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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 Miles, Anthony J
0-1
Biel 1990 A41
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Wahls, Matthias
1/2-1/2
Biel 1990 E97
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Lautier, Joel
1/2-1/2
Biel 1990 E15
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Portisch, Lajos
1/2-1/2
GMA-qual f 1990 E15
Karpov, Anatoly vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Haninge 1990 E15
Lautier, Joel vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Biel 1990 E12
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Andersson, Ulf
1/2-1/2
Biel 1990 A34
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Gelfand, Boris
1/2-1/2
GMA-qual f 1990 A39
Miles, Anthony J vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Biel 1990 E12
Sokolov, Ivan vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Biel 1989 E32
De Firmian, Nick E vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Biel 1989 B82
Hellers, Ferdinand vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Biel 1989 B80
Torre, Eugenio vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Biel 1989 B52
Smyslov, Vassily vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Haninge 1989 D26
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Torre, Eugenio
1-0
Biel 1989 D18
Miles, Anthony J vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Biel 1989 A36
Polugaevsky, Lev vs De Firmian, Nick E
1/2-1/2
Biel 1989 E61
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Hellers, Ferdinand
1-0
Biel 1989 E97
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Sokolov, Ivan
1/2-1/2
Biel 1989 B50
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Miles, Anthony J
1-0
Biel 1989 B07
Hort, Vlastimil vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Biel 1989 E32
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Hort, Vlastimil
1/2-1/2
Biel 1989 D59
Polgar, Zsuzsa vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Reykjavik op 1988 E12
Timman, Jan H vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Reykjavik 1987 E12
Granda Zuniga, Julio E vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Zagreb Interzonal 1987 E39
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Tal, Mihail
1/2-1/2
Reykjavik 1987 A14
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Short, Nigel D
1/2-1/2
Reykjavik 1987 A41
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Baragar, Fletcher
1-0
Zagreb Interzonal 1987 E12
Nikolic, Predrag vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Zagreb Interzonal 1987 E15
Hulak, Krunoslav vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Zagreb Interzonal 1987 E15
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Gruenfeld, Yehuda
1/2-1/2
Zagreb Interzonal 1987 E12
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Inkiov, Ventzislav
1/2-1/2
Zagreb Interzonal 1987 D39
Ehlvest, Jaan vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Zagreb Interzonal 1987 B26
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Ljubojevic, Ljubomir
1/2-1/2
Reykjavik 1987 A42
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Portisch, Lajos
1/2-1/2
Reykjavik 1987 D55
Miles, Anthony J vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Zagreb Interzonal 1987 A14
Bronstein, Luis vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Rio Hondo 1987 B51
Jussupow, Artur vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Moscow TV 1987 E15
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Nogueiras, Jesus
1/2-1/2
Zagreb Interzonal 1987 D36
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Hickl, Joerg
1/2-1/2
Zagreb Interzonal 1987 A55
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Torre, Eugenio
1/2-1/2
Zagreb Interzonal 1987 D36
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Pinter, Jozsef
1-0
Zagreb Interzonal 1987 D46
Eingorn, Vereslav S vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Zagreb Interzonal 1987 E15
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Seirawan, Yasser
1-0
Zagreb Interzonal 1987 D02
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Tal, Mihail
1/2-1/2
Rio Hondo 1987 D86
Kortschnoj, Viktor vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
Zagreb Interzonal 1987 E15
Barlov, Dragan vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
Zagreb Interzonal 1987 E15
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Klinger, Josef
1-0
Biel 1986 E17
Kortschnoj, Viktor vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
Biel 1986 A30
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Hort, Vlastimil
1/2-1/2
Biel 1986 E15
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