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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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Bednarski, Jacek B vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Capablanca mem 1967 B85
Korensky, Valeri S vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
URS-ch35 1967 B70
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Mikenas, Vladas
1-0
URS-chT 1967 A13
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Dzindzichashvili, Roman
1-0
URS-chT 1967 A41
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Zhuravliov, Valerij
1-0
URS-ch35 1967 A34
Platonov, Igor V vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch35 1967 B89
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Schmid, Lothar
1/2-1/2
Capablanca mem 1967 D61
Zaitsev, Alexander N vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
URS-ch35 1967 E16
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Gurgenidze, Bukhuti
1-0
URS-ch35 1967 A42
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Gligoric, Svetozar
1-0
Capablanca mem 1967 E94
Boleslavsky, Isaak vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-chT 1967 B70
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Taimanov, Mark E
1/2-1/2
Capablanca mem 1967 E18
O'Kelly de Galway, Alberic vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Capablanca mem 1967 A16
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Rossetto, Hector
1-0
Capablanca mem 1967 A13
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Jimenez Zerquera, Eleazar
1/2-1/2
Capablanca mem 1967 A16
Mnatsakanian, Eduard A vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
URS-chT 1967 B99
Szabo, Laszlo vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
HUN-URS 1967 E12
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Kholmov, Ratmir D
1-0
URS-ch35 1967 E91
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Hennings, Artur
1/2-1/2
Capablanca mem 1967 A07
Pachman, Ludek vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Capablanca mem 1967 E39
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Letelier, Rene
1-0
Capablanca mem 1967 E92
Cobo Arteaga, Eldis vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Capablanca mem 1967 A35
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Lutikov, Anatoly S
1-0
URS-ch35 1967 E61
Westerinen, Heikki MJ vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
Capablanca mem 1967 B81
Taimanov, Mark E vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-chT 1967 E14
Zheliandinov, Viktor vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch35 1967 B96
Barcza, Gedeon vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Capablanca mem 1967 A37
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Nei, Iivo
1-0
URS-chT 1967 A08
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Donner, Jan Hein
1/2-1/2
Capablanca mem 1967 D55
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Bobotsov, Milko G
1/2-1/2
Sochi 1966 B83
Bradvarevic, Aleksandar vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Sochi 1966 B53
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Boutteville, Cesar
1-0
Le Havre 1966 A08
Malich, Burkhard vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
La Habana olm fin-A 1966 A56
Bobotsov, Milko G vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Hoogovens 1966 E12
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Ivkov, Borislav
1/2-1/2
Hoogovens 1966 D58
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Padevsky, Nikola
1-0
La Habana olm fin-A 1966 D71
Rolland, Pierre vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Le Havre 1966 B70
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Van Scheltinga, Theo D
1/2-1/2
Hoogovens 1966 E08
Doroshkievich, Vladimir K vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
URS-ch34 1966 D97
Savon, Vladimir A vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch34 1966 E15
Nikolaevsky, Yuri V vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
URS-ch34 1966 A24
Bilek, Istvan vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Hoogovens 1966 E15
Mosionzhik, Ilya Samoilovich vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
URS-chT 1966 B43
Glauser, Hansruedi vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
La Habana olm prel 1966 B43
Kavalek, Lubomir vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
La Habana olm fin-A 1966 B89
Stanciu, Traian vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
La Habana olm fin-A 1966 B80
Etruk, Rein T vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-chT 1966 A37
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Kortschnoj, Viktor
1-0
Sochi 1966 A17
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Matanovic, Aleksandar
1/2-1/2
Le Havre 1966 D32
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Mazzoni, Guy
1-0
Le Havre 1966 E14
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