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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 Comas Fabrego, Luis
1-0
GMA Baleares Open 1989 D46
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Velimirovic, Dragoljub
0-1
GMA Baleares Open 1989 A43
Fernandez Aguado, Enrique vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
EU-chT 1989 B82
Olafsson, Helgi vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
New York op 1989 E32
Vasiukov, Evgeni vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
GMA Baleares Open 1989 B22
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Kudrin, Sergey
1-0
New York op 1989 D87
Gurevich, Mikhail vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
New York op 1989 E32
Ostenstad, Berge vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Reykjavik op 1988 E16
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Sosonko, Gennadi
1/2-1/2
Haninge 1988 D38
Schussler, Harry vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Haninge 1988 E15
Olafsson, Helgi vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Sochi 1988 E15
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Pinter, Jozsef
1-0
Haninge 1988 D46
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Lein, Anatoly
1/2-1/2
GMA-Open 1988 A14
Petursson, Margeir vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Akureyri 1988 E16
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Arnason, Asgeir T
1-0
Reykjavik op 1988 E94
Agdestein, Simen vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
Haninge 1988 A34
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Vidarsson, Jon G
1-0
Reykjavik op 1988 D26
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Psakhis, Lev
0-1
Sochi 1988 A73
Adorjan, Andras vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Akureyri 1988 E11
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Simic, Radoslav
1-0
GMA-Open 1988 A38
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Kholmov, Ratmir D
1/2-1/2
Sochi 1988 A17
Stefansson, Hannes vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Reykjavik op 1988 A13
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Rodriguez, Amador
1/2-1/2
Sochi 1988 E15
Vidarsson, Jon G vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Akureyri 1988 B84
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Gurevich, Mikhail
1/2-1/2
Akureyri 1988 E15
Tisdall, Jonathan D vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Akureyri 1988 E08
Petursson, Margeir vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
GMA-Open 1988 E32
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Olafsson, Helgi
1-0
Akureyri 1988 A13
Karlsson, Lars vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Haninge 1988 A36
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Dokhoian, Yury
1-0
GMA-Open 1988 E16
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Andersson, Ulf
1/2-1/2
Haninge 1988 E05
Bareev, Evgeny vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Sochi 1988 E11
Dolmatov, Sergey vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
Sochi 1988 B85
Dolmatov, Sergey vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Akureyri 1988 B93
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Arnason, Jon L
0-1
Reykjavik op 1988 A13
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Barlov, Dragan
1-0
Haninge 1988 D27
Paunovic, Dragan vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
GMA-Open 1988 E16
Browne, Walter S vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
Reykjavik op 1988 E12
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Smagin, Sergey
1/2-1/2
Sochi 1988 D45
Arnason, Jon L vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Sochi 1988 B93
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Dokhoian, Yury
1/2-1/2
Sochi 1988 E16
Vaisser, Anatoli vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
Sochi 1988 E54
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Gausel, Einar
1/2-1/2
Reykjavik op 1988 D25
Thorhallsson, Throstur vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
Reykjavik op 1988 B12
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Olafsson, Helgi
1/2-1/2
Reykjavik op 1988 D58
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Watson, William N
1-0
Sochi 1988 E92
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Miles, Anthony J
1-0
GMA-Open 1988 A21
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Wedberg, Tom
1-0
Haninge 1988 A77
Damljanovic, Branko vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Sochi 1988 B23
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Makarov, Marat
1-0
GMA-Open 1988 E16
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