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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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Pfleger, Helmut vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Manila 1975 D45
Adorjan, Andras vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Tungsram 1975 B50
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Vaganian, Rafael A
1-0
URS-ch43 1975 A05
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Gipslis, Aivars
1/2-1/2
URS-chT 1975 A30
Dvorietzky, Mark I vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
URS-ch43 1975 B22
Ustinov, Georgy I vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
URS-chT 1975 D40
Balinas, Rosendo Carrean vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
Manila 1975 A21
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Dorfman, Josif D
1/2-1/2
URS-ch43 1975 A07
Ruderfer, Mark B vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
URS-chT 1975 A34
Bilek, Istvan vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Tungsram 1975 D02
Klovans, Janis vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch43 1975 B85
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Karaklajic, Nikola
1-0
Manila 1975 D46
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Hulak, Krunoslav
1-0
Tungsram 1975 A73
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Gulko, Boris F
1-0
URS-ch43 1975 A17
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Ogaard, Leif
1-0
Manila 1975 A28
Gligoric, Svetozar vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Manila 1975 E90
Torre, Eugenio vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
Manila 1975 B41
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Mecking, Henrique
1-0
Manila 1975 D47
Holm Petersen, Sejer vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Tungsram 1975 E82
Alburt, Lev O vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch43 1975 D93
Poutiainen, Pertti vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Tungsram 1975 A00
Menvielle Lacourrelle, Augusto vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Las Palmas 1974 B31
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Pomar Salamanca, Arturo
1/2-1/2
Las Palmas 1974 A05
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Balashov, Yuri S
1/2-1/2
URS-ch42 1974 A17
Grigorian, Karen Ashotovich vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
URS-ch42 1974 A64
Szabo, Laszlo vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Solingen 1974 A17
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Vaganian, Rafael A
1/2-1/2
URS-ch42 1974 D06
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Vasiukov, Evgeni
1-0
URS-ch42 1974 A80
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Matanovic, Aleksandar
1/2-1/2
Belgrade-Moscow 1974 A28
Westerinen, Heikki MJ vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Solingen 1974 B85
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Gerusel, Mathias
1/2-1/2
Solingen 1974 A07
Dvorietzky, Mark I vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch42 1974 B22
Quinteros, Miguel A vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Las Palmas 1974 A07
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Andersson, Ulf
1/2-1/2
Las Palmas 1974 A30
Ivkov, Borislav vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Belgrade-Moscow 1974 E11
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Kuzmin, Gennadi P
1/2-1/2
URS-ch42 1974 E43
Garcia Gonzales, Guillermo vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Las Palmas 1974 E45
Lehmann, Heinz Dr vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Solingen 1974 E60
Alburt, Lev O vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch42 1974 A30
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Honfi, Karoly
1-0
Solingen 1974 E60
Savon, Vladimir A vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch42 1974 E11
Anikaev, Yuri N vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Sochi 1974 A47
Espig, Lutz vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Sochi 1974 A34
Matulovic, Milan vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Belgrade-Moscow 1974 B96
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Olafsson, Fridrik
1/2-1/2
Las Palmas 1974 E56
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Jansa, Vlastimil
1/2-1/2
Sochi 1974 B36
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Clemens, Christian
1-0
Solingen 1974 A81
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Uhlmann, Wolfgang
1/2-1/2
Solingen 1974 A29
Robatsch, Karl vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Sochi 1974 A16
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Kavalek, Lubomir
1-0
Solingen 1974 E90
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