Forever Chess GamesForever Chess Games Logo
CreateGiftsProductsGamesPlayersOpeningsTop 100FAQ

Explore

  • Players
  • Openings
  • Famous Games
  • Top 100 Games
  • World Championships

Create

  • Create Visualisation
  • How It Works
  • Gift Ideas

Eras

  • 1880s – Classical
  • 1960s – Fischer Era
  • 1990s – Kasparov Era
  • 2020s – Modern

Info

  • FAQ
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Use

© 2026 Forever Chess Games. All Rights Reserved

  1. Home
  2. /Players
  3. /Polugaevsky, Lev

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

View Print
FCGFCG
0-1

Polugaevsky, Lev vs Ljubojevic, Ljubomir

Tilburg

1985

View Print
FCGFCG
1-0

Karpov, Anatoly vs Polugaevsky, Lev

Biel

1990

View Print
FCGFCG
1-0

Karpov, Anatoly vs Polugaevsky, Lev

Tilburg

1983

View Print
FCGFCG
1-0

Polugaevsky, Lev vs Short, Nigel D

Amber-rapid 2nd

1993

View Print
FCGFCG
0-1

Timman, Jan H vs Polugaevsky, Lev

Tilburg

1983

View Print
FCGFCG
0-1

Feuerstein, Arthur William vs Polugaevsky, Lev

WchT U26

1957

View Print
FCGFCG
0-1

Polugaevsky, Lev vs Ljubojevic, Ljubomir

Amber-blind 2nd

1993

View Print
FCGFCG
1-0

Polugaevsky, Lev vs Andersen, Borge

WchT U26

1957

View Print
FCGFCG
0-1

Franzoni, Giancarlo vs Polugaevsky, Lev

WchT

1985

View Print

Games (1892)

Search & Filter All Games →
Kavalek, Lubomir vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Amsterdam 1981 E12
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Vaganian, Rafael A
1/2-1/2
Moscow-4teams 1981 D06
Vaganian, Rafael A vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Moscow-4teams 1981 E19
Kharitonov, Andrei Y vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Sochi 1981 E52
Balashov, Yuri S vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Moscow 1981 B85
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Langeweg, Kick
1/2-1/2
Amsterdam 1981 A30
Tseshkovsky, Vitaly vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
Sochi 1981 B85
Smejkal, Jan vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Moscow 1981 E11
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Ree, Hans
0-1
Amsterdam 1981 E11
Dvoirys, Semen I vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
Sochi 1981 B85
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Torre, Eugenio
1-0
Moscow 1981 D44
Taimanov, Mark E vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Moscow-4teams 1981 E15
Miles, Anthony J vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Amsterdam 1981 A12
Lukov, Valentin vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Sochi 1981 E20
Stefanov, Parik vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Sochi 1981 A21
Kortschnoj, Viktor vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Candidats sf2 1980 A30
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Ivkov, Borislav
1/2-1/2
Bugojno 1980 D58
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Stean, Michael
1/2-1/2
Malta ol (Men) 1980 E17
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Bleiman, Yaacov
1-0
EU-chT 1980 E06
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Hort, Vlastimil
1/2-1/2
Bugojno 1980 A33
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Kortschnoj, Viktor
1-0
Candidats sf2 1980 E17
Skembris, Spyridon vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Malta ol (Men) 1980 E12
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Robatsch, Karl
1/2-1/2
Malta ol (Men) 1980 A17
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Kurajica, Bojan
1/2-1/2
Bugojno 1980 E05
Romanishin, Oleg M vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Rostov 1980 A07
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Nunn, John DM
0-1
EU-chT 1980 A77
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Kortschnoj, Viktor
1/2-1/2
Candidats sf2 1980 E19
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Kortschnoj, Viktor
1/2-1/2
Candidats sf2 1980 A29
Kortschnoj, Viktor vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Candidats sf2 1980 A17
Adorjan, Andras vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
EU-chT 1980 A36
Jansa, Vlastimil vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
EU-chT 1980 B85
Schussler, Harry vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
EU-chT 1980 E12
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Kortschnoj, Viktor
0-1
Candidats sf2 1980 E19
Ribli, Zoltan vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Malta ol (Men) 1980 E03
Fernandez, A. vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Malta ol (Men) 1980 B85
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Kortschnoj, Viktor
0-1
Candidats sf2 1980 A34
Ivkov, Borislav vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
EU-chT 1980 E15
Tringov, Georgi P vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Malta ol (Men) 1980 B80
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Gligoric, Svetozar
1/2-1/2
Bugojno 1980 D34
Smejkal, Jan vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
Malta ol (Men) 1980 A17
Kortschnoj, Viktor vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Candidats sf2 1980 A33
Kavalek, Lubomir vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Bugojno 1980 B96
Kortschnoj, Viktor vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Candidats sf2 1980 A33
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Kortschnoj, Viktor
0-1
Candidats sf2 1980 E17
Kortschnoj, Viktor vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Candidats sf2 1980 A33
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Radulov, Ivan
1/2-1/2
EU-chT 1980 D41
Andersson, Ulf vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Bugojno 1980 E11
Kortschnoj, Viktor vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Candidats sf2 1980 A33
Kortschnoj, Viktor vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Candidats sf2 1980 A33
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Kortschnoj, Viktor
1-0
Candidats sf2 1980 E17
PreviousPage 19 of 38Next

Explore More

All PlayersAll OpeningsFamous Games