Culture > Sport > Board Games

Now updated for CSW19. New words, if any, and new inflections of existing words, are shown in red.

ambsace a double ace, the lowest possible throw at dice.
amesace a double ace, the lowest possible throw at dice.
backgammon a board game played with dice and counters; (verb) to defeat at backgammon.
checkerboard a board used in various games (as checkers) with usually 64 squares in 2 alternating colors.
checkmate in chess, to put (a player's king) in checkmate; to defeat or render incapable of counterattack.
chequerboard a board for playing chequers.
chess a game of skill for two players, in which figures or men of different kinds are moved on a chequered board.
chessboard a checkerboard used in the game of chess.
chessman one of the pieces used in chess.
chesspiece a piece used in playing chess.
chessplayer one who plays chess.
counterplay a threat or offensive position in eg chess intended to counter an opponent's advantage in another part of the board; (verb) to make a counterplay.
counterplayer one who makes a counterplay.
crambo a game in which one player gives a word or line of verse to be matched in rhyme by other players.
crapshoot a game of dice.
crapshooter one who plays craps.
crokinole (Fr.) a board game popular in Canada in which players flick wooden discs.
damboard a draught-board.
dambrod a draught-board.
dicer a player at dice.
draughtboard a board for the playing of draughts.
draughtman a piece used in playing draughts.
endgame the end part of the game in eg chess.
fianchetto (Ital.) in chess, the development of bishop on the N2 diagonal (verb) to develop the bishop
fulham a loaded dice.
fullam a loaded dice.
fullan a loaded dice.
gambit a sacrifice or offer of a sacrifice in the opening stages of a game; (verb) to offer as a gambit.
goban (Japanese) a board for playing go.
gobang (Japanese) a game played on a board of 256 squares with fifty counters, aka gomoku.
gomoku (Japanese) a game played on a board of 256 squares, with fifty counters.
grandmaster a high-ranking chess-player.
halma (Greek) a board game played with pegs.
highman a loaded die.
keeno a gambling game, a variety of the game of lotto, played with numbered balls or knobs.
keno a gambling game, a variety of the game of lotto, played with numbered balls or knobs.
kingside a part of a chessboard.
kriegspiel (Ger.) a game in which miniature characters and blocks represent armies, ships, etc. as they move around on a drawing of a battlefield, used to simulate war.
kriegsspiel (Ger.) a war game played on a map to train officers; a form of chess in which the players use separate boards and are allowed only limited communication through an umpire.
loto a game played by covering on a card each number drawn till a line of numbers is completed.
lotto a game played by covering on a card each number drawn till a line of numbers is completed.
ludo a simple board game played with dice and counters in which the aim is to be the first to reach a destination.
mahjong (Chinese) an old Chinese table game.
mahjongg (Chinese) an old Chinese table game.
mancala (Arabic) an African board game.
marrels a rustic game, aka fivepenny morris.
merel a counter used in the game of merils.
merell a counter used in the game of merils.
meril a counter used in the game of merils.
merils a rustic game, aka fivepenny morris.
missout a losing throw of dice.
novum (Shakesp.) a dice game in which the chief throws were nine and five.
pachisi (Hindi) a game, somewhat resembling backgammon, originating in India.
pairial a pair-royal, a throw of three dice all the same.
pakapoo (Chinese) a Chinese version of lotto.
parcheesi (Hindi) a game, somewhat resembling backgammon, originating in India.
parchesi (Hindi) a game, somewhat resembling backgammon, originating in India.
parchisi (Hindi) a game, somewhat resembling backgammon, originating in India.
parial a pair-royal, a throw of three dice all the same.
patzer (Ger.) an inept chess player.
pawn to give as security for something borrowed.
prial a pair-royal, a throw of three dice all the same.
queenside in chess, the side of the board where the queen stands at the beginning of play.
quino a gambling game, a variety of the game of lotto, played with numbered balls or knobs.
shogi (Japanese) an Oriental board game.
shovelboard an old game in which a coin or other disc was driven along a table by the hand.
shuffleboard an old game in which a coin or other disc was driven along a table by the hand.
simul (Short for) a simultaneous, a display in which a player plays a number of games of chess simultaneously against different opponents.
spellican a small slip of wood, ivory, etc, to be picked out from a heap without disturbing the others in the game of spillikins.
spilikin a small slip of wood, ivory, etc, to be picked out from a heap without disturbing the others in the game of spillikins.
spillikin a small slip of wood, ivory, etc, to be picked out from a heap without disturbing the others in the game of spillikins.
stalemate in chess, a situation where a player not actually in check has no possible legal move, resulting in a draw; an inglorious deadlock; (verb) to subject to a stalemate.
sudoku a type of puzzle in which numbers must be entered into a square grid in such a way that no number is repeated in any row, column or internal square.
ticktacktoe the game of noughts and crosses.
tricktrack a form of backgammon in which pegs as well as pieces are used.
trictrac a form of backgammon in which pegs as well as pieces are used.
uckers a form of the game ludo, played in the Navy.
verquere (Dutch) an obsolete form of backgammon.
verquire (Scott) an obsolete form of backgammon.
zugzwang (Ger.) a situation in a chess game in which a player is forced to make an undesirable or disadvantageous move; (verb) to place in zugzwang.
zwischenzug (Ger.) in chess, a temporizing move (i.e. a delay in capturing, usually via a check).