who is making threats and attacking is said to have the initiative |
| ics | See Internet chess server. |
| return shot | A chance to hit back after being hit yourself. |
| ghosts | Threats created in the mind of inexperienced players due to lack of confidence or fear of their opponent. |
| 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. |
| dice cup | A container, usually made of leather, plastic, or wood, used for shaking and rolling dice |
| force | Your army |
| correspondence games | Games played by e-mail. |
| squeeze | Exploiting a bind by the gradual build-up of pressure upon the enemy's position |
| b | Abbreviation for bishop. |
| cubeful rollout | A rollout performed with the doubling cube in play |
| forced move | A move for which there is only one reply (or if more than one reply, all but one are undesirable). |
| winning chances | The probability in any complex and roughly |
| long castle | Expression sometimes used to describe castling queen-side. |
| draw | NOT “tie” - Any game that ends without either player winning, e.g |
| uscf | United States Chess Federation |
| b | Symbol used for the bishop when recording chess moves in English. |
| weak square | See "Hole". |
| indirect shot | An opportunity to hit an opposing blot using the numbers on both dice taken together; a combination shot |
| rating | See Elo Rating. |
| in the air | On the bar. |
| hit and run | Pick and pass. |
| direct range | Reachable using a single number from one die |
| russian defense | See Petroff Defense. |
| raccoon | An immediate redouble by the player who just accepted a beaver. |
| distance | The number of squares between two pieces |
| quasi-random dice | A technique used to reduce the element of luck in a rollout by ensuring the numbers rolled in the first few rolls of each trial are as evenly distributed as possible |
| cook | An unintended solution of a chess problem |
| stay off | Fail to enter from the bar. |
| umpire | One of the officials who will be refereeing the game |
| internet chess server | This is an external server that provides the facility to play, discuss, and view chess over the internet, also abbreviated ICS. |
| crunching position | A priming game in which one side is about to collapse, but has not done so yet. |
| natural study | Starts from miniature setting; instructive or deep play; often logical. |
| fish | A weak player; see patzer. |
| related squares | See Coordinate squares. |
| nco | Nunn's Chess Openings |
| steam | [What happens when a player reaches the "boiling point."] To play wildly, out of annoyance or impatience at one's bad luck |
| timing | How long you expect to retain the desirable features of a position compared to your opponent |
| back man | Runner; a player's rearmost checker. |
| redeploy | To manoeuvre a piece onto a more effective square, file or diagonal. |
| hole | A square that is undefendable by pawns |
| n | Symbol used for the knight when recording chess moves in English. |
| take up | Hit a blot. |
| section | A part of a chess tournament where the players are paired together. Sections may be divided by rating class, scholastic vs |
| prophylaxis | A strategy explored by Nimzovich |
| cpw | Cubeless probability of winning. |
| chop wood | Slang for making capture(s) or exchange(s) |
| uscf | United States Chess Federation, one of several American governing bodies of chess |
| consolidate | Taking care of your position before continuing active operations |
| crossover count | The total number of crossovers needed to get all your checkers home and then borne off. |
| pirc defense | The opening sequence: 1) e4, d6 2) d4, Nf6 3) Nc3, g6. |
| market losing sequence | Market loser. |
| deflected | or required to abandon one of its defensive duties. |
| sans voir | (from the French) See Blindfold chess. |
| consolation flight | A event for players eliminated early in the main flight of an elimination tournament; sometimes called a sympathy flight. |
| semifinalist | One of the four players competing in the semifinals of an elimination tournament. |
| novice nook | My multi-award-winning column at Chess Cafe on how to improve at chess |
| turn the corner | Move from the opponent's outer board to your own outer board. |
| shift gears | Change game plan. |
| rating | A number that measures a player's relative strength |
| off | Said of checkers which have been borne off. |
| kotov syndrome | This phenomenon, first described by Alexander Kotov, can occur when a player does not find a good plan after thinking long and hard on a position |
| swiss system | A system of pairing tournaments whereby players are paired against other players who are doing about as well as they are. Wherever possible, players get about an equal number of games with Black and White, and will not play the same opponent twice. |
| man in the box | See: Box. |
| cash a game | To offer a double which you believe will be refused so you can collect the current value of the cube; claim a game. |
| whisper | Spectator comments on a chess game in progress which are made outside of the players' hearing range (common practice on the Internet as well). |
| prophylaxis | it is intended to discourage the opposing player from opening the file. |
| holland rule | [Named after Tim Holland, who proposed the rule.] An optional rule in match play that was popular in the 1980's but is now rarely used |
| space | The territory controlled by each player |
| arpeggiato | a way of playing a chord: starting with the lowest note, and with successively higher notes rapidly joining in |
| tactics | Short-term, calculable aspects of the game, as opposed to strategic considerations |
| classical | 1 |
| book a checker | Cover a blot. |
| mco | Modern Chess Openings |
| truncated rollout | A rollout which is not played to the end of the game |
| unblocked lines | A line segment containing no chessmen. |
| otter | [Another furry rodent, by analogy to beaver and raccoon.] An immediate redouble (while retaining ownership of the cube) by the player who just accepted a raccoon. |
| trap | A hidden method of luring the opponent into making an error |
| album | A FIDE album is published at regular intervals |
| partner for the box | Chouettes with a large number of players often permit the box to take a partner |
| lpdo | Loose Pieces Drop Off (Nunn's Dictum) |
| edge of a prime | The open point directly in front of a prime. |
| brevity | [chiefly British] See miniature. |
| advance entries | The players who Pre-registered (See "registration") for an event |
| post-crawford | After the Crawford game. |
| counter threat | See "Counter attack". |
| pawn and move | A type of odds game, common in the 18th and 19th centuries, in which the superior player plays Black and begins the game with one of his pawns, usually the king bishop pawn, removed from the board. |
| relative pin | A pin which is not absolute (see "absolute pin") |
| positional sacrifice | A sacrifice that has no immediate tactical results, but will lead to a positional advantage. |
| caissa | The goddess (or muse) of Chess. |
| roman theme | Two definitions: I |
| pawn break | See Lever. |
| major split | Moving one of your two runners from the opponent's one-point to the opponent's four-point or five-point |
| tournament director | Chess being a zero-sum game, this results in a win for the other player, except in the very rare circumstance where the tournament director forfeits both players, for example for cheating or both players exceeding the time control (the latter does not normally result in a double forfeit today). |
| brilliancy | A really good game or combination that includes a piece sacrifice to win. |
| combination | but instead gains positional compensation |
| rapid chess | See Quick Chess. |
| opposition | Pattern Theme |
| end game | The phase of a game which starts when either player begins to 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 |
| overworked | Another term for Overloaded. |
| tiebreaks | This refers to a number of different systems that are used to break ties, and thus designate a single winner, where multiple players or teams tie for the same place in a Swiss system chess tournament. |
| safe | A square not guarded by the enemy. |
| team tournament | An event in which several players compete as a team. The most common format is match play, in which the players on one team face those on another team in a match contested on several boards (typically four). The team winning the most games wins the match point. Each team will play a number of matches in such a tournament. This is the format of the Chess Olympics and the U.S |
| attack | for example by repeatedly attacking that square or sacrificing a piece there |
| simplified | Linares An invitation-only Chess Tournament, in Linares (Spain). |
| safe | Free from danger of being hit. |
| flank | The side of the board (see also "wing") |
| exchange | TODO |
| nn or n.n. | Used in a game score in place of a player whose name is not known |
| win | Achieving a win is the chief goal in a game of chess, of course, and may result from checkmating your opponent, accepting your opponent's resignation, or time forfeit by your opponent. |
| adjournment | The postponement of play in an unfinished game. |
| gammonish | A position that has a higher than normal gammon rate. |
| norges backgammonforbund | Norwegian Backgammon Federation |
| bump | Hit a checker. |
| realistic study | Shows a game-like struggle culminating in a carefully staged climax. |
| zonal tournaments | The top ranking players qualify for the candidates tournament. |
| after | Used in the source of a study to indicate that the composer whishes to acknowledge his debt to previous work. |
| activity | The quality of a chess |
| super theme | A concept strong together of the combination of a number of tactical elements into a systematic movement, a 'pattern', or an 'image', e.g |
| amateurs | Amber As the underpaid, over-worked Chess Glossary Team understands it, Amber isn't some attention-seeking woman running a chess club, but a rather prestigious Chess Tournament. |
| j'adoube | French for "I adjust" (see "adjust") |
| staunton chessmen | Chessmen designed in 1835 by Nathaniel Cook who convinced Howard Staunton in 1852 that they should be designated Staunton Chessmen |
| k | Symbol used for the king when recording chess moves in English. |
| flag | The part of an analog clock that rises when the minute hand nears the hour and falls at the hour |
| hold | To hang on, to allow a successful defense. |
| seed | See: Random Seed. |
| stakes play | Money play. |
| tournament book | Less commonly produced than they once were, a tournament book is a collection of some or all of the games of a tournament. Tournament books often also include annotations of interesting or important games, as well as crosstables, background information on players, etc. |
| sacrifice | A purposeful loss of a chessman in the interest of gaining some other advantage. |
| disqualification | This would normally occur during the confirmation time (q.v.) for a formal tourney or at any time in an informal tourney |
| double ducks | The roll of 2-2 on the dice (double 2's). |
| recube | Redouble. |
| fianchetto | (diagram) Pronounced "fee-an-KETT-toe".When you develop your bishops to b2, g2, b7, or g7 |
| early-late ratio | A comparison of the cost of doubling slightly before opponent's drop point versus doubling slightly past opponent's drop point |
| disengage | To break all contact and turn the game into a pure race. |
| ratings pool | The people who participate in a ratings system. |
| forced mate | A forcing sequence leading up to checkmate. |
| incapacitated completely cause alcohol | ICCF Abbreviation for the International Correspondence Chess Federation, which replaced the ICCA, in 1951. |
| drawn position | Any chess game |
| snowie | The second commercial neural-net backgammon program (1998) after Jellyfish |
| winning position | Any chess game |
| round-robin tournament | This is a tournament in which each participant plays every other participant an equal number of times |
| consolation division | Consolation flight. |
| handicap | See Odds. |
| hit and split | To hit a blot with one number while splitting your runners with the other number |
| correspondence chess | a player well-versed in opening theory may even use as a drawing weapon a sharp opening that has been analyzed to a drawn position in a number of lines, such as the Marshall Attack in the Ruy Lopez, and the Sveshnikov and Poisoned Pawn variations of the Sicilian Defense |
| tournaments | a skittles room is where one goes to play for fun while waiting for the next formal game. |
| three repeats rule | A game can be drawn when the same board layout occurs three times during a game. |
| rake | A fee charged by a backgammon play site for hosting money games |
| blindfold chess | A form of chess in which one or both players are not allowed to see the board. |
| steamer | One who steams. |
| direct hit | A hit using the number on just one die |
| doubling block | Doubling cube. |
| dmp | Double match point. |
| tailgate | To start to throw your dice before the opponent has picked up his own dice to finish his turn; to roll prematurely. |
| rybka | The best PC-based chess playing program in 2006-10. |
| queening | See "Promotion". |
| annotation | Commentary on a Chess game which attempts to explain the game in terms of tactics, strategy, psychology and the like. |
| completion | a concluding action |
| general principles | Basic rules of play designed to serve as guidelines for less advanced players |
| enclopedia of chess openings | Five volume collection of opening analysis edited by Matanovic. |
| pre-crawford | Before the Crawford game. |
| gammon price | The relative value of winning a gammon compared with the value of winning a single game |
| unstack | To remove checkers from a heavy point. |
| take | Accept a double. |
| weak square | A tactically or strategically important square which cannot be easily defended. |
| closed | A term used to describe a |
| market | An opportunity to offer a double while it will be accepted by the opponent. |
| grandmasters | the term is now used colloquially to refer to any such game. |
| jellyfish | The first commercial neural-net backgammon program (1994) after TD-Gammon |
| kibitzer | Spectator to a game |
| initiative | The advantage that a player who is making threats has over the player who must respond to them |
| q | Abbreviation for queen. |
| doubler | Doubling cube. |
| blue game | A kind of collusion in a chouette |
| small play | A safe play when a bolder, more aggressive play is available. Compare: Big Play. |
| raw take point | The minimum game winning chances you need to accept a double if you assume no gammons and no further cube action |
| adjourned | To prevent unfair advantage, the players can agree on the next move being secretly recorded in a sealed envelope |
| behind in the race | Having a higher pip count than your opponent. |
| rush | act or move at high speed |
| 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. See: Irish. |
| grandmaster | (GM) Someone with the highest International Chess Title |
| read | Having a read on someone means that you've picked up on something significant about the way he likes to play his hands |
| shepherd's mate | Another name for scholar's mate. |
| compound move | Container of several effects one of which is bound to materialize (Harrie Grondijs). |
| icca | See ICCF. |
| mezzo-soprano | a female singer with a range usually extending from the A below middle C to the F an eleventh above middle C |
| torre attack | The opening 1) d4, Nf6 2) Nf3, e6 3) Bg5. |
| dice mechanic | A person skillful in the use of unfair means to control the dice. |
| antiphon | a liturgical or other composition consisting of choral responses, sometimes between two choirs; a passage of this nature forming part of another composition |
| study | A term used to describe a composed |
| praxis | German for practice. |
| loaded dice | Dice weighted or shaped so that the distribution of rolled numbers is not even. |
| acciaccatura | crushing; i.e., a very fast grace note that is "crushed" against the note that follows and takes up no value in the measure |
| shouldering | See Body Check. |
| registration | The time period before an event (but at the event) where players can sign up and play |
| 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." See The Doubling Rule, by Kit Woolsey. |
| quatre-point | Traditional name for the four-point. |
| blocking game | A game plan where the primary strategy is to build a strong blockade. |
| priming game | A type of game in which the primary strategy is to trap one or more opponent's checkers behind your prime. |
| settlement | A decision to end a game early with the payment of points by one player to the other based on the agreed fair value of the position (see Equity) |
| double direct shot | Double shot. |
| over the board | Games played face-to-face, as opposed to on the Internet or by correspondence. |
| elo rating | The system by which players are rated |
| colossale | tremendously |
| duffer | Disparaging term to describe a very poor player. |
| kibitz | To comment during a game, or during analysis following a game, within the hearing of the players. |
| thematic study | Bases on problem motives (adapted from mate in x problems) in a wide sense. |
| line-pieces | A well-known example is the Lucena position. |
| zonal tournaments | The top ranking players qualify for the Candidates Tournament. |
| ace-point | Traditional name for the one-point. |
| wfm | See Woman FIDE Master. |
| chequer | British spelling of checker. |
| scorebook/scoresheet | Where to record a chess game. |
| scoresheet | A piece of paper where players record a game |
| endgames | Also known as related squares. |
| advantage | A better position and chance of winning the game |
| accept a double | To agree to continue playing a game at twice the previous stakes after the opponent offers a double. Compare: Refuse a Double. |
| duplicate backgammon | A form of tournament play in which in which multiple pairs of competitors play with the same dice rolls in separate games and compare their results. See: How to Play Duplicate Backgammon. |
| zwischenzug | A German word meaning "in-between move" |
| blindfold | An expert player plays one or more opponents without sight of the board |
| col legno | with the wood; i.e., the strings (for example, of a violin) are to be struck with the wood of the bow; also battuta col legno: beaten with the wood |
| home board | The quadrant containing your one-point through six-point |
| team | In a chouette, the players lead by the captain who play against the box; the captain and his crew. |
| no dice | Cocked dice. |
| tell | An inadvertent clue as to whether you will be taking or dropping if offered a double |
| book | Refers to the overall collection of published chess theory. |
| last roll position | A position in which the next roll will decide the game |
| elo ratings system | A method of rating players devised by Arpad Elo for the U.S |
| binache | Beaver. |
| territory | See Space. |
| repertoire | The openings that a player tends to play with white and black |
| gca | Georgia Chess Association. |
| open tournament | A tournament with few restrictions on what types of players may participate. |
| active | An aggressive move, line of play, or position |
| ratings inflation | A phenomenon that results when players exit a ratings pool at a lower rating than when they entered |
| fen | Abbreviation for Forsyth-Edwards Notation, which is a standard notation for describing a particular board position of a chess game |
| sacrifice | to gain the advantage |
| basso continuo | continuous bass; i.e., a bass part played continuously throughout a piece to give harmonic structure, used especially in the Baroque period |
| hypermodern | A style of play which claims that indirect or long distance control of the center is more effective than direct occupation |
| game score | The record of a game in some form of notation |
| odds | This refers to the stronger player giving the weaker player some sort of advantage in order to make the game more competitive |
| 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. |
| stone | Checker. |
| portato | carried; i.e., non-legato, but not as detached as staccato (same asportamento [2], in this list) |
| initiative | Term to describe the advantage held by the player who has the ability to control the action and flow of the game thus forcing the opponent to play defensively. |
| variation | 1 |
| consolidate | To reduce the number of blots a player has, frequently as a precursor to offering a double. |
| 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. |
| mobility | The degree to which a position permits dice rolls to be played freely while maintaining the position's key features |
| diagonal | Any contiguous line of squares along which a bishop may move. |
| boys | A roll of 6-6 (double 6's). |
| equal chances | The same probability that either player of any complex chess |
| combination | A sequence of forced moves leading to advantage. |
| twic | See The Week in Chess. |
| action chess | A game where each player has 30 minutes to make all his moves |
| forfeit | Not to be confused with 'resigns', a player 'forfeits' a game when he doesn't even bother to show up to play at the pre-arranged time and place |
| tutor mode | A mode available in some backgammon-playing programs which allows the computer to evaluate your moves as you make them and alert you to any errors it thinks you made. |
| fianchetto | An Italian word meaning "on the flank." Though you will hear many different pronunciations, the correct is fyan-ket-to |
| open | The quality of something being free, e.g |
| iccf | The international Correspondence Chess Federation, founded in 1951 to replace the International Correspondence Chess Association (ICCA). |
| staccato | making each note brief and detached; the opposite of legato |
| grandmaster draw | A game in which the players quickly agree to a draw after making little or no effort to win |
| biba | British Isles Backgammon Association. Website: BIBA. |
| play site | Backgammon server. |
| hog | See Pig. |
| elo scale | System for ranking Chess players in order of relative strength based upon results in rated games. |
| trade | To exchange one piece for another of the same or similar value |
| main flight | In an elimination tournament, the group in which players start and compete in until they lose, and which offers the largest prize. Compare: Consolation Flight. |
| edge | A small advantage, positional or tactical, in a game. |
| bishop | The Chess piece which moves diagonally over any number of unoccupied squares. |
| wrong-colored bishop | See Wrong rook pawn. |
| variants and fairy chess | this sometimes refers only to the king. |
| black | had a very broad opening repertoire. |
| doublets | Doubles. |
| bump and run | Pick and pass. |
| money management | Choosing appropriate stakes to play for so that you do not exceed your bankroll |
| prop | Proposition. |
| patzer | A weak player |
| open | A term used to describe a |
| queen's indian defense | The opening 1) d4, Nf6 2) c4, e6 3) Nf3, b6. |
| overprotection | Defending a strong point more times than appears necessary |
| attack | The process of going after your opponent's king or vulnerability win the game. |
| double stop | the act of playing two notes simultaneously on a melodic percussion instrument or stringed instrument |
| material | Builders. |
| flag | The time forfeit indicator on the chessclock. |
| castle | The opening precedes the middlegame. |
| strategy | The overall, long-range plan for a Chess game. |
| structural play | A play which makes a strong point. |
| fold | Refuse a double; pass. |
| preventative sacrifice | Sacrifice made to prevent the opponent from castling. |
| overworked | A synonym for overloaded. |
| drawing chances | The probability in any complex and roughly |
| brilliancy | The Opera game is a famous example |
| mco | Modern Chess Openings, a popular chess opening reference |
| master | Someone with a US Chess Federation rating between 2200 and 2399 is a national master (NM). |
| beavers | 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 |
| minor exchange | Minor Pieces These are the Knights and Bishops. |
| epaulettes | Equality 1 |
| underplay | To make a safe, unnecessarily timid play when a stronger, more aggressive play is available. |
| diagonal | A diagonal row of squares |
| general principles | Basic rules that serve as guidelines for less advanced players |
| skittles | Informal chess. A skittles room at a tournament is an area where you can look over games with someone, talk out loud, eat and/or play in a casual environment in between rounds. |
| snake eyes | The roll of 1-1 on the dice (double 1's). |
| icu | Irish Chess Union [1] publishes ICJ Irish Chess Journal |
| opposition | A term used to describe two kings, usually in an |
| tempo | TODO |
| task | The best definition of a task is due to T |
| focal point | A weak square near the enemy king |
| kibitz | To talk about a game which you are watching, in such a way that the players can hear |
| passive | Defensive; not aggressive or active |
| two knights defense | A possible response for Black to the Italian Game, involving 3)...Nf6. |
| wing | The far sides of the board, as opposed to the center |
| boxcars | A roll of 6-6 (double 6's). |
| fianchetto | Italian "on the flank" |
| bcf | British Chess Federation, the former name of the English Chess Federation |
| advanced pawns | The Maróczy Bind is a well-known example |
| jeopardy | Potential for awkward rolls on a future turn. See also: Double Jeopardy. |
| international woman grandmaster | Title established in 1976 and awarded by FIDE to the world's strongest women players. |
| wild | A position featuring complex and often unclear tactical possibilities, in which both players have significant chances of either winning or losing. |
| strategy | A term used to describe a general thought process used to |
| mutual holding game | A game in which both players hold advanced anchors on the opponent's side of the board in an attempt to hinder the opponent as he tries to bring his checkers home. |
| rut | When a player is unable to improve or raise his rating despite consistent effort. |
| minor split | Moving one of your two runners from the opponent's one-point to the opponent's two-point or three-point |
| confirmation time | The time after publication of the provisional award until it is confirmed |
| vigorish | The small additional considerations that affect the total equity of a position, such as gammon vigorish and recube vigorish. |
| chouette | [Pronounced "shoo-ETT" |
| resign | To admit defeat of a game before being checkmated. |
| file | i.e |
| indian bishop | A fianchettoed bishop, characteristic of the Indian defences, the King's Indian and the Queen's Indian. |
| transposition | Reaching an identical position from a different sequence of moves. |
| sympathy flight | Consolation flight. |
| fm | Abbreviation for the FIDE Master title. |
| spite check | A check by a player facing a mating attack which does not prevent the mating attack but only delays it. |
| pick up | Hit a blot. |
| unrated | A player is unrated if they have never played a rated game, or if they have not yet received an official rating from USCF. A tournament, or section thereof, may also be unrated, as long as it doesn't contain any players with a published rating. |
| neural network | The architecture used in many of the strongest backgammon programs such as Jellyfish, Snowie, and GNU Backgammon |
| elo rating system | The Elo rating system is a method for calculating the relative skill levels of chess players, named after the Hungarian Arpad Elo |
| flank attack | Attacking on either the kingside or queenside |
| standard deviation | A measure of a rollout's variance or random error |
| space | A board location that may be empty or contain a single chessman. |
| underdog | The player judged most likely to lose a game or match. Compare: Favorite. |
| long diagonal | The long diagonal stretches from one corner of the board to the one farthest away |
| blunder | A horrible mistake where material is lost, serious tactical or positional concessions are made, or the game is lost. |
| skewer | A tactic where an enemy piece is attacked and forced to move, exposing another enemy piece behind it to capture. |
| air ball | An unexpectedly poor roll, especially one that fails to hit or fails to make a point. |
| queen | Also called promotion |
| come in | Enter. |
| fide master | (FM) Someone with the International Chess Title |
| odds | See Handicap. |
| overplay | Make an unnecessarily big play. |
| rat | See Modern Defense. |
| alertness | The ability to take advantage of the opponent's inaccuracies while playing accurately yourself. |
| mp | Middle Position, or the players in the 3 to 5 seats off the button at a full table. |
| draw | A completed Chess game in which there is no winner. |
| romantic | An era when all players attacked and sacrificed |
| golden point | [Coined by Paul Magriel in his book Backgammon.] The opponent's five-point, the best place to build an anchor. |
| pigeon | The victim of a hustler. |
| resign | When a player realizes that he is going to lose and graciously gives up the game without waiting for a Checkmate. When resigning, a player can simply say, "I resign", or he can tip over his King in a gesture of helplessness. |
| opening library | See "Book". |
| tiebreaks | A way to decide who gets a prize at the end of a tournament if two or more players have the same number of points |
| bold play | A play that leaves one or more blots that the opponent can easily hit |
| boxes | A roll of 6-6 (double 6's). |
| chaturanga | The name of the first game from which modern Chess is derived. |
| version | An alternative, and presumably superior, setting of a composition by the same composer |
| distribution | The arrangement of checkers among points |
| scoresheet | The paper on which a Chess score is recorded. |
| global mobility | See Mobility. |
| uscf | United States Chess Federation. The official governing body for chess in the United States. See our USCF/FIDE page for more info. |
| fibs rating | A number associated with each player based on that player's record of performance against other rated players |
| quads | The roll of 4-4 on the dice (double 4's). |
| holding game | A strategy used when you are behind in the race and your opponent has escaped his runners |
| otb | Over the board. |
| time delay | Some electronic clocks (see "clock") allow the players to use a time delay |
| 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 |
| invasion square | TODO |
| blockade | A series of blocks arranged to prevent escape of the opponent's runners |
| narde | [Also spelled "Nardi" and "Nardy".] A Russian game similar to Moultezim |
| insufficient losing chances | A rule which allows a player to claim that his/her opponent does not have a realistic chance to win on the board and is only trying to win on time |
| turn | The sequence of actions that each player takes in alternation |
| chess.com | The largest online chess website with almost 6,000,000 members |
| first board | A term to describe the board in a team match which usually has each team's strongest player. |
| gammon cube | Jacoby rule. |
| opening book | See "Book". |
| svenska backgammonf顤bundet | Swedish Backgammon Federation |
| prophylaxis | Term first used in the context of chess by Aron Nimzowitsch, it is the critical process of anticipating one's opponent's intentions and taking steps to thwart his/her plan. World Champions Tigran Petrosian and Anatoly Karpov have been well-known for their prophylactic styles of play. |
| fortress | A defensive blockade to keep out the enemy forces, especially the king. |
| compensation | These typically require deep positional understanding and are often overlooked by computers |
| man | Short for chessman. |
| first-move advantage | The slight (by most accounts) advantage that White has by virtue of moving first. |
| unlimited game | Backgammon played using a doubling cube without any limit to the number of doubles and redoubles |
| tempo | Latin for time |
| time control | but the practice has been abandoned due to the advent of computer analysis |
| arco | the bow used for playing some string instrument; i.e., played with the bow, as opposed to pizzicato (plucked), in music for bowed instruments; normally used to cancel a pizzicato direction |
| endgame composition | Realization of an idea in a chess position |
| modern chess openings | An influential encyclopedia of Chess openings first published during the 1930s and regularly updated. |
| j'adoube | French for "I adjust" |
| sealed move | Only necessary when a game is adjourned, it is the last move made before the adjournment, and is recorded on the player's score sheet, but not played on the board. Both players' scoresheets are then put in a sealed envelope and given to the arbiter. |
| enfilade attaquante passive | Also Skewering |
| match | A competition between two individuals or two teams |
| cube in the middle | See: Centered Cube. |
| match | A series of games with a purpose (as opposed to "game" which is a single contest between two players): |
| knight's tour | A Chess puzzle whereby the knight is moved 64 times, landing on each square only once. |
| rank | A row of eight squares |
| safe | A square which is not guarded by the enemy. |
| bold-safe criteria | See: Magriel's Safe-Bold Criteria. |
| comeback shot | An opportunity to hit an opponent's blot immediately after being hit yourself; in particular, an opportunity to hit from the bar. |
| mating net | A mating attack that leads to mate with correct play, no matter what the enemy does |
| extras | See: Mandatory Extras. |
| longgammon | A backgammon variant in which each player starts with fifteen checkers on the opponent's one-point. See: How to Play LongGammon. |
| sans voir | French "without seeing" |
| starting position | The arrangement of checkers at the start of a game |
| piano-vocal score | the same as a vocal score, a piano arrangement along with the vocal parts of an opera, cantata, or similar |
| on roll | The player whose turn it is |
| senior master | Someone with a US Chess Federation rating over 2399 |
| duras theme | Black is denied the possibility to directly block an advanced white a- or h-pawn supported by a bishop of the 'wrong' color |