Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing

intelligent backtracking
     
         An improved {backtracking} {algorithm} for
        {Prolog} {interpreters}, which records the point at which each
        {logic variable} becomes bound and, when a given set of
        bindings leads to failure, ignores any {choice point} which
        does not bind any of those variables.  No choice from such a
        choice point can succeed since it does not change the bindings
        which caused the failure.
     
        (1996-04-06)