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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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Rogers, Ian vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Biel 1986 E11
Kortschnoj, Viktor vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
Biel 1986 A30
Lobron, Eric vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Biel 1986 E12
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Hort, Vlastimil
1/2-1/2
Biel 1986 E15
Short, Nigel D vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
London 1986 B80
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Greenfeld, Alon
1-0
Biel 1986 E15
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Larsen, Bent
1-0
London 1986 E16
Hug, Werner vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Biel 1986 A07
Miles, Anthony J vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Biel 1986 A36
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Cebalo, Miso
1/2-1/2
Biel 1986 E14
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Huebner, Robert
1/2-1/2
Biel 1986 E15
Portisch, Lajos vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
London 1986 E15
Torre, Eugenio vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Biel Interzonal 1985 E15
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Romanishin, Oleg M
1-0
Tilburg 1985 D87
Huebner, Robert vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Tilburg 1985 E48
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Huebner, Robert
1/2-1/2
Tilburg 1985 D16
Dzindzichashvili, Roman vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Tilburg 1985 D30
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Quinteros, Miguel A
0-1
Biel Interzonal 1985 A41
Miles, Anthony J vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
Tilburg 1985 E31
Rodriguez, Amador vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Biel Interzonal 1985 B96
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Kortschnoj, Viktor
0-1
Tilburg 1985 E20
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Sax, Gyula
0-1
Biel Interzonal 1985 E12
Van der Wiel, John TH vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
Biel Interzonal 1985 B85
Romanishin, Oleg M vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Tilburg 1985 B23
Li Zunian vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Biel Interzonal 1985 A46
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Vaganian, Rafael A
1/2-1/2
Linares 1985 D87
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Dzindzichashvili, Roman
1/2-1/2
Tilburg 1985 A32
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Kortschnoj, Viktor
0-1
Linares 1985 E20
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Christiansen, Larry Mark
1-0
Linares 1985 E52
Andersson, Ulf vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Biel Interzonal 1985 A30
Adorjan, Andras vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Linares 1985 A36
Kortschnoj, Viktor vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Tilburg 1985 E15
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Partos, Charles
1-0
Biel Interzonal 1985 D61
Jansa, Vlastimil vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Biel Interzonal 1985 B85
Sokolov, Andrei vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Biel Interzonal 1985 B82
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Gutman, Lev
0-1
Biel Interzonal 1985 D87
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Petursson, Margeir
1/2-1/2
Biel Interzonal 1985 D34
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Miles, Anthony J
1-0
Tilburg 1985 E15
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Seirawan, Yasser
1-0
Biel Interzonal 1985 D52
Vaganian, Rafael A vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Biel Interzonal 1985 E15
Martin Gonzalez, Angel vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Biel Interzonal 1985 B48
Miles, Anthony J vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Linares 1985 A30
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Rivas Pastor, Manuel
1/2-1/2
Linares 1985 D15
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Geller, Efim P
1/2-1/2
Moscow 1985 E05
Huebner, Robert vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Linares 1985 E11
Tal, Mihail vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS Cup 1984 A46
Timman, Jan H vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
London 1984 B80
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Portisch, Lajos
1/2-1/2
OHRA 1984 D18
Timman, Jan H vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
OHRA 1984 E18
Karpov, Anatoly vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
London 1984 A33
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