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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 Spassky, Boris V★
1/2-1/2
Tilburg 1983 A93
Jussupow, Artur vs Polugaevsky, Lev★
1/2-1/2
Toluca Interzonal 1982 E15
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Portisch, Lajos★
1/2-1/2
Toluca Interzonal 1982 E12
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Spassky, Boris V★
1/2-1/2
Toluca Interzonal 1982 E91
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Tal, Mihail★
0-1
Riga Interzonal 1979 A34
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Ljubojevic, Ljubomir★
1/2-1/2
Riga Interzonal 1979 D30
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Larsen, Bent★
1-0
Riga Interzonal 1979 D16
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Ljubojevic, Ljubomir★
1/2-1/2
Manila Interzonal 1976 A79
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Spassky, Boris V★
1/2-1/2
Manila Interzonal 1976 A30
Reshevsky, Samuel Herman vs Polugaevsky, Lev★
1/2-1/2
Petropolis Interzonal 1973 E17
Ljubojevic, Ljubomir vs Polugaevsky, Lev★
1/2-1/2
Petropolis Interzonal 1973 B44
Bronstein, David I vs Polugaevsky, Lev★
1/2-1/2
Petropolis Interzonal 1973 A29
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Keres, Paul★
1-0
Petropolis Interzonal 1973 E08
Smyslov, Vassily vs Polugaevsky, Lev★
1/2-1/2
Petropolis Interzonal 1973 A70
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Geller, Efim P★
1/2-1/2
Petropolis Interzonal 1973 E88
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Portisch, Lajos★
1-0
Petropolis Interzonal 1973 A09
Smyslov, Vassily vs Polugaevsky, Lev★
1-0
Palma de Mallorca Interzonal 1970 A49
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Larsen, Bent★
1/2-1/2
Palma de Mallorca Interzonal 1970 D47
Reshevsky, Samuel Herman vs Polugaevsky, Lev★
1-0
Palma de Mallorca Interzonal 1970 A32
Portisch, Lajos vs Polugaevsky, Lev★
0-1
Palma de Mallorca Interzonal 1970 E56
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Geller, Efim P★
1/2-1/2
Palma de Mallorca Interzonal 1970 D93
Fischer, Robert James vs Polugaevsky, Lev★
1/2-1/2
Palma de Mallorca Interzonal 1970 A11
Haggqvist, Bjorn vs Polugaevsky, Lev★
0-1
WchT U26 1957 A70
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Liebert, Heinz★
0-1
WchT U26 1957 A88
Munoz, Cesar vs Polugaevsky, Lev★
0-1
WchT U26 1957 A72
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Padevsky, Nikola★
1-0
WchT U26 1957 B96
Feuerstein, Arthur William vs Polugaevsky, Lev★
0-1
WchT U26 1957 A06
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Andersen, Borge★
1-0
WchT U26 1957 B96
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Blatny, Frantisek★
1-0
WchT U26 1957 A34
Seirawan, Yasser vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
Amber-blind 2nd 1993 A30
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Epishin, Vladimir
1/2-1/2
Tilburg 1993 A13
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Christiansen, Larry Mark
1-0
Amber-blind 2nd 1993 E61
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Piket, Jeroen
0-1
Amber-rapid 2nd 1993 A14
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Kortschnoj, Viktor
1/2-1/2
Amber-rapid 2nd 1993 E11
Ljubojevic, Ljubomir vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
Groningen PCA 1993 A34
Piket, Jeroen vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Amber-blind 2nd 1993 E12
Anand, Viswanathan vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
FRA 1993 B82
Christiansen, Larry Mark vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Amber-rapid 2nd 1993 B40
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Anand, Viswanathan
1/2-1/2
EUCup f 1993 D41
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Seirawan, Yasser
0-1
Amber-rapid 2nd 1993 A58
Kortschnoj, Viktor vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
Amber-blind 2nd 1993 A46
Epishin, Vladimir vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
Tilburg 1993 E15
Larsen, Bent vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Roquebrune rapid 1992 A37
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Polgar, Judit
1/2-1/2
Women-Veterans 1992 A49
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Ivanchuk, Vassily
0-1
Roquebrune 1992 E94
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Polgar, Zsuzsa
1-0
Women-Veterans 1992 A13
Serper, Grigory vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Tilburg rapid 1992 A21
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Svidler, Peter
1/2-1/2
Oviedo rapid45 1992 E17
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Serper, Grigory
0-1
Tilburg 1992 A13
Polgar, Zsuzsa vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Women-Veterans 1992 E15
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