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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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Polugaevsky, Lev vs Mestel, A Jonathan
1-0
Reykjavik Summit 1990 E97
Naumkin, Igor vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
GMA-qual f 1990 E12
Akopian, Vladimir vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
GMA-qual f 1990 E12
Thorhallsson, Throstur vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Reykjavik op 1990 B80
Sax, Gyula vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Haninge 1990 B93
Ehlvest, Jaan vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
Haninge 1990 A38
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Seirawan, Yasser
1/2-1/2
Haninge 1990 A27
Dorfman, Josif D vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
GMA-qual f 1990 E15
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Ftacnik, Lubomir
1/2-1/2
Haninge 1990 D02
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Wojtkiewicz, Aleksander
1-0
Haninge 1990 E17
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Vaganian, Rafael A
1/2-1/2
Reykjavik op 1990 E18
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Dolmatov, Sergey
1/2-1/2
Reykjavik op 1990 A88
Andersson, Ulf vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
Haninge 1990 E18
Olafsson, Helgi vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Reykjavik op 1990 E32
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Azmaiparashvili, Zurab
1-0
Reykjavik op 1990 A42
Thorsteins, Karl vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Reykjavik Summit 1990 E20
Dreev, Alexey vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Reykjavik op 1990 E12
Speelman, Jonathan S vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
GMA-qual f 1990 A33
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Makarichev, Sergey
1-0
Reykjavik op 1990 A90
Ivanov, Alexander vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Reykjavik op 1990 B80
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Hellers, Ferdinand
1-0
Haninge 1990 E15
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Malaniuk, Vladimir P
0-1
GMA-qual f 1990 A88
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Dzindzichashvili, Roman
1/2-1/2
Reykjavik Summit 1990 E32
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Andersson, Ulf
1/2-1/2
Haninge 1989 E39
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Velimirovic, Dragoljub
0-1
GMA Baleares Open 1989 A43
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Ermenkov, Evgenij
1-0
GMA Baleares Open 1989 A42
Kovacevic, Vlatko vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
EU-chT 1989 A46
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Hickl, Joerg
1-0
EU-chT 1989 A54
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Murshed, Niaz
1/2-1/2
New York op 1989 D27
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Campora, Daniel H
1-0
New York op 1989 A09
Wilder, Michael vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
Haninge 1989 E15
Hellers, Ferdinand vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
Haninge 1989 B96
Van der Wiel, John TH vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Haninge 1989 B85
Olafsson, Helgi vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
New York op 1989 E32
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Haik, Aldo
1-0
EU-chT 1989 A28
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Gheorghiu, Florin
1/2-1/2
New York op 1989 E90
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Campora, Daniel H
*
GMA Baleares Open 1989 A21
Sax, Gyula vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Haninge 1989 B81
Gomez Esteban, Juan Mario vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
GMA Baleares Open 1989 E15
Epishin, Vladimir vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
New York op 1989 E15
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Ftacnik, Lubomir
0-1
Haninge 1989 D87
Rodriguez, Amador vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
GMA Baleares Open 1989 E32
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Sokolov, Ivan
1-0
Haninge 1989 D02
Arnason, Jon L vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Haninge 1989 B85
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Georgiev, Krum
1/2-1/2
EU-chT 1989 E97
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Wedberg, Tom
1-0
Haninge 1989 E07
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Makropoulos, Georgios
0-1
EU-chT 1989 B22
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Comas Fabrego, Luis
1-0
GMA Baleares Open 1989 D46
Groszpeter, Attila vs Polugaevsky, Lev
*
GMA Baleares Open 1989 E15
Dzindzichashvili, Roman vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
New York op 1989 A34
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