Robert Acquafresca scored the only goal of the game as Bologna ended Chievo's unbeaten run at the Marc' Antonio Bentegodi stadium.
Acquafresca struck in the 53rd minute to hand his team a second win of the Serie A season.
Chievo were unlucky not to equalise when substitute Davide Moscardelli hit the crossbar shortly after the hour mark.
However, Bologna held out for a win which moves them out of the relegation zone and into 17th place in the table.
The visitors, smarting from Sunday's 2-0 home defeat to Lazio, started strongly and fashioned their first chance in the 15th minute when Panagiotis Kone made space for a shot inside the area and his effort was kept out by Chievo goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino.
Chievo almost went ahead midway through the first half when Paolo Sammarco's 12-yard volley went just wide of the far post.
The hosts continued to push forward and could have gone into the break with a 1-0 lead but Cyril Thereau's 10-yard shot went just over the bar.
Bologna came out with a little more fight after the break and almost broke the deadlock in the 50th minute.
Sorrentino palmed a fierce strike from Gaston Ramirez over the bar, before Bologna's efforts paid off soon after when Acquafresca volleyed home Ramirez's cross past Sorrentino.
Chievo pressed forward and almost equalised in the 63rd minute, when Moscardelli's powerful free-kick beat Bologna goalkeeper Jean Francois Gillet but the ball rebounded off the crossbar.
In the 80th minute, Chievo substitute Alberto Paloschi's diagonal strike from the edge of the area went wide.
With five minutes remaining, an unmarked Kone missed the chance to wrap the game up but fired wide from six yards with only Sorrentino to beat.
However, Bologna defended deeply and held on for victory.
