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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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Biyiasas, Peter vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Manila Interzonal 1976 A24
Tseshkovsky, Vitaly vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Manila Interzonal 1976 B84
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Gheorghiu, Florin
1-0
Manila Interzonal 1976 A17
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Tan Lian Ann
1-0
Manila Interzonal 1976 D19
Mecking, Henrique vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Manila Interzonal 1976 E18
Tal, Mihail vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch44 1976 A30
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Kavalek, Lubomir
1/2-1/2
Manila Interzonal 1976 E18
Browne, Walter S vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Manila Interzonal 1976 D47
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Geller, Efim P
1/2-1/2
URS-ch44 1976 D93
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Petrosian, Tigran V
1/2-1/2
URS-ch44 1976 A28
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Harandi, Khosro
1-0
Manila Interzonal 1976 A22
Ribli, Zoltan vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Manila Interzonal 1976 A14
Balashov, Yuri S vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Manila Interzonal 1976 B96
Panno, Oscar vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Manila Interzonal 1976 B50
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Geller, Efim P
1/2-1/2
Sochi 1976 E18
Quinteros, Miguel A vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
Manila Interzonal 1976 B96
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Torre, Eugenio
1-0
Manila Interzonal 1976 E90
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Uhlmann, Wolfgang
1/2-1/2
Manila Interzonal 1976 B08
Pachman, Ludek vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Manila Interzonal 1976 A13
Karpov, Anatoly vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch44 1976 D47
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Beliavsky, Alexander G
1-0
URS-ch43 1975 B36
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Bronstein, David I
1/2-1/2
URS-ch43 1975 E15
Tal, Mihail vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch43 1975 A17
Smyslov, Vassily vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
URS-chT 1975 E91
Portisch, Lajos vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Tungsram 1975 A30
Geller, Efim P vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch43 1975 D40
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Larsen, Bent
1/2-1/2
Manila 1975 E16
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Ljubojevic, Ljubomir
1/2-1/2
Manila 1975 E10
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch43 1975 D60
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Karpov, Anatoly
1/2-1/2
Candidats qf1 1974 E56
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Beliavsky, Alexander G
1/2-1/2
Las Palmas 1974 A60
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Larsen, Bent
1/2-1/2
Las Palmas 1974 E43
Ljubojevic, Ljubomir vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Las Palmas 1974 B44
Tal, Mihail vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
URS-ch42 1974 E55
Spassky, Boris V vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Solingen 1974 E14
Karpov, Anatoly vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
Candidats qf1 1974 B92
Karpov, Anatoly vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
Candidats qf1 1974 B92
Karpov, Anatoly vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1-0
Candidats qf1 1974 B92
Karpov, Anatoly vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
Candidats qf1 1974 B92
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Karpov, Anatoly
1/2-1/2
Candidats qf1 1974 E56
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Karpov, Anatoly
1/2-1/2
Candidats qf1 1974 E56
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Karpov, Anatoly
1/2-1/2
Candidats qf1 1974 E56
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Beliavsky, Alexander G
1-0
URS-ch42 1974 A31
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Ivkov, Borislav
1/2-1/2
Petropolis Interzonal 1973 D38
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Geller, Efim P
1/2-1/2
URS-ch41 1973 E88
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Tal, Mihail
1-0
URS-ch41 1973 A10
Karpov, Anatoly vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch41 1973 D47
Beliavsky, Alexander G vs Polugaevsky, Lev
0-1
URS-ch41 1973 B83
Polugaevsky, Lev vs Timman, Jan H
1/2-1/2
Tallinn 1973 A36
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Polugaevsky, Lev
1/2-1/2
URS-ch41 1973 A07
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