Essential Backgammon Tactics: Priming and Slotting
You'll never get ahead in the pip count if your backgammon checkers keep getting hit. In order to protect your checkers from hits or attacks from your opponent you would have to make points. To make a point on the board, all you have to do is to put no less than two checkers on it. Once you have at least two checkers on a point on the board your checkers can't get hit and you now own that point as long as your checkers stay there.
The idea of making points is further expanded upon when you use a backgammon tactic called priming. A prime is a series or row of points you have made. A prime serves as a road block as it were, so opposing checkers can't pass over. For example, you have made a row of four points side by side on the backgammon board. Your opponent needs to roll five or six if one of his checkers is on one side of that prime just to jump over it.
However, if you are able to make a prime that is six points long then it is impossible for your opponent to jump over that prime. As you can observe, building or making points and primes on the board is some form of trapping backgammon tactic. It cramps your opponent's checker movement and will eventually make him forfeit moves.
The importance of these backgammon tactics can't be stressed enough. Some stratagems in this game are based on making points and eventually building primes. Both of these tactics can be used either for attack or for defense. Any player who fails to master these two fundamental backgammon tactics won't go far in this game.
There are various ways of making points on a backgammon board. The most obvious method is to move two checkers on the same point forward when you roll doubles. Another way that will surely come to mind is to make two checkers land on the same point. However, that will entirely depend on what rolls you make.
Another way to execute this backgammon tactic is to slot points on the backgammon board. Slotting means to deliberately leave a blot on the board and then eventually make a point from it on your next turn. Slotting is a risky backgammon tactic but is the fastest way to make points on the board. There are times when slotting is quite safe. Examples are when your opponent has checkers at the bar or when the point you slot is at a safe distance from any assault.
These backgammon tactics are all essential. Making points and eventually turning them into a prime help constitute a strong strategy. Every player should master these tactics in order to advance in this game.
