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Polugaevsky, Lev

classical era

Lev Polugaevsky (1934-1995) was a Soviet grandmaster and world-class opening theoretician who remained among the elite from the early 1960s through the late 1980s. He is best known for developing the ultra-sharp Polugaevsky Variation of the Najdorf Sicilian, which he analyzed with tireless devotion for decades and detailed in his classic book "Grandmaster Preparation."

Total Games

1892

Wins

678

Draws

956

Losses

255

35.8% wins50.5% draws13.5% losses

Most Played Openings

E15 - Queen's Indian Defense: Buerger Variation63E12 - Queen's Indian Defense61E11 - Bogo-Indian Defense40B96 - Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation39B85 - Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Main Line36A30 - English Opening: Wing Gambit36A17 - English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense36A07 - King's Indian Attack32E18 - Queen's Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Tiviakov Defense27A34 - English Opening: Symmetrical Variation27

Most Faced Opponents

Kortschnoj, Viktor65 gamesGeller, Efim P34 gamesTal, Mihail31 gamesKarpov, Anatoly29 gamesTimman, Jan H25 gamesLjubojevic, Ljubomir24 gamesPortisch, Lajos24 gamesTaimanov, Mark E22 gamesSmyslov, Vassily22 gamesSpassky, Boris V21 games

Featured Games

FCGFCG
1-0

Polugaevsky, Lev vs Beliavsky, Alexander G

Reggio Emilia9192

1992

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FCGFCG
0-1

Polugaevsky, Lev vs Ljubojevic, Ljubomir

Tilburg

1985

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FCGFCG
1-0

Karpov, Anatoly vs Polugaevsky, Lev

Biel

1990

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FCGFCG
1-0

Karpov, Anatoly vs Polugaevsky, Lev

Tilburg

1983

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FCGFCG
1-0

Polugaevsky, Lev vs Short, Nigel D

Amber-rapid 2nd

1993

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FCGFCG
0-1

Timman, Jan H vs Polugaevsky, Lev

Tilburg

1983

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FCGFCG
0-1

Feuerstein, Arthur William vs Polugaevsky, Lev

WchT U26

1957

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FCGFCG
0-1

Polugaevsky, Lev vs Ljubojevic, Ljubomir

Amber-blind 2nd

1993

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FCGFCG
1-0

Polugaevsky, Lev vs Andersen, Borge

WchT U26

1957

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FCGFCG
0-1

Franzoni, Giancarlo vs Polugaevsky, Lev

WchT

1985

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Games (1892)

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Rubinetti, Jorge A vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Palma de Mallorca Interzonal 1970 A05
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Mecking, Henrique
1/2-1/2
Palma de Mallorca Interzonal 1970 A17
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Matulovic, Milan
1/2-1/2
Palma de Mallorca Interzonal 1970 D94
Hort, Vlastimil vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Palma de Mallorca Interzonal 1970 A07
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Geller, Efim P
1-0
IBM 1970 E94
Jimenez Zerquera, Eleazar vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Palma de Mallorca Interzonal 1970 A32
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Panno, Oscar
1-0
Palma de Mallorca Interzonal 1970 A17
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Uhlmann, Wolfgang
1/2-1/2
Palma de Mallorca Interzonal 1970 E92
Gligoric, Svetozar vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Palma de Mallorca Interzonal 1970 E56
Ivkov, Borislav vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Palma de Mallorca Interzonal 1970 E19
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Filip, Miroslav
1-0
Palma de Mallorca Interzonal 1970 E60
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch37 1969 E12
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Petrosian, Tigran V
1/2-1/2
URS-ch37 playoff-1pl 1969 D35
Portisch, Lajos vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
HUN-URS 1969 A16
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Petrosian, Tigran V
0-1
URS-ch37 playoff-1pl 1969 A14
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Larsen, Bent
0-1
Buesum 1969 A17
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Portisch, Lajos
1-0
HUN-URS 1969 E54
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
URS-ch37 playoff-1pl 1969 E14
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Petrosian, Tigran V
1/2-1/2
URS-ch37 playoff-1pl 1969 E08
Portisch, Lajos vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
HUN-URS 1969 E56
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Tal, Mihail
1-0
URS-ch37 1969 D41
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Belgrade 1969 A14
Geller, Efim P vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Belgrade 1969 B60
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch37 playoff-1pl 1969 A47
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Portisch, Lajos
1/2-1/2
HUN-URS 1969 D42
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Geller, Efim P
1/2-1/2
URS-ch37 1969 A07
Smyslov, Vassily vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch37 1969 E16
Keres, Paul vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-chT 1968 A34
Tal, Mihail vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-chT 1968 D56
Portisch, Lajos vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
HUN-URS 1968 E11
Bronstein, David I vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-chT 1968 E39
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Tal, Mihail
1/2-1/2
URS-ch36 1968 A64
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Geller, Efim P
1-0
Skopje/Ohrid 1968 E73
Portisch, Lajos vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
Skopje/Ohrid 1968 E53
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Geller, Efim P
1/2-1/2
URS-chT 1968 A49
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
URS-chT 1967 E61
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Geller, Efim P
1-0
URS-chT 1967 E81
Smyslov, Vassily vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Capablanca mem 1967 E02
Larsen, Bent vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Capablanca mem 1967 A14
Larsen, Bent vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
Le Havre 1966 A07
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Bronstein, David I
0-1
URS-ch34 1966 D34
Geller, Efim P vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch34 1966 A29
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
URS-ch34 1966 D25
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Spassky, Boris V
1/2-1/2
Sochi 1966 A07
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Bronstein, David I
1-0
URS-ch33 1965 A14
Keres, Paul vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch33 1965 E14
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Trade Union-ch 1964 A09
Bronstein, David I vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch31 1963 B44
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Spassky, Boris V
1/2-1/2
URS-ch31 1963 D36
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Geller, Efim P
1/2-1/2
URS-chT 1963 D93
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