Priming the Board

The priming game is a backgammon strategy to trap enemy checkers behind your prime. This strategy is derived from a block or a made point (point with two or more of your checkers) and a blockade which is a row of blocks. The goal of the priming game is to keep opposing checkers from advancing, particularly your enemy runners (checkers on your inner board, usually pertaining to the two checkers on your one-point).

A prime can either be full or partial. A full prime has six consecutive made points while a partial prime has two to five consecutive made points. The full prime is the perfect blockade because an enemy checker behind it will not be able to move until a gap is exposed.

The best positions for priming the board with opposing runners are between your inner and outer boards, more significantly from your seven-point to two-point, eight-point to three-point or from your nine-point to four-point. And when nearing the end-game, it's preeminent to make your six-point down to your one-point.

The basics of building a prime starts with making your seven-point (which is also called your bar point) and your five-point. By visualizing your starting positions you can see how rolling a six-one can make your bar point or rolling a three-one can make your five-point.

Your bar point and your five-point are the main points that you must make in building a prime right from the start. Making your bar point first builds a blockade of three made points (from your eight- to six-point). However, it's even more important to make your five-point as soon as possible since it is an inner board point.

Priming your whole inner board when your opponent's runners have advanced is important to the priming game. The brilliant play that you want to achieve is hitting an enemy blot and keeping it on the bar after building the prime. It's brilliant because the barred checker wouldn't be able to penetrate your full prime thus taking away your opponent's use of any roll from then on.

Trapping enemy checkers behind a blockade is the goal of the backgammon priming game. Set your sights on trapping enemy runners by priming either from your nine-point, eight-point, or your bar point right down to your inner board even with just a partial prime. When the runners have gone, give attention to building a full prime on your inner board then trap an enemy checker behind it by hitting a blot.