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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 Anand, Viswanathan
1/2-1/2
Roquebrune rapid 1992 E15
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Adams, Michael
0-1
Roquebrune rapid 1992 A43
Short, Nigel D vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Paris Immopar rapid 1992 B40
Anand, Viswanathan vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
Roquebrune rapid 1992 D40
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Polgar, Judit
1/2-1/2
Roquebrune rapid 1992 A49
Ljubojevic, Ljubomir vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Roquebrune rapid 1992 B81
Serper, Grigory vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Tilburg rapid 1992 A21
Gurevich, Mikhail vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Reggio Emilia9192 1992 E48
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Polgar, Judit
0-1
Hastings9293 1992 A49
Adams, Michael vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
FRA-chT 1992 B82
Serper, Grigory vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Tilburg 1992 A21
Karpov, Anatoly vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
Roquebrune rapid 1992 E12
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Polgar, Zsuzsa
1-0
Women-Veterans 1992 A13
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Svidler, Peter
1/2-1/2
Oviedo rapid45 1992 E17
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Polgar, Judit
1/2-1/2
Women-Veterans 1992 A49
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Larsen, Bent
1-0
Roquebrune rapid 1992 D63
Polgar, Zsuzsa vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Women-Veterans 1992 E15
Adams, Michael vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Roquebrune rapid 1992 D00
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Serper, Grigory
0-1
Tilburg 1992 A13
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Salov, Valery
1-0
Reggio Emilia9192 1992 E11
Ljubojevic, Ljubomir vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
Roquebrune 1992 A35
Polgar, Judit vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Roquebrune rapid 1992 B82
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Karpov, Anatoly
0-1
Roquebrune 1992 A08
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Karpov, Anatoly
0-1
Roquebrune rapid 1992 E14
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Serper, Grigory
0-1
Tilburg rapid 1992 A13
Kasparov, Gary vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
Paris Immopar rapid 1992 E11
Ivanchuk, Vassily vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
Roquebrune rapid 1992 B40
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Ljubojevic, Ljubomir
1/2-1/2
Roquebrune rapid 1992 B38
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Andersson, Ulf
1-0
Reggio Emilia91 Top16 1991 D56
Polgar, Judit vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Aruba m1 1991 B82
Gurevich, Mikhail vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Reggio Emilia91 Top16 1991 E46
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Ribli, Zoltan
1/2-1/2
Reggio Emilia91 Top16 1991 D27
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Polgar, Judit
1/2-1/2
Aruba m1 1991 A08
Polgar, Judit vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
Aruba m1 1991 B82
Andersson, Ulf vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Reggio Emilia91 Top16 1991 D41
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Polgar, Judit
1-0
Aruba m1 1991 E97
Polgar, Judit vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Aruba m1 1991 B84
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Polgar, Judit
1-0
Aruba m1 1991 A48
Ribli, Zoltan vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Reggio Emilia91 Top16 1991 E15
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Polgar, Judit
1/2-1/2
Aruba m1 1991 A49
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Gurevich, Mikhail
1/2-1/2
Reggio Emilia91 Top16 1991 E92
Ehlvest, Jaan vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Reggio Emilia91 Top16 1991 A38
Polgar, Judit vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Aruba m1 1991 B82
Andersson, Ulf vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
Biel 1990 A33
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Khalifman, Alexander
1/2-1/2
GMA-qual f 1990 E18
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Wahls, Matthias
1/2-1/2
Biel 1990 E97
Wahls, Matthias vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Biel 1990 B85
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Andersson, Ulf
1/2-1/2
Biel 1990 A34
Hort, Vlastimil vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Biel 1990 B22
Karpov, Anatoly vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Haninge 1990 E15
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