Features of the Backgammon Priming Game

One of the strategies early in a game of backgammon is to mainly build as much blocking points as you can. There are opening rolls and replies to opening rolls that can be used to achieve this objective. Blocking points that you make will make it harder for your opponent to move checkers around. It also makes it harder for the opposing back checkers to escape.

The priming game is a backgammon strategy that uses the idea of making blocking points on the board. The idea behind this strategy is to make blocking points and line them up to serve as a long wall of checkers. This array of blocking points, known as a prime, hedges in your opponent's back checkers making it harder for them to escape. Make your backgammon prime longer the harder it is for your opponent's back men to escape.

For a backgammon prime to be more effective it should be at least four points long. The idea is that if a prime is four points long your opponent would need to roll a five or a six so a back checker can jump over your prime from directly beside your wall of blocking points. That's a two out of six chances to get away, which is quite difficult. The first rule therefore to make an effective priming game is to keep it as long as possible.

One important note is that when you play a priming game with your opponent, it's either you have constructed a prime or both of you have made primes thus trapping each other's back checkers. Sometimes, the best counter offensive to your opponent is to mimic what strategy is implemented.

In case your opponent has also made a prime (i.e. both of you are using priming games) the position of your back checkers becomes crucial. Make sure that you position all your trapped checkers are right next to your opponent's prime. It prevents your opponent to push his backgammon prime ever further and it gives you a better chance to escape.

In a priming game, your trapped checkers should be made into anchors. Obviously the reason for doing so is to protect your checkers from getting hit. It also serves as a stumbling block for your opponent's prime.

Now, if both players are using priming games then timing becomes a key in a backgammon match. Since both of you need to maintain your primes and move the rest of your checkers in, it becomes clear that the player who is forced to break primes first loses the edge in the game. A good tip is to move the outlying checkers first then move the extra checkers on your prime starting from the end moving into the home board. These are all the important features of a priming game to give you the edge in backgammon.