Part 1 | Part 2

By Andrew Martin

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

The Bogo-Indian Defense is sound and reliable. It can be recommended to players of all levels. Black’s opening play is easy to understand and attractive. He develops his pieces quickly and prepares to castle. There is no commitment with the central pawns as yet and so Black’s pawn structure remains flexible and adaptable. This is the major attraction of the opening for many master players. Black’s pawns fit together with his pieces very well as long as he understands the main strategic ideas of each variation. I don’t think it’s necessary to memorize long, forcing lines in the Bogo-Indian. The opening play is straightforward. I always thought of the Bogo-Indian as a rather dry opening but whilst writing this short article I have been pleasantly surprised by the amount of variety available to Black, irrespective of the way that White plays. I hope that this work will be useful to you and that you will consider playing the Bogo-Indian from now on.

In case you didn’t know, the Bogo-Indian is named after Grandmaster Efim Bogoljubov, who used the opening regularly throughout his chess career during the twenties, thirties and forties. Bogolubov was a great player and even fought for the World Championship in 1929, but he was soundly defeated by Alekhine. Max Euwe, writing in “ The Development of Chess Style” (1968), described Bogolubov’s chess as “sound and primarily positional. He had a tactical talent which came into its own when the opponent had been outplayed strategically. His weak point lay in his optimism and lack of objectivity.” One cannot avoid such merciless analysis at the top of any profession. One’s rivals are always looking for the weaknesses. Looking over Bogolubov’s games, I am struck by his love for chess and his enjoyment of the game. He persevered when many others would have just given up. Certainly his initial experiences with his own opening were most discouraging.

Alekhine - Bogoljubow [E11]

Budapest, 1921

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 Bb4+ 4.Bd2 Bxd2+

Today we view this move as rather simplistic. Black is developing White’s pieces for him. Grandmaster Ulf Andersson almost single-handedly carries the banner on the modern master scene; not everyone has his patience. Black has a wide choice here and he may choose from 4...Qe7!; 4...a5!; 4...c5!; 4...Be7, all of which are quite respectable, although some more respectable than others.

5.Qxd2!

I think if White takes with the Knight, then Black can congratulate himself on a job well done. In general White’s queen’s Knight is much more actively posted on c3 than d2.

5...d5

Black must fashion the pawn structure to his own specifications. Whilst 5...d5 is OK, I prefer 5...d6!, the reason being that Black has already exchanged off his dark-squared Bishop and so it makes sense to place his pawns on dark squares, leaving the other Bishop free. Black plans ...e6-e5 or ...c7-c5, it’s as simple as that. Play may proceed 6.g3 0–0 7.Bg2 Qe7 8.0–0 e5! 9.Nc3 Re8 and Black has a decent game.

6.e3 0–0 7.Nc3 Nbd7

Andersson would play 7...Qe7 intending ...Rd8 and then maybe ...b6 and ...Bb7 without a second thought. Eventually he gets ...c7-c5 in somewhere, probably about move 50. He’s even been known to play ...Bd7-e8 and just sit. Not everyone possesses such phenomenal concentration and patience, although having exchanged Bishops on move four, this is what is needed to get the best out of Black’s position. Bogolubov is no Andersson; he is his own man. He is grappling with new opening problems and heads for a Queen’s gambit-like structure, but one which must be at least a little better for White.

8.Bd3 c6 9.0–0 dxc4 10.Bxc4 e5 11.Bb3

11.dxe5 Nxe5! is his trick. Quite rightly, Alekhine retains his central pawn.

11...Qe7 12.e4 exd4 13.Nxd4!

A typical Alekhine move. The opponent is continually set a problem to solve.

13...Nc5

Black passes this exam with flying colors. Taking on e4 walks into a lethal pin: 13...Nxe4 14.Qe3! Ndf6 (14...Re8 15.Rae1 Ndf6 16.f3) 15.Rfe1 Re8 16.f3! and White  wins.

14.Bc2 Rd8

I suppose he was relying on his own pin to save the day, but Alekhine has it all worked out. Black’s a bit worse because he hasn’t really got a good square for this Bishop on c8. The pawn on e4 is White’s main trump, and if Alekhine can somehow advance this pawn later on, the Black pieces could be pushed back.

15.Rad1 Bg4!

This is about the best that Black can do and now he’ll get a square on e6 for the Bishop. He still has to contend with White’s e- and f-pawns though and as the game continues, it’s a problem Bogolubov cannot solve. If 15...Ne6, then 16.Nf5! is an excellent square for the Knight.

16.f3 Ne6 17.Qf2 Nxd4 18.Rxd4 Be6 19.Rfd1

One can reach such positions from lines of the Classical Queen’s Gambit and they are not everyone’s cup of tea because the best that Black can hope for is a draw against anyone remotely competent. Black has a 3-2 majority in the queenside, but it takes far too long for this feature to dominate the position. Meanwhile, White plans, h3, f4-f5 or e4-e5 and can look forward to a kingside attack.

19...b6?!

When under fire, it’s usually a good idea to exchange pieces and so 19...Rxd4 20.Qxd4 a6 21.f4 Re8 may have been a better shot, although this is still an uncomfortable position for Black.

With 19...b6, we see Bogolubov’s optimistic outlook let him down. He can’t accept he has to settle for slightly the worst of a drawish position and so keeps the pieces on, hoping to create counterplay.

20.h3!

Very good, preparing to swamp Black’s kingside with pawns.

20...c5 21.R4d2

Alekhine will not give up the file.

21...Rxd2 22.Qxd2 c4?

Taking all the life out of his Bishop. He’s trying too hard to create chances in a position where there aren’t any. Black’s position needs Ulf Andersson at the helm, to play moves like 22...Re8, 22...h6, or 22...Rb8 and then to sit down and tough it out.

23.f4!

The plan cranks into action.

23...g6

23...Qc5+ was surely the point of the last move, but after the simple 24.Qd4! White obtains more or less a winning position: 24...Qxd4+ (24...Rd8 25.Qxc5 Rxd1+ 26.Bxd1 bxc5 27.Be2 Kf8 28.f5 Bc8 29.Bxc4) 25.Rxd4 Rc8 26.f5 Bd7 27.e5.

24.Qd4 Rc8 25.g4! Bxg4

I don’t know what to suggest anymore – Black’s getting rubbed out by the pawns. Bogulyubov prefers to go down in flames. If 25...Rc7 26.Qd8+ Kg7 (26...Qxd8 27.Rxd8+ Kg7 28.g5 Nh5 29.f5) 27.Qxe7 Rxe7 28.e5 Ne8 29.f5 gxf5 30.gxf5 Bxf5 31.Bxf5.

26.hxg4 Nxg4 27.Kg2 h5 28.Nd5 Qh4 29.Rh1 Qd8 30.Bd1, 1-0. This was a depressing experience and a lesson to all future players. In the Bogo-Indian, Black has to organize his pawn structure accurately to facilitate effective counterplay. That’s the main challenge.

Thanks to the pioneering work of Bogolubov, our favorite opening rapidly increased in both status and popularity. Master players were learning just how well the Black position could respond to sensitive treatment, and how planless play by White could be severely punished.

William Winter - Yates [E11]

Scarborough, 1930

1.d4 e6 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 Bb4+ 4.Bd2 Qe7!

The introduction to a solid plan that has endured the test of time and survives even today. Black keeps the tension, commits to nothing, protects his Bishop and plays an all-round useful move.

5.Nc3 Bxc3!?

A move that marks the age of the game. The master of today would think long and hard before taking on c3 and then he probably wouldn’t do it. Just 5...b6! or 5...0–0 are both more elastic. But Yates is a strong player and he has an idea. He wants to put his Knight on e4 and reinforce that Knight with ...f7-f5. A kingside attack may follow. Who is to say this idea is bad?  It looks playable to me.

6.Bxc3 Ne4 7.Qc2 f5 8.Nd2?!

Far too meek. White cedes any advantage he may have by moving the Kinght again. Just 8 e3 or 8 g3 were indicated, with perhaps a small advantage to White.

8...Nxc3 9.Qxc3 0–0 10.g3 Nc6 11.Bg2 d6 12.0–0 e5!

Adjusting the pawn formation to his needs in the true tradition of this opening. Black has completely equalized.

13.Bxc6

They sure let the Bishops go easily in those days, although funnily enough, Deep Fritz is saying that this is the best move. Maybe White had no choice because the pressure on d4 was too strong. Certainly 13.e3 f4 seems to give Black excellent play on the kingside.

13...bxc6 14.dxe5 dxe5 15.Nf3

He has softened him up and now he moves to place his Knight on a better square. 

15...e4

Yates would not have been interested in 15...Re8 16.Rad1 c5 17.b3 Bb7 18.Rd2, and moves over to direct attack.

16.Ne5 f4!? 17.Nxc6 Qc5

Chess is a wargame. It’s what works that counts, not what is objectively best at any given moment. The point is that Winter is now fully on the defensive and the Black Bishop on c8 is a piece to be feared. White may panic.

18.Nd4 Rb8

Pressure on the b-file is an illusion. Black wants ...Rb6-g6 or ...Rb6-h6 to worry White.

19.Rfd1 e3! 20.fxe3

Is 20.gxf4 exf2+ 21.Kxf2 Rxf4+ 22.Ke1 Bg4 survivable? My instinct says no but the computer says yes. On this rare occasion I think that I am right.

20...fxg3 21.hxg3 Qe5 22.e4 Qxe4 23.Rd2 Rb6

I quite like 23...Bb7! 24.Nf3 Qg4 25.Kg2 Rbe8 here

This is just a horrible position for White with holes all over the place.

24.Nf3?!

24.Qd3 was a sterner defense: 24...Qe5 25.Rf1 Rxf1+ 26.Kxf1 Rd6 27.Qc3 Rf6+ 28.Ke1 Bh3 29.Kd1. White seems to be holding this one.

24...Rg6 25.Kf2 Bb7 26.Rd4 Qe7 27.c5 Ba6 28.Rd2 Rh6 29.Kg2 Re6 30.Qb3 Kh8

White has been struggling manfully, but his position is distinctly unenviable and with the threat of ...Re3, maybe even lost

31.Qc2 Re3 32.Rh1 h6 33.Rh2

33.Re1 Rfxf3.

33...Bxe2 34.Nh4 Rxg3+, 0-1. It’s mate in two after 35 Kxg3 Qg5+ 36 Kh3 Qg4 mate.

Great players have their own way of injecting life into any situation on the chessboard. The young Gligoric embraced the Bogo-Indian with enthusiasm to create his own special effects.

Pachman - Gligoric [E11]

Prague, 1946

1.c4 e6 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d4 Bb4+ 4.Bd2 Qe7 5.g3 Nc6!

Old and yet new. This is the main line today. Black uses the Knight to support the pawn advances ....d7-d6 and ...e6-e5.

6.Bg2 Bxd2+ 7.Nbxd2

It’s worthwhile knowing that 7.Qxd2 Ne4 8.Qc2 Qb4+ isn’t especially good for White.

7...0–0 8.0–0 d6 9.e4 a5

As 9...e5 10.d5 Nb8 11.b4 a5 12.a3 might give White the better of the game, Gligoric slows down White’s projected queenside advance.

10.Re1?

With hindsight, we can say that this is a poor move.

10...e5 11.d5 Nb4

One might well ask why White should ever go in for this position. His Bishop on g2 doesn’t look so great, and endgames are going to be pretty poor precisely because of this feature. It’s a question of space. Although Black has long-term advantages, they aren’t easy to realize and White has expansion possibilities on both sides of the board. He may prepare either c4-c5 or f2-f4, in both cases putting Black under pressure if the timing is right. However, there’s small nuance here that Gligoric has observed and which makes a difference. Normally White’s Rook would be on f1. This would clearly make f2-f4 much more attractive in the near future and permit the maneuver Ne1–d3!, which would tee up both of White’s pawn breaks. Nevertheless, the game is still even, but White’s the one who has to work hard to prove it.

12.a3

I think that 12.Qb3! was better, with rough equality a fair assessment after 12...Nd7 13.Qc3 Nc5 14.Nb3 Nbd3 15.Nxc5 Nxc5 16.Nd2 f5, =.

12...Nd3 13.Re3 Nxf2!

Not particularly shocking for Pachman because he couldn’t do anything about it, but unpleasant nevertheless. Black is going to get a very nice kingside pawn storm together.

14.Kxf2 Ng4+ 15.Ke2 Nxe3 16.Kxe3 f5 17.Kf2 f4 18.Kg1 b6 19.b3 g5

Gligoric would later become one of the greatest King’s Indian Defense players and build a colossal reputation around pawn storms such as these. It is fascinating to observe the source of those ideas and the way in which the Bogo-Indian can change shape and form.

20.Qc2 Bd7 21.Qc3 g4 22.Nh4 Qg5 23.Bf1

White has to wait. Not nice. He could sacrifice a pawn to get the e4-square, but Black keeps his strong pawn chain: 23.Rf1 Rf7 24.Rf2 Raf8 25.Nf5 Bxf5 26.exf5 Qxf5 27.Be4 Qh5

One cannot say that White is utterly lost, but what can he do? Black will find a way to push the h-pawn.

23...Rf6 24.Re1 Rh6 25.Re2 Rf8 26.b4

Counterplay is the cornerstone of defense – he must try something.

26...axb4 27.axb4 Rxh4

Continuing in the same, bold style.

28.gxh4 Qxh4 29.Rg2

After 29.c5 bxc5 30.bxc5 Qg5 31.cxd6 cxd6, the h-pawn is coming.

29...Qe1 30.Qd3 Kf7 31.Qe2 Qh4 32.Qf2 Qf6 33.Kh1 Ra8!

“View the whole board,” I tell my students. Gligoric switches play. Pachman continues his stubborn resistance.

34.c5 bxc5 35.bxc5 Ra2 36.Bc4

Quite interesting was 36.c6! Bc8 37.Bc4 Ra3 38.Qg1 intending Qb1–b8.

36...Ra3 37.cxd6 cxd6 38.Qb6 h5

Black has been threatening this for some time.

39.Bb5 Bxb5 40.Qxb5 Qe7 41.Qb8 Qa7! 42.Qxa7+ Rxa7 43.Nc4 Ra6 44.Rb2 Kf6 45.Rb6 Ra1+ 46.Kg2 Kg5! 47.Rxd6

47.Kf2 Rh1 48.Kg2 Re1 49.Nxd6 f3+ 50.Kf2 Re2+ 51.Kg1 h4 is just horrible for White. Black’s King threatens to infiltrate on f4 and there’s ...g4-g3 to worry about too.

47...f3+ 48.Kf2 Ra2+ 49.Kg1 Rg2+ 50.Kf1

50.Kh1 Rc2.

50...Rxh2 51.Ke1 g3 52.Nxe5 Rh1+ 53.Kd2 f2 54.Nf7+ Kh4, 0-1. We learn from this game that planless White  piece placements can be punished. Once the center was blocked, Black prepared ...f7-f5 and the kingside attack was both stifling and ultimately deadly.