Bogo-Indian Defense
ECO E11intermediate
The Bogo-Indian, 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+, delivers the Nimzo check even after White's anti-Nimzo move order. After the main 4.Bd2, Black picks a philosophy: the classical 4...Qe7 supporting a later ...Bxd2 and ...d6/...e5 setup, or 4...a5 keeping the bishop and clamping the queenside. It trades the Nimzo's structural ambitions for simplicity and reliability — a favorite of players who want one sound, learnable answer to 3.Nf3 without Queen's Indian theory.
Main line
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+ 4.Bd2 Qe7 5.g3 Nc6 6.Bg2 Bxd2+ 7.Nbxd2 d6
Diagram shows the position after 6 half-moves of the main line. On SpeakChess you can drill this line move by move — the trainer plays the other side and corrects you instantly, then spaced repetition schedules each variation so you review it right before you would forget it.
Win rates by rating
Results from real online games, measured after the line shown in each row. Most opening sites show one aggregate number — how an opening scores depends heavily on who is playing it.
| Rating | Games | White wins | Draws | Black wins | Position after |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 400-600 | 42 | 50% | 2.4% | 47.6% | 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 |
| 600-800 | 79 | 46.8% | 0% | 53.2% | 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 |
| 800-1000 | 60 | 63.3% | 3.3% | 33.3% | 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+ |
| 1000-1200 | 180 | 44.4% | 2.2% | 53.3% | 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+ 4.Bd2 |
| 1200-1400 | 36 | 52.8% | 2.8% | 44.4% | 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+ 4.Bd2 Qe7 |
Most played continuations (1000-1200 rating)
After 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+ 4.Bd2:
- Bxd2+ — played 70.6% of the time (White wins 45.7%, draws 3.1%, Black wins 51.2%)
- Qe7 — played 7.2% of the time (White wins 46.1%, draws 0%, Black wins 53.8%)
- a5 — played 6.1% of the time (White wins 36.4%, draws 0%, Black wins 63.6%)
Frequently asked questions
Is the Bogo-Indian just a worse Nimzo?
It is a quieter cousin, not a worse one. White's extra option (Bd2 blocking the check) means Black gets fewer structural targets, but the e5-strongpoint plans after ...Qe7 and ...d6 are genuinely hard to crack, and the theory burden is a tenth of the Nimzo complex.
What is the main plan for Black in the Bogo?
After 4.Bd2 Qe7 5.g3 Nc6 6.Bg2 Bxd2+ 7.Nbxd2 d6, Black builds the ...e5 strongpoint and plays a King's-Indian-like game with the dark-squared bishop already profitably traded. The light-squared bishop usually finds a home on d7 or g4.
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