Bogo-Indian Defense: Vitolins Variation
Play any move on the board to explore from there, or step through the line with ‹ › and the arrow keys.
Statistics from Lichess
100,340 games: White 46.8% / Draw 7.7% / Black 45.5%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 41,06141K | ||
| 16,57817K | ||
| 14,59015K | ||
| 13,69914K | ||
| 7,5107,510 | ||
| 4,6154,615 | ||
| 1,2961,296 | ||
| 456456 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.41 White is slightly better
Best play: 5. Bxb4 cxb4 6. e3 O-O 7. Bd3 d6 8. O-O a5 9. Re1 Qe7
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Bogo-Indian Defense: Vitolins Variation (ECO E11, Indian Defenses) is a variation of the Bogo-Indian Defense, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Bb4+ 4. Bd2 c5 (4 moves).
In 100,340 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 46.8%, Black 45.5% and 7.7% were drawn. White's most played move here is 5. Bxb4, in 41% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
Write a description or report a mistake
How to play against the Bogo-Indian Defense: Vitolins Variation
5. g3 scores best for White: 51.8%, with White winning 47.6% and Black 44.1% of 17K games. The most played, 5. Bxb4, scores 51.5% in 41K games, and 5. dxc5 scores lowest: 48.8%. Stockfish's first choice is 5. Bxb4.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Bogo-Indian Defense: Vitolins Variation (E11)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/bogo-indian-defense-vitolins-variation