Learn the Bogo-Indian

GM Niclas Huschenbeth

Dear chess friends,

I'm Grandmaster Niclas Huschenbeth and in this eBook I'm going to show you a complete opening repertoire for the Bogo-Indian Defence from Black's perspective. This eBook is intended as a quick reference guide, giving only the moves, while in my video series on the Bogo-Indian Defence I aim to explain all the ideas behind the opening.

So what is the Bogo? Let's look at the first moves of the opening:

1. d4 ♘f6 2. c4 e6 3. ♘f3 ♗b4+

The move 4...Bb4+ initiates the Bogo-Indian Defence, named after Efim Bogoljubov, a strong grandmaster who played this variation with great success in the first half of the 20th century.

One thing I like about this variation is that success depends more on strategic knowledge than on specific memorization, though of course I've prepared all the variations of the opening for you to study. I've been playing the Bogo myself for quite a few years and find it to be a dependable opening against the d4 systems with 3.Nf3.

This eBook also complements my series on the Nimzo-Indian Defence (when White plays 3.Nc3) and explains how to meet 3.g3, thus offering a complete repertoire for Black.

I hope you enjoy the eBook and good luck in your games!

This eBook is part of the video series Learn the Bogo-Indian Defence, available for €6.99. If you want to see and hear Niclas provide detailed instruction, check it out. A chess24 Premium Membership gives you access to all the video series and eBooks in our growing library.