Backgammon Jargon of Checker Names
It's important for a beginner to know backgammon jargon in order to understand the game's literature -- annotated matches, books, and articles from backgammon professionals. One of the areas in backgammon jargon deals with checker names. Those are unique labels for a player's pieces or checkers as they are used in the course of a game.
There are four backgammon checker names commonly used during play. These include a blot, a shot, a spare and a builder.
A blot is basically a term that describes a single checker alone on a point that is susceptible to being hit. In other words, it's a lone piece that has an enemy checker or checkers in its path.
As a derivative of a blot, a shot is used describe how vulnerable a solitary piece is to being hit. And there are two terms in backgammon jargon that describe it. It can either be a direct shot or an indirect shot on the game board.
For a blot to be called a direct shot, it has to be within six pips away from an enemy piece. That means an opposing checker will be able to hit it just from the number rolled on one die. While an indirect shot, also known as a fly shot, can only be hit by utilizing both numbers on a roll.
A spare is used to name a third piece on a made point since it only takes two checkers to make a point. And when there's more than two checkers on that point, the rest of the pieces in excess of those two are called spares. A spare is an important piece on a point because it can be advanced without turning checkers on the previous point in to a blot.
A builder is a checker that you advance to a point on your inner board putting it in a position within six pips away from a key or important point. In effect, a builder is set make a vital point (usually your five, four or bar points) on your next roll or turn.
Understanding backgammon jargon of checker names allows a player to learn strategies from articles and books that help beginners improve their skills. Four of these backgammon checker names - blot, shot, spare, and builder - encompass descriptions of a checker's position and potential as it's distributed on the game board. Simply put, a blot's a lone piece that can either be a direct or an indirect shot to an enemy checker. A spare is that extra checker on a made point that can advanced without leaving its previous point un-made. And lastly, a builder is a piece that's advanced to your outer board where it's set to make an important point on your next roll.