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Attempts to obliterate the Bogo-Indian are almost uniformly unsuccessful. It is just so difficult to mount a direct attack against an elastic position that can change form at will.

Raimundo Garcia – Rafael Espinosa Flores [E11]

Santa Fe, 1956

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.d4 e6 3.c4 Bb4+ 4.Bd2 Qe7 5.Nc3 0–0 6.e3 b6 7.Bd3 Bb7

The queenside fianchetto is yet another formation that Black can adopt and which is very popular today. In common with the Nimzo- and Queen’s-Indian, Black aims to control e4. Plans include taking on c3 following up with ...Ne4 and ...f7-f5! or simply playing ...d6, ...Nbd7 and ...e6-e5! Hardly deep, but very effective. Garcia now gets the fancy idea that he can obliterate the Black King. There is no chance whatsover of that succeeding as Black is in very good shape to counterattack in the center.

8.Ng5?!

Far too ambitious. Sane human beings would try 8.a3 Bxc3 9.Bxc3 d6 10.0–0 Ne4 (10...Nbd7 11.Qc2 e5) 11.Qc2 f5; 8.0–0 Bxc3 9.Bxc3 Ne4 10.Be1 f5, but in both cases, Black has equalized.

8...h6 9.h4 d5!

Strike One! When the opponent attacks on the flank, a counter in the center is usually very effective.

10.Qf3 c5!

Strike Two! White is in trouble already.

11.Qh3

He is praying hard for Black to take the Knight. No chance at all.

11...dxc4 12.Bxc4 cxd4 13.exd4 Nc6

Black’s pressure comes with gain of time. What was White hoping for here? Some sort of sacrifice on e6 or h6 maybe? I really don’t understand his play.

14.0–0–0 Nxd4

Why not?

15.Bf4 Qc5 16.Bxe6?

16.Qd3 Rfc8! 17.Qxd4 Qxc4 leaves the White position wrecked.

16...Ne2+! 17.Kb1 Nxf4 18.Bxf7+ Rxf7 19.Qh2 Qf5+ 20.Ka1 Bxc3 21.bxc3 Rd7, 0-1. The caveman attack has no chance against a flexible formation. Black went up a couple of gears when called upon to do so and White was crushed.

I was struck by the following game when I first had the pleasure of playing it through. Spassky was going through his “tennis” stage at the time, when all he seemed to want to do was to shake hands as quickly as possible and get out into the sunshine. I must say I have considerable sympathy with this approach. Nevertheless, and as befitting an ex-world champion, one occasionally has to show one’s strength.

Andruet - Spassky [E11]

Bundesliga, 1987

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+ 4.Bd2 Bxd2+ 5.Qxd2 d5 6.Nc3 0–0 7.e3 Qe7 8.Rc1 Rd8

This really isn’t the most thrilling line. First and foremost Spassky constructs a position which is difficult to break down. Unlike Bogolubov, he has fifty years extra experience to call on and he can avoid the major opening pitfalls.

9.Qc2 Nbd7 10.cxd5 exd5 11.Bd3 Nf8 12.Ne2 c6

The contours of the Queens Gambit Exchange Variation reveal themselves. Black shunts his pieces over to the kingside. White goes for the minority attack.

13.0–0 Ng6 14.Ng3 Re8 15.Qc5 Qd8!

Necessary! An exchange of queens would only help White and diminish any attacking chances on the kingside Black might have.

16.Nd2 Nh4 17.b4

The minority attack begins. White plans b4-b5 and tries to saddle Black with a permanent weakness on c6. This would be a good moment for Spassky to get the draw offer in and then start warming up for the real business of the day. However, Black decides to keep the game going.

17...a6 18.a4 Bd7 19.Rb1 Ng4 20.Qc2

20.h3! seems good to me, seeing as the Black tactics aren’t working just yet: 20...Nxe3? 21.fxe3 Rxe3 22.Rb3! Rxg3 23.Bxh7+ Kxh7 24.Rxg3 Be6.

20...g6 21.b5 axb5 22.axb5 h5

Now it’s beginning to look ominous. Black has a considerable concentration of force on the kingside and White must pay full attention.

23.bxc6

Perhaps he should play 23.h3 again, although this time Black can sacrifice with some hope of success: 23...Nxe3! (Retreating appears prospectless: 23...Nf6 24.bxc6 bxc6 25.Rfc1, ±) 24.fxe3 Qg5 25.Nde4! (25.Kh2 Rxe3 26.Nf3 Qf4! 27.bxc6 Bxc6 28.Qd1 Ra2 wins for Black) 25...dxe4 26.Nxe4 Qxe3+ 27.Kh2 Nxg2! 28.Nf6+ (28.Qxg2 Qxd3 29.Nf6+ Kh8 30.Nxe8 Rxe8 31.Rbe1 Rxe1 32.Rxe1 Qxd4) 28...Kh8 29.Nxd7 Nf4 30.Ne5 Qxh3+ 31.Kg1 Qg3+ 32.Kh1 Nxd3 33.Qxd3 Qh4+ 34.Kg1 Ra2 and Black wins.

23...bxc6 24.Rfe1

Following the idea of defending as economically as possible.

24...Qf6 25.Ndf1 Ra3! 26.Re2 c5!

Making room for his Knight to come to e5. Black has spotted an excellent little combination.

27.dxc5 Ne5 28.Bb5 Qf3!!, 0-1.

What a move! White is mated after 29 gxf3 Nexf3+ 30 Kh1 Bh3!. His pieces are tragically helpless.

This has only been the briefest of introductions, but I think we have noticed several reasons why the Bogo-Indian could usefully be included in your repertoire. To summarise:

1)      The opening is rock-solid.

2)      You may fashion the pawn structure to your own design. There’s plenty of choice!

3)      The Bogo-Indian move order can be used as a transpositional device. We saw ideas and similar positions common to the Queen’s Gambit, the Dutch and the King’s Indian and this was just an introduction!

4)      The Bogo-Indian does not strike me as an opening that is difficult to master. It’s an economical, elastic and efficient response to the Queen’s pawn. Let’s go play some chess!