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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 Langeweg, Kick
1/2-1/2
Hoogovens 1966 A07
Suetin, Alexey S vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
URS-chT 1966 B83
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Bobotsov, Milko G
1/2-1/2
Le Havre 1966 A36
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Kortschnoj, Viktor
1/2-1/2
URS-chT 1966 A05
Damjanovic, Mato vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Hoogovens 1966 A32
Lein, Anatoly vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
URS-ch34 1966 A36
Forintos, Gyozo V vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Le Havre 1966 E60
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Roos, Michel
1/2-1/2
Le Havre 1966 E75
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Sergievsky, Vladimir D
1-0
Sochi 1966 D50
Vasiukov, Evgeni vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
URS-chT 1966 B44
Bykhovsky, Anatoly A vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-chT 1966 B43
Osnos, Viatcheslav vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
URS-ch34 1966 E69
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Osmanagic, Dusan
1-0
Sarajevo 1965 A16
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Janosevic, Dragoljub
1-0
Budapest2 1965 A14
Mihaljcisin, Mihajlo vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Sarajevo 1965 B51
Gligoric, Svetozar vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
URS-JUG 1965 E54
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Matulovic, Milan
1-0
URS-JUG 1965 B47
Taimanov, Mark E vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch33 1965 B23
Suetin, Alexey S vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch33 1965 B83
Ciric, Dragoljub M vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
URS-JUG 1965 B91
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Bykhovsky, Anatoly A
1-0
URS-ch33 1965 A00
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Kuzmin, Gennadi P
1-0
URS-ch33 1965 E50
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Trifunovic, Petar
1-0
Sarajevo 1965 A11
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Osnos, Viatcheslav
1/2-1/2
URS-ch33 1965 B18
Mikenas, Vladas vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
URS-ch33 1965 E41
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Pirc, Vasja
1-0
Budapest2 1965 A54
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Sakharov, Yury N
1/2-1/2
URS-ch33 1965 A11
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Kozomara, Vladimir
1-0
Sarajevo 1965 A54
Khasin, Abram vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
URS-ch33 1965 E42
Ciric, Dragoljub M vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Sarajevo 1965 B87
Simagin, Vladimir vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch33 1965 A25
Robatsch, Karl vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Budapest2 1965 B42
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Hort, Vlastimil
1/2-1/2
Sarajevo 1965 A07
Mestrovic, Zvonimir vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Sarajevo 1965 B43
Bukhman, Eduard vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch33 1965 A47
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Uhlmann, Wolfgang
1-0
Sarajevo 1965 E73
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Stein, Leonid
0-1
URS-ch33 1965 A56
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Parma, Bruno
1-0
URS-JUG 1965 D32
Ljavdansky, Vladimir vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch33 1965 A17
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Janosevic, Dragoljub
1-0
URS-JUG 1965 B85
Bogdanovic, Rajko vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Sarajevo 1965 B56
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Malich, Burkhard
1-0
Sarajevo 1965 B08
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Gufeld, Eduard
1/2-1/2
URS-ch33 1965 E75
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Kortschnoj, Viktor
1-0
URS-ch33 1965 A38
Lengyel, Levente vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Sarajevo 1965 D26
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Tringov, Georgi P
1/2-1/2
Sarajevo 1965 A35
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Matulovic, Milan
1/2-1/2
Sarajevo 1965 A39
Vasiukov, Evgeni vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
URS-ch33 1965 B88
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Forintos, Gyozo V
1/2-1/2
Sarajevo 1965 A35
Suetin, Alexey S vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
Sarajevo 1965 B06
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