Backgammon prime gaming strategy

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The Backgammon prime is a term describing a form of backgammon play that focuses on creating a long wall of checkers to block the movement of the opposing player’s checkers. To build such a barrier the player needs to put two or more checkers on each point, and ideally a row of six points should be made. It is possible to make the prime on any point between the second and eleventh points on the backgammon board. In the course of the game, you can move the backgammon prime towards your inner board as the play advanced towards the “bearing off” phase.

So how does the backgammon prime work? The backgammon rules allow player to hit a lone opposing checker on a point, but once there are two or more checkers they cannot be hit, and hence the value of building a prime with at least two checkers on each of its points. If you exceed in building a prime you effectively prevent your opponent from advancing their checkers beyond your prime, a kind of Berlin Wall of backgammon.

If your opponent is building a backgammon prime, what options are at your disposal? First of all you should tray and bring your checkers to a position on the backgammon board where they can get out of this blockade with a single number. However, if they manage to make a complete (six points) prime, it leaves you with no escape options.

In some backgammon games, both players construct primes. In this case the advantage is gained by the player with the larger number of points included in their prime and the greater number of checkers caught behind the prime.