Bogo-Indian Defense: Retreat Variation 7…c6 8. O-O
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Statistics from Lichess
60,888 games: White 46.7% / Draw 9.8% / Black 43.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Bogo-Indian Defense: Retreat Variation | 31,80332K | |
| 21,42921K | ||
| 3,7093,709 | ||
| 1,6071,607 | ||
| 737737 | ||
| 394394 | ||
| 328328 | ||
| 293293 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.06 The position is about equal
Best play: 8... Nbd7 9. Bf4 b6 10. cxd5 cxd5 11. Rc1 Bb7 12. Bc7 Qe8 13. Qb3
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Bogo-Indian Defense: Retreat Variation (ECO E11, Indian Defenses) is a variation of the Bogo-Indian Defense: Retreat Variation, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 Bb4+ 4. Bd2 Be7 5. Bg2 d5 6. Nf3 O-O 7. Qc2 c6 8. O-O (8 moves).
In 60,888 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 46.7%, Black 43.4% and 9.8% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 8…Nbd7, in 52% of those games.
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How to answer 8. O-O
8…b6 scores best for Black: 49.9%, with Black winning 44.5% and White 44.8% of 21K games. The most played, 8…Nbd7, scores 48.1% in 32K games, and 8…Ne4 scores lowest: 45.0%. Stockfish's first choice is 8…Nbd7.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Transpositions
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Bogo-Indian Defense: Retreat Variation (E11)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/bogo-indian-defense-retreat-variation-5