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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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Huebner, Robert vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Tilburg 1983 A30
Vaganian, Rafael A vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Tilburg 1983 E11
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Petrosian, Tigran V
0-1
URS-ch50 1983 A42
Beliavsky, Alexander G vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch50 1983 E54
Andersson, Ulf vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Tilburg 1983 A33
Geller, Efim P vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch50 1983 B85
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Seirawan, Yasser
1/2-1/2
Tilburg 1983 E32
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Sosonko, Gennadi
1-0
Tilburg 1983 D38
Jussupow, Artur vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch50 1983 A47
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Van der Wiel, John TH
1/2-1/2
Tilburg 1983 A47
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Portisch, Lajos
1/2-1/2
EU-chT Plovdiv 1983 E12
Karpov, Anatoly vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch50 1983 E32
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Timman, Jan H
1/2-1/2
Mar del Plata 1982 E18
Timman, Jan H vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Bugojno 1982 E15
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Karpov, Anatoly
1/2-1/2
Mar del Plata 1982 D36
Ivanov, Igor V vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Toluca Interzonal 1982 E11
Rubinetti, Jorge A vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Toluca Interzonal 1982 A17
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Larsen, Bent
1/2-1/2
Mar del Plata 1982 A55
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Petrosian, Tigran V
1/2-1/2
Bugojno 1982 E19
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Kasparov, Gary
1/2-1/2
Bugojno 1982 E74
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Portisch, Lajos
0-1
Mar del Plata 1982 A30
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Nunn, John DM
1/2-1/2
Toluca Interzonal 1982 E94
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Larsen, Bent
0-1
Bugojno 1982 A55
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Rodriguez, Amador
1-0
Toluca Interzonal 1982 E92
Hulak, Krunoslav vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Toluca Interzonal 1982 A50
Adorjan, Andras vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Toluca Interzonal 1982 A19
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Najdorf, Miguel
1-0
Bugojno 1982 D67
Najdorf, Miguel vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Mar del Plata 1982 A13
Kouatly, Bachar vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Toluca Interzonal 1982 E11
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Seirawan, Yasser
1-0
Toluca Interzonal 1982 E43
Balashov, Yuri S vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Toluca Interzonal 1982 E54
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Torre, Eugenio
0-1
Toluca Interzonal 1982 D18
Spassky, Boris V vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Bugojno 1982 B23
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Ljubojevic, Ljubomir
1/2-1/2
Bugojno 1982 A27
Timman, Jan H vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Moscow 1981 E54
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Geller, Efim P
1/2-1/2
Moscow 1981 D58
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Petrosian, Tigran V
1-0
Moscow 1981 E12
Beliavsky, Alexander G vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Moscow 1981 B96
Portisch, Lajos vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Moscow 1981 E12
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Kasparov, Gary
1/2-1/2
Moscow 1981 D79
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Portisch, Lajos
1/2-1/2
Amsterdam 1981 E04
Smyslov, Vassily vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Moscow 1981 A14
Timman, Jan H vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
Amsterdam 1981 B50
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Karpov, Anatoly
1/2-1/2
Moscow 1981 E18
Karpov, Anatoly vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Amsterdam 1981 E18
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Ljubojevic, Ljubomir
1/2-1/2
Amsterdam 1981 E04
Smyslov, Vassily vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Amsterdam 1981 A14
Karpov, Anatoly vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Bugojno 1980 E12
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Tal, Mihail
1/2-1/2
Candidats qf1 1980 E98
Tal, Mihail vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Candidats qf1 1980 B44
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