Tavli Glossary — All Game Terms Explained

Board Terms

Knowing the basic board terms is the foundation for understanding rules and strategy.

• Point: one of the 24 triangles on the board. Numbered 1–24 from each player's perspective.
• Home board: points 1–6 — the bear-off area for each player.
• Outer board: points 7–12.
• Bar point: point 7, valuable for primes and blocking.
• Bar: the central ridge dividing the board. Hit checkers in Portes are placed here.
• Quadrant: one of the four groups of 6 points on the board.

Checker and Move Terms

These terms describe what happens to checkers during the game.

• Blot: a single checker on a point — it can be hit (Portes) or pinned (Plakoto).
• Point (closed point): a point with two or more of your checkers — the opponent cannot land there.
• Hit: you move your checker onto a point with a lone opponent checker, sending it to the bar.
• Pin: in Plakoto, landing on a lone opponent checker traps it in place.
• Re-entry: returning a checker from the bar back onto the board.
• Bearing off: the final phase where you remove checkers from the board.
• Runner: a checker still in the opponent's home board that needs to travel far.
• Builder: a checker positioned to close an important point on the next move.

Strategic Position Terms

These terms describe types of positions and formations central to strategy.

• Prime: a sequence of consecutive closed points. A 6-prime is impossible to escape.
• Anchor: a closed point in the opponent's home board. Provides safe re-entry and a threat.
• Back game: strategy based on two anchors in the opponent's home board to create disruption.
• Holding game: you hold an anchor and wait for a chance to hit the opponent as they run.
• Blitz: aggressive strategy of hitting multiple checkers to fill the opponent's bar.
• Bridge: a formation that prevents the opponent from crossing a certain area.
• Pip count: the total moves all your checkers need to bear off. Lower pip count = ahead in the race.

Scoring Terms

A single win is the basic game. A gammon is the double win, when the opponent has not borne off any checker. Some groups also count a backgammon, when the opponent still has a checker on the bar or inside your home board.

Before a match starts, it's good practice to agree whether gammons count and exactly how they are scored.

• Single win: you bear off first; the opponent has borne off at least one checker.
• Gammon (Mars): you bear off first; the opponent has borne off no checkers. Usually a double win.
• Backgammon: opponent has not borne off and has a checker on the bar or in your home board. Triple win in many groups.
• Match: an agreed number of games; the first player to reach a target score wins the match.

Dice and Turn Terms

Terms related to dice, rolls, and turns.

• Doubles: both dice show the same number — you play 4 moves instead of 2.
• Forced move: if you can play only one die, you must play the higher one.
• Lost turn: when you cannot play either die (e.g. all legal points are closed).
• Opening roll: the first roll of each player at the start. Doubles are not allowed on the opening — if rolled, both players re-roll.
• Favourite: the player who statistically has more chances to win from the current position.
• Pip: the unit of movement for one checker (1 pip = 1 point).

Terms by Variant

In Portes you will hear most about hitting, the bar, and blots. In Plakoto the focus is on pins and the closed gate. In Fevga you will hear about primes and the rule of 1.

The same general terms appear throughout, but each variant emphasises a different kind of thinking.

• Portes: hit, bar, re-entry, closed home board, gammon, anchor, prime, blot.
• Plakoto: pin, closed gate, release, gammon.
• Fevga: prime, first-checker rule, forbidden 6-prime, wall, race.
• Assodyo: a 1-2 roll on the opening, forcing a specific move in groups that use the rule.