Backgammon Notation

Dice rolls are normally shown as two numbers followed by a colon. The numbering of points is based on the point of view of the player whose turn it is to move. Each point therefore has two numbers, depending on who is on roll, e.g. white`s 4-point is black`s 21-point. Diagrams are normally numbered from the viewpoint of the player whose home board is at the bottom of the diagram. In the diagrams in section 2 that is black. Each movement is shown by giving the start and end point of the checker separated by a `/`. If a player is on the bar and fails to enter, a 0 is used to represent his roll (sometimes the word fan is used). If a player is on the bar against a closed board (his opponent owns all six of his home board points), his move is left blank or notated `no play`.

Hits are indicated by an asterisk. A move made from the bar has `bar` as its starting point. A move bearing off a checker has `off` as its ending point. Where more than one checker is moved identically, as is often the case with doubles, this fact is indicated by showing the number of checkers moved in brackets after the move.

The doubling cube is indicated by a large block It is either in the centre or is `owned` by one of the players. The value of the cube is always shown (64 equates to 1 as there is no 1 on a traditional cube).

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