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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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Sosonko, Gennadi vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
EU-chT Plovdiv 1983 E11
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Tukmakov, Vladimir B
1/2-1/2
URS-ch50 1983 D85
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Hansen, Curt
1-0
EU-chT Plovdiv 1983 D55
Gligoric, Svetozar vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
EU-chT Plovdiv 1983 E54
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Nunn, John DM
1/2-1/2
EU-chT Plovdiv 1983 E81
Azmaiparashvili, Zurab vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch50 1983 D11
Campora, Daniel H vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Luzern ol (Men) 1982 B44
Seirawan, Yasser vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
Mar del Plata 1982 A30
Quinteros, Miguel A vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Mar del Plata 1982 E17
Andersson, Ulf vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Bugojno 1982 E11
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Gligoric, Svetozar
1-0
Bugojno 1982 A33
Schussler, Harry vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Luzern ol (Men) 1982 E12
Ivanovic, Bozidar vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Bugojno 1982 B85
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Kavalek, Lubomir
1-0
Luzern ol (Men) 1982 E32
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Sveshnikov, Evgeny
1/2-1/2
Manila 1982 D43
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Huebner, Robert
1-0
Bugojno 1982 A29
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Nokes, Roger I
1-0
Luzern ol (Men) 1982 A77
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Rodriguez, Ruben
1-0
Manila 1982 E90
De Guzman, Ricardo vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Manila 1982 E12
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Garcia Palermo, Carlos
1-0
Mar del Plata 1982 E08
Dolmatov, Sergey vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Manila 1982 B85
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Ftacnik, Lubomir
0-1
Luzern ol (Men) 1982 A30
Balinas, Rosendo Carrean vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Manila 1982 B24
Mortensen, Erling vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Luzern ol (Men) 1982 B85
Morovic Fernandez, Ivan vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Luzern ol (Men) 1982 B85
Panno, Oscar vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Mar del Plata 1982 B20
Maninang, Rafaelito vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Manila 1982 E16
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Braga, Fernando
1-0
Mar del Plata 1982 E05
Andersson, Ulf vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Mar del Plata 1982 A14
Giardelli, Sergio C vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Mar del Plata 1982 D11
Ivkov, Borislav vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Bugojno 1982 E12
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Mascarinas, Rico
1-0
Manila 1982 D41
Speelman, Jonathan S vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Luzern ol (Men) 1982 E17
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Lobron, Eric
0-1
Manila 1982 A77
Kavalek, Lubomir vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Bugojno 1982 A30
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Unzicker, Wolfgang
1/2-1/2
Luzern ol (Men) 1982 E12
Torre, Eugenio vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Manila 1982 E46
Franco Ocampo, Zenon vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Mar del Plata 1982 A21
Westerinen, Heikki MJ vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Sochi 1981 B21
Tseshkovsky, Vitaly vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
Sochi 1981 B85
Balashov, Yuri S vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Moscow 1981 B85
Donner, Jan Hein vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Amsterdam 1981 E39
Smejkal, Jan vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Moscow 1981 E11
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Langeweg, Kick
1/2-1/2
Amsterdam 1981 A30
Stefanov, Parik vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Sochi 1981 A21
Kharitonov, Andrei Y vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Sochi 1981 E52
Taimanov, Mark E vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Moscow-4teams 1981 E15
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Gufeld, Eduard
1-0
Sochi 1981 E99
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Vaganian, Rafael A
1/2-1/2
Moscow-4teams 1981 D06
Kavalek, Lubomir vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Amsterdam 1981 E12
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