Nimzo-Indian & Bogo-Indian Defense
13. Classical Bogo-Indian Defense (3.Nf3 Bb4+ 4.Bd2 Qe7)
Efim Bogoljubow created this twin of the Nimzo for when White plays 3.Nf3.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+ 4.Bd2 Qe7 5.g3 Nc6 6.Bg2 Bxd2+ 7.Nbxd2 O-O 8.O-O d6 9.e4 e5 10.d5 Nb8 11.Ne1 a5 12.Nd3 Na6
Move by move
- 1.d4 – White occupies the center with the d-pawn, protected by the queen, and frees the c1 bishop. This is the move that starts Queen's Gambit, Catalan and Nimzo-Indian games.
- 1...Nf6 – Black develops the knight toward the center and immediately prevents 2.e4. With Nf6 Black stays flexible: he can choose between the Nimzo-Indian, Queen's Indian, King's Indian or the Queen's Gambit Declined.
- 2.c4 – White gains space on the queenside and attacks the d5 square from a distance. White now threatens Nc3 and e4 to build a big pawn center.
- 2...e6 – Black opens the diagonal for the f8 bishop and prepares both d5 and Bb4. Compared with 2...d5, Black stays elastic: he waits to see whether White plays Nc3, which allows the Nimzo-Indian.
- 3.Nf3 – White develops the kingside knight instead of Nc3 and avoids the Nimzo-Indian: without the knight on c3, ...Bb4 can't pin anything, but White controls e4 less.
- 3...Bb4+ – The Bogo-Indian Defense: the bishop gives check and forces White to choose how to meet it. With Bd2 or Nbd2 White develops a piece to a less active square.
- 4.Bd2 – White parries the check with the bishop and offers a trade of the dark-squared bishops. It's the most common reply and leaves the b1 knight free.
- 4...Qe7 – The queen defends the b4 bishop without exchanging it right away. If White takes on b4, Black recaptures with the queen, which will be active on the dark squares.
- 5.g3 – White prepares the fianchetto: the g2 bishop will control e4 and the long diagonal. It's the most solid setup against the Bogo-Indian.
- 5...Nc6 – Black develops the knight to c6 and prepares ...e5: with the queen on e7 and the knight on c6, the central push will be well supported.
- 6.Bg2 – White completes the fianchetto and prepares castling. The g2 bishop will aim at c6 and at Black's queenside.
- 6...Bxd2+ – Black trades the dark-squared bishops: without them Black can put the pawns on d6 and e5, on dark squares, without leaving holes. White must recapture with a piece.
- 7.Nbxd2 – White recaptures with the b1 knight, which goes to d2 and supports e4. The f3 knight remains free to control d4 and e5.
- 7...O-O – Black castles and puts the king safe before opening the center with ...d6 and ...e5.
- 8.O-O – White castles and completes the kingside development. He now prepares e4 to take the center.
- 8...d6 – Black prepares ...e5: with the pawn on d6 the e5 push will be supported and Black will have his share of the center on dark squares.
- 9.e4 – White occupies the center with e4, supported by the d2 knight. White now has space and prepares d5 to gain a tempo against the c6 knight.
- 9...e5 – Black claims his share of the center: the e5 pawn attacks d4 and completes the d6-e5 chain on dark squares, where Black no longer has his bishop.
- 10.d5 – White closes the center with a tempo against the c6 knight. The position becomes blocked, like a King's Indian without dark-squared bishops.
- 10...Nb8 – The knight retreats to b8 to go to d7 or a6 and then to c5. In a closed position the knight is worth as much as a bishop, and c5 is the ideal square.
- 11.Ne1 – The f3 knight goes to e1 to reach d3, from where it controls c5 and f4 and prepares the f4 break against the e5 pawn.
- 11...a5 – Black prevents b4, which would chase the knight from c5. The a5 pawn also fixes White's queenside.
- 12.Nd3 – The knight arrives on d3, where it controls c5 and prepares f4. White can now push f4 to open the f-file.
- 12...Na6 – The knight goes to a6 to reach c5 or b4. On c5 it will attack the d3 knight and the e4 pawn.
How to exploit the position
Closed position without dark-squared bishops: White has more space, Black has a solid center and the knight ready for c5. The game is balanced.
- Bring the knight to c5: from there it attacks e4 and d3; if Nxc5 dxc5, Black has a solid structure and the d6 square for the queen.
- Prepare ...f5 with ...Ne8 or ...Nd7, as in the King's Indian: it's the way to open the game on the kingside.
- Develop the c8 bishop to d7 or g4: the closed position favors well-placed minor pieces.
- Against White's f4 break, hold e5 with ...Nd7 and play ...exf4 only when the d3 knight can't recapture well.
Master tips
Support the bishop with Qe7
When White parries the check with 4.Bd2, protect the bishop with ...Qe7: if White exchanges on b4, the queen recaptures and controls the dark squares.