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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 Averbakh, Yuri L
1-0
URS-ch31 1963 E08
Bilek, Istvan vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Sochi 1963 A46
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Balcerowski, Witold
1-0
Bad Liebenstein 1963 B18
Kortschnoj, Viktor vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
URS-ch31 1963 A25
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Kholmov, Ratmir D
1/2-1/2
URS-ch31 1963 A33
Stein, Leonid vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch31 1963 B42
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Karaklajic, Nikola
1-0
Bad Liebenstein 1963 D36
Szily, Jozsef vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Bad Liebenstein 1963 B95
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Malich, Burkhard
1/2-1/2
Bad Liebenstein 1963 A37
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Zakharov, Alexander V
1/2-1/2
URS-ch31 1963 E91
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Boleslavsky, Isaak
1/2-1/2
URS-chT 1963 C65
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Bukic, Enver
1-0
Sochi 1963 E71
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Gurgenidze, Bukhuti
1/2-1/2
URS-chT 1963 E83
Gufeld, Eduard vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch31 1963 B09
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Ciocaltea, Victor
1/2-1/2
Sochi 1963 A49
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Klovans, Janis
1-0
URS-ch31 1963 D36
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Novopashin, Arkady
1/2-1/2
URS-ch31 1963 A09
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Gligoric, Svetozar
1-0
URS-JUG 1962 E88
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Pietzsch, Wolfgang
1-0
Capablanca mem 1962 E88
Shofman, Mikhail vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
URS-chT 1962 B23
Pachman, Ludek vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Mar del Plata 1962 A17
Bielicki, Carlos vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Mar del Plata 1962 E69
Matanovic, Aleksandar vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Capablanca mem 1962 B80
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Luik, Helmuth
1-0
URS-chT 1962 A36
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Garcia, Gilberto
1-0
Capablanca mem 1962 E40
Ortega, Rogelio vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Capablanca mem 1962 B96
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Milev, Zdravko
1-0
Capablanca mem 1962 D36
Siero vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Capablanca mem 1962 B23
Eliskases, Erich Gottlieb vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Mar del Plata 1962 A20
Alvarez del Monte, Jose Luis vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Capablanca mem 1962 B42
Ciocaltea, Victor vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Capablanca mem 1962 B82
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Panno, Oscar
1-0
Mar del Plata 1962 E88
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Parma, Bruno
1/2-1/2
Mar del Plata 1962 E11
Pachman, Ludek vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
Capablanca mem 1962 A17
Pilnik, Herman vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Mar del Plata 1962 B43
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Perez Perez, Francisco Jose
1-0
Capablanca mem 1962 D99
Penrose, Jonathan vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Mar del Plata 1962 B93
Byrne, Donald vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Mar del Plata 1962 A26
Bertok, Mario vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-JUG 1962 B47
Ivkov, Borislav vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Capablanca mem 1962 B42
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Gligoric, Svetozar
0-1
Capablanca mem 1962 E14
Polugaevsky, Lev vs De Greiff, Boris
1-0
Capablanca mem 1962 D61
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Haag, Ervin
1-0
Capablanca mem 1962 A43
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Letelier, Rene
1-0
Mar del Plata 1962 D71
Mikenas, Vladas vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
URS-chT 1962 E77
Gonzalez, Ju vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
Capablanca mem 1962 A64
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Parma, Bruno
1/2-1/2
URS-JUG 1962 A39
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Sanguineti, Raul
1/2-1/2
Mar del Plata 1962 A17
Cobo Arteaga, Eldis vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Capablanca mem 1962 B94
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Boleslavsky, Isaak
1/2-1/2
URS-chT 1962 D94
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