Block

How it works in play

Every point you make is a block: the opponent may not land on it, so it takes numbers away from them. Blocks side by side become a prime, and that is when they really start to hurt.

Related terms

• Point — One of the board’s 24 triangles. "To point on" a checker: make the point by landing two checkers on its blot.
• Prime — Consecutive made points (a 4-prime, 5-prime, or the impassable 6-prime).
• Bar point — The 7-point. After the 5-point, the second-most-valuable offensive point.
• Closeout — All six home-board points made while the opponent sits on the bar — they cannot enter until a point opens.

Go deeper

• Game plans: the priming game
• Rules: moving checkers
• Backgammon strategy, from first roll to bear-off

In other languages

• العربيةالخانة المغلقة (Block)
• ΕλληνικάΚλειστή θέση (block)
• فارسیسد / خانهٔ بسته (Block)
• עבריתחסימה (Block)
• РусскийБлок (block)
• TürkçeBlok / kapı