Bogo Indian Defense Guide

The Bogo-Indian Defense is a chess opening for black that starts with the moves 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+. The Bogo-Indian is similar to the Nimzo-Indian Defense, with the difference that in the Nimzo white plays 3.Nc3, while in the Bogo-Indian plays 3.Nf3. The Bogo-Indian is a great alternative for black when white deliberately chooses 3.Nf3 instead of 3.Nc3 in order to avoid the Nimzo.

Main Ideas in the Bogo-Indian Defense

In the Bogo-India Defense, black mostly focuses in a super fast development of the kingside and aims to control the center with pieces rather than pawns.

The plans for both sides in the Bogo-India are simple and easy to learn because the number of lines and variations is considerably lower than most openings.

If you are considering playing the Bogo-India, you should be prepared to lose the bishop pair in some of the lines.

However, the Bogo-India is a perfectly sound chess opening, ideal to play against white’s Queen’s Gambit.

Most Played Moves in the Bogo-Indian Defense

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4

After 3…Bb4, the opening is officially a Bogo-Indian.

4.Bd2 Qe7

White offers to exchange bishops, and black is ready to take with the with the queen.

5.g3 Nc6

White decides to go for the fianchetto.

6.Nc3 Bxc3

Black opts for exchanging bishop for knight in order to be able to control the e4 square in the next move.

7.Bxc3 Ne4

8.Rc1 O-O

4.Bd2 Line

After black plays 3…Bb4, now is white the one who decides the opening will continue.

One of the options to block the check is playing 4.Bd2, as we saw in the section above.

Now is the turn for black to decide what to do.

There are many possibilities.

Black can play any of these moves:

4...Qe7 4...a5 4...c5 4...Bxd2+ 4...Be7

The most played response by black is 4…Qe7, which we already saw before.

Then 4…a5 is a natural move for black, that is ready to have the a file open.

The third option is 4…c5. Here white can take on b4 and black simply takes with the c-pawn, that can later be supported with Nc6 or a5.

With 4…Bxd2+ both sides lose the bishop pair.

Finally we have 4...Be7, which is a bit more passive.

4.Nbd2 Line

In the 4.Nbd2 white avoids losing the bishop pair.

Black can either play 4...b6, 4...O-O, or 4...d5.

4.Nc3 Line

Finally is 4.Nc3, which does not make much sense because if white plays that move the opening would transpose to a Nimzo-India, which is what white is trying to avoid by playing 3.Nf3 instead of 3.Nc3.

Model Games

More Chess Articles

Nimzo-Indian Defense Guide

Baltic Defense Guide

Albin-Counter Gambit Guide

E11 Sub-variants:

• Bogo-Indian defence
  1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Bb4+
• Bogo-Indian defence, Gruenfeld variation
  1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Bb4+ 4. Nbd2
• Bogo-Indian defence, Nimzovich variation
  1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Bb4+ 4. Bd2 Qe7
• Bogo-Indian defence, Monticelli trap
  1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Bb4+ 4. Bd2 Bxd2+ 5. Qxd2 b6 6. g3 Bb7 7. Bg2 O-O 8. Nc3 Ne4 9. Qc2 Nxc3 10. Ng5