Catalogue text:

The Bogo-Indian is one of the most solid defences at Black's disposal, and rose to great popularity in the late 1980s due to the discovery of some exciting new ideas that made it possible for Black to play the Bogo-Indian to win.
The unique Gambit system makes it easy to use the book to the maximum practical advantage. Quick summaries introduce the main themes of each system, where appropriate suggesting a coherent repertoire of reliable lines. Then comes detailed, unbiased coverage of all the critical lines, for reference and detailed study. Whether you're looking for a quick introduction to an opening system for surprise use, a refresher course in a favourite opening or to research an opening deeply, the GAMBIT guide is the ideal choice.

• Covers all lines of the Bogo-Indian
• Explains the strategies and tactical ideas for both sides
• Thematic examples from practice

International Master Steffen Pedersen is a young player from Denmark who first attained notoriety by scoring a grandmaster norm when he was 16. He has earned a reputation as a fine writer, and his work on the Dutch Defence and Sicilian Scheveningen has been especially praised. This is his first book for Gambit.

Preface
The Bogo-Indian or, as it is occasionally called, the Bogoljubow Defence (after Efim Bogoljubow, who played it regularly in the 1920s), is initiated by the moves 1 d4 Sf6 2 c4 e6 3 Sf3 Lb4+. It is a sound alternative to the Queen`s Indian. Black embarks on rapid development, but compared to a Queen`s Indian often has to surrender the bishop-pair and contrary to the Nimzo-Indian apparently gets no weaknesses in return to play against. However, Black`s pieces acquit themselves quite well, provided Black knows how to use his pawns to provide good squares for them. It is worth noting that the Bogo-Indian has the practical advantage over the Queen`s Indian that Black can also employ it against the Catalan, rather than having to learn a whole new opening.
I do not think that the Bogo-Indian is a difficult opening to learn. Black`s development is fast and healthy, and does not commit him to a do-or-die strategy. Very few precise variations have to be memorized and in most cases one can get by with a general understanding of the strategic principles.
In each chapter there are the following sections:

• Typical Pawn Formations
• Planning for White
• Planning for Black
• Quick Summary
• The Theory of...

For the average club player I think that the first few sections will be the most useful, while the more experienced player will want to investigate the theoretical material in greater detail.
Chapter 8, on 4 Sc3, needs a little explanation, at this is in fact a line of the Nimzo-Indian. Most Bogo-Indian players also play the Nimzo-Indian, and so will already have a line prepared against this system - and if not, they may well have a book covering the Nimzo-Indian. However, I have not adopted the "see another book" approach, because some players use the Bogo via the move-order 1 d4 Sf6 2 Sf3 e6 3 c4 Lb4+, and meet 2 c4 not with 2...e6, but with the Benko, Budapest, or some other opening, and are therefore not regular Nimzo players.
This chapter will also be useful for some players of the white side who wish to meet the Queen`s Indian with 4 Sc3, as it equips them to face the transposition to the Nimzo-Indian that occurs after 4...Lb4.
During the process of writing this book a number of people have been very helpful. Peter Heine Nielsen, Lars Bo Hansen, Graham Burgess, John Nunn and Mona Andersen deserve special thanks.