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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 Tal, Mihail
1-0
Candidats qf1 1980 D58
Tal, Mihail vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Bugojno 1980 B47
Tal, Mihail vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Candidats qf1 1980 B96
Karpov, Anatoly vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Bugojno 1980 E12
Larsen, Bent vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Bugojno 1980 A36
Tal, Mihail vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Candidats qf1 1980 B44
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Ljubojevic, Ljubomir
1-0
Bugojno 1980 A31
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Tal, Mihail
1/2-1/2
Candidats qf1 1980 D58
Tal, Mihail vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Candidats qf1 1980 B96
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Timman, Jan H
0-1
Bugojno 1980 A10
Van Riemsdijk, Herman C vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Riga Interzonal 1979 B80
Adorjan, Andras vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Riga Interzonal 1979 A36
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Smyslov, Vassily
1-0
URS Spartakiad 1979 E11
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Timman, Jan H
0-1
Breda m 1979 D87
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Romanishin, Oleg M
1-0
Riga Interzonal 1979 A30
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Mednis, Edmar John
1/2-1/2
Riga Interzonal 1979 D47
Tarjan, James Edward vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Riga Interzonal 1979 E15
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Bouaziz, Slim
1-0
Riga Interzonal 1979 A79
Beliavsky, Alexander G vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
URS Spartakiad 1979 B96
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Timman, Jan H
1/2-1/2
Breda m 1979 E15
Miles, Anthony J vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Riga Interzonal 1979 E15
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Timman, Jan H
1-0
Breda m 1979 D34
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Gheorghiu, Florin
1/2-1/2
Riga Interzonal 1979 A30
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Timman, Jan H
1/2-1/2
Breda m 1979 D82
Timman, Jan H vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Breda m 1979 A34
Kuzmin, Gennadi P vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Riga Interzonal 1979 A30
Timman, Jan H vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Breda m 1979 A33
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Rodriguez, Ruben
1-0
Riga Interzonal 1979 A31
Trois, Francisco RT vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Riga Interzonal 1979 E15
Gruenfeld, Yehuda vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Riga Interzonal 1979 B96
Kasparov, Gary vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
URS Spartakiad 1979 B81
Timman, Jan H vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Hoogovens 1979 E16
Timman, Jan H vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
Breda m 1979 E12
Timman, Jan H vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Breda m 1979 A30
Tseshkovsky, Vitaly vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
Riga Interzonal 1979 B85
Kasparov, Gary vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
URS-ch46 1978 B43
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Larsen, Bent
1-0
Reykjavik 1978 E16
Larsen, Bent vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Lone Pine op 1978 A37
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Tal, Mihail
1/2-1/2
URS-ch46 1978 D58
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Reshevsky, Samuel Herman
1-0
Lone Pine op 1978 E08
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Lone Pine op 1978 E16
Beliavsky, Alexander G vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch46 1978 B85
Geller, Efim P vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
URS-ch46 1978 B85
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
URS-ch45 1977 E19
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch45 1977 A46
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Geller, Efim P
1/2-1/2
URS-ch45 1977 E05
Tal, Mihail vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
URS-ch45 1977 A13
Panno, Oscar vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Manila Interzonal 1976 B50
Mariotti, Sergio vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Manila Interzonal 1976 B80
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Gheorghiu, Florin
1-0
Manila Interzonal 1976 A17
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