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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 Kapengut, Albert Z
1-0
URS-ch39 1971 B39
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Brond, Victor
1-0
Mar del Plata 1971 B38
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Ilievski, Dimitar
1-0
Skopje 1971 A13
Balashov, Yuri S vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch39 1971 E29
Dzindzichashvili, Roman vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch39 1971 B82
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Lein, Anatoly
1-0
URS-ch39 1971 E62
Langeweg, Kick vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Skopje 1971 A34
Rajkovic, Dusan vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Skopje 1971 D13
Karasev, Vladimir I vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch39 1971 E69
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Panno, Oscar
1/2-1/2
Mar del Plata 1971 A29
Rubinetti, Jorge A vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Mar del Plata 1971 E31
Nikolaevsky, Yuri V vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch39 1971 A12
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Poch, Caesar G
1/2-1/2
Mar del Plata 1971 A11
Planinec, Albin vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Mar del Plata 1971 B61
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Gheorghiu, Florin
1/2-1/2
Mar del Plata 1971 A16
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Taimanov, Mark E
1-0
URS-ch39 1971 D16
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Mecking, Henrique
1-0
Mar del Plata 1971 D46
Vaganian, Rafael A vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch39 1971 A34
Tukmakov, Vladimir B vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
URS-ch39 1971 B85
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Schweber, Samuel
1-0
Mar del Plata 1971 D46
Platonov, Igor V vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch39 1971 B52
Quinteros, Miguel A vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Mar del Plata 1971 A07
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Planinec, Albin
1-0
Skopje 1971 A07
Sumiacher, Carlos vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Mar del Plata 1971 A11
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Browne, Walter S
1-0
Mar del Plata 1971 E94
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Bukic, Enver
1/2-1/2
Skopje 1971 E92
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Krogius, Nikolai V
1/2-1/2
URS-ch39 1971 D56
Savon, Vladimir A vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
URS-ch39 1971 B85
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Sofrevski, Jovan
1-0
Skopje 1971 A04
Ostojic, Predrag vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Skopje 1971 B57
Pilnik, Herman vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Mar del Plata 1971 B52
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Bilek, Istvan
1-0
Skopje 1971 A44
Stein, Leonid vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
URS-ch39 1971 A34
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Savon, Vladimir A
1/2-1/2
Mar del Plata 1971 E14
Juarez, Carlos Eleodoro vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Mar del Plata 1971 B89
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Westerinen, Heikki MJ
1-0
Skopje 1971 E94
Janosevic, Dragoljub vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Skopje 1971 B87
Tringov, Georgi P vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Skopje 1971 B96
Tseitlin, Mark D vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
URS-ch39 1971 B96
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Grigorian, Karen Ashotovich
1-0
URS-ch39 1971 A33
Hecht, Hans Joachim vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Siegen olm 1970 A23
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Tringov, Georgi P
1/2-1/2
Siegen olm 1970 A33
Diez del Corral, Jesus vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
EU-chT Kapfenberg 1970 E25
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Jongsma, Alexander
1-0
IBM 1970 A23
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Schmidt, Wlodzimierz
1-0
Siegen olm 1970 B36
Quinteros, Miguel A vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
Siegen olm 1970 E69
Gligoric, Svetozar vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
IBM 1970 E56
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Uhlmann, Wolfgang
1-0
IBM 1970 E75
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Ghitescu, Theodor
1/2-1/2
Siegen olm 1970 A17
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Norby, Peter H
1-0
EU-chT Kapfenberg 1970 D53
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