Template VI1/Intrusion on the 4th row

This page is devoted to details on how to defend against intrusions in template VI. This page explores what are the possibilities for Red to defend the template when Blue intrude on the 4th row.

Red should move here (or the equivalent mirror-image move at "+"):

Contents 1 Elimination of irrelevant Blue moves 2 Specific defense 2.1 Bg4 2.2 Bg5 2.3 Bg6 2.4 Be7 2.5 Bg7

Elimination of irrelevant Blue moves

This gives Red several immediate threats: From III1a:

From III1a again:

From III1b :

From IV1a:

From IV1b:

The intersection of all of these leaves:

a

b

c

d

e

f

g

h

i

j

k

l

m

n

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Specific defense

So we must deal with each of these responses. (Which will not be too hard!)

Bg4

And now either

or

Bg5

a

b

c

d

e

f

g

h

i

j

k

l

m

n

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Threatening:

a

b

c

d

e

f

g

h

i

j

k

l

m

n

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

a

b

c

d

e

f

g

h

i

j

k

l

m

n

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

a

b

c

d

e

f

g

h

i

j

k

l

m

n

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

So the only hope for Blue lies in the intersection of the threats, Be5, but it is unsufficient:

a

b

c

d

e

f

g

h

i

j

k

l

m

n

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Bg6

3 could be played at + with the same effect; in any case now either

or

Be7

Either this

or a minor variation

Bg7