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Lev Polugaevsky
Number of games in database: 1,969
Years covered: 1953 to 1994
Highest rating achieved in database: 2640
Overall record: +708 -259 =976 (61.6%)*
   * Overall winning percentage = (wins+draws/2) / total games
      Based on games in the database; may be incomplete.
      26 exhibition games, odds games, etc. are excluded from this statistic.

MOST PLAYED OPENINGS
With the White pieces:
 King's Indian (103) 
    E88 E97 E73 E75 E92
 English (99) 
    A17 A15 A14 A13 A10
 Queen's Indian (83) 
    E12 E15 E17 E19 E14
 English, 1 c4 c5 (64) 
    A30 A34 A35 A33 A36
 Nimzo Indian (49) 
    E54 E46 E55 E21 E42
 Reti System (48) 
    A04 A05 A06
With the Black pieces:
 Sicilian (380) 
    B96 B90 B84 B46 B92
 Queen's Indian (134) 
    E15 E12 E17 E14 E16
 Sicilian Najdorf (123) 
    B96 B90 B92 B93 B94
 Nimzo Indian (85) 
    E54 E32 E53 E46 E48
 English (66) 
    A15 A17 A13 A14 A16
 English, 1 c4 c5 (65) 
    A30 A33 A36 A34 A35
Repertoire Explorer

NOTABLE GAMES: [what is this?]
   Polugaevsky vs E Torre, 1981 1-0
   Polugaevsky vs Tal, 1969 1-0
   Polugaevsky vs Petrosian, 1960 1-0
   Polugaevsky vs E Torre, 1984 1-0
   Polugaevsky vs I Bilek, 1969 1-0
   Spassky vs Polugaevsky, 1961 0-1
   Polugaevsky vs Gulko, 1975 1-0
   Polugaevsky vs Maslov, 1963 1-0
   Tal vs Polugaevsky, 1980 0-1
   Polugaevsky vs Korchnoi, 1980 1-0

GAME COLLECTIONS: [what is this?]
   Grandmaster Polugaevsky by Resignation Trap
   USSR Championship 1968/69 by suenteus po 147

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LEV POLUGAEVSKY
(born Nov-20-1934, died Aug-30-1995) Russia

[what is this?]
Lev Abramovich Polugayevsky was born in Mogilev on November 20, 1934. In 1953, he he took second place in a strong Russian tournament, gaining his master norm. He participated in five Candidates matches and won 2 silver and 2 gold medals in USSR Championships. He had an excellent record in the Olympiads as well. He was one of the most influential theoreticians of his day and contributed heavily to the development of the Sicilian Najdorf. One of the most complex variations in it bears his name, the Sicilian, Najdorf (B96) Polugaevsky variation: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 b5. He passed away in 1995 in Paris, France from a brain tumour.

 page 1 of 79; games 1-25 of 1,969  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves Year Event/LocaleOpening
1. G Ilivitsky vs Polugaevsky 0-144 1953 SaratowD48 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav, Meran
2. Polugaevsky vs Nezhmetdinov  ½-½52 1953 13th RSFSR ChE67 King's Indian, Fianchetto
3. Polugaevsky vs V Soloviev  ½-½41 1954 URS-ch sfB76 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack
4. Polugaevsky vs G Goldberg  ½-½74 1954 URS-chTA30 English, Symmetrical
5. Polugaevsky vs I Veltmander  1-036 1954 URS-ch sfD36 Queen's Gambit Declined, Exchange, Positional line, 6.Qc2
6. Boleslavsky vs Polugaevsky  ½-½41 1954 URS-ch sfB56 Sicilian
7. Polugaevsky vs S Khalilbeili  ½-½69 1954 URS-chTE07 Catalan, Closed
8. Polugaevsky vs Spassky  ½-½38 1954 TournamentA73 Benoni, Classical, 9.O-O
9. Novopashin vs Polugaevsky  1-036 1954 URS-ch sfB69 Sicilian, Richter-Rauzer Attack, 7...a6 Defense, 11.Bxf6
10. Aleksandrov vs Polugaevsky 0-168 1954 URS-chTB95 Sicilian, Najdorf, 6...e6
11. Bondarevsky vs Polugaevsky  1-036 1954 URS-ch sfB41 Sicilian, Kan
12. Polugaevsky vs Antoshin  ½-½70 1954 Leningrad masterA84 Dutch
13. Polugaevsky vs A Khasin  0-130 1954 URS-ch sfE02 Catalan, Open, 5.Qa4
14. A Sidorov vs Polugaevsky  0-152 1954 URS-chTB95 Sicilian, Najdorf, 6...e6
15. Polugaevsky vs N Gusev  0-135 1954 TournamentA19 English, Mikenas-Carls, Sicilian Variation
16. Nezhmetdinov vs Polugaevsky 1-034 1954 URS-ch sfB30 Sicilian
17. Polugaevsky vs J Guskov  1-036 1954 URS-chTA09 Reti Opening
18. Polugaevsky vs G Borisenko 0-142 1954 URS-ch sfE99 King's Indian, Orthodox, Taimanov
19. V Goldin vs Polugaevsky  ½-½24 1954 URS-chTA54 Old Indian, Ukrainian Variation, 4.Nf3
20. Geller vs Polugaevsky  ½-½41 1954 URS-ch sfB92 Sicilian, Najdorf, Opocensky Variation
21. M Yudovich Sr. vs Polugaevsky  1-032 1954 URS-ch sfB43 Sicilian, Kan, 5.Nc3
22. Polugaevsky vs A Krutyanski  1-045 1954 URS-chTA56 Benoni Defense
23. Cherepkov vs Polugaevsky  1-021 1954 TournamentA04 Reti Opening
24. Zagorovsky vs Polugaevsky  0-126 1954 URS-ch sfB67 Sicilian, Richter-Rauzer Attack, 7...a6 Defense, 8...Bd7
25. V Liavdansky vs Polugaevsky 1-055 1954 URS-ch sfB58 Sicilian
 page 1 of 79; games 1-25 of 1,969  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2) | Polugaevsky wins | Polugaevsky loses  

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 3 OF 3 ·  Later Kibitzing >
Feb-13-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  TheAlchemist: A great player, unfortunately it seems he didn't have such a competitive spirit and will to win as his contemporaries and always fell short.
Feb-13-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  plang: <A great player, unfortunately it seems he didn't have such a competitive spirit and will to win as his contemporaries and always fell short.> I don't understand this comment. As great a player as he was isn't it possible that his match losses to Karpov and Korchnoi were due to him being slightly less great than they were.
Feb-13-08   nescio: plang: <isn't it possible that his match losses to Karpov and Korchnoi were due to him being slightly less great than they were.> As a player, yes, but in his insights on and feeling for chess positions he was probably the equal of all of them, Spassky and Petrosian included. He couldn't prove it at the board, however, due to nerves or lack of drive or whatever, like for example Rubinstein and Boleslavsky before him. I think that is what <TheAlchemist> wanted to say.
Feb-14-08   brankat: Add to the list: Keres, Bronstein, Nimzowitsch, Schlechter, Stein, Korchnoi, Larsen, Portisch, and many other great masters.

Very few were possessed of all necessary Champion-like Qualities.

Feb-14-08   nescio: <brankat> There is no list, so I can't add anyone. Besides I don't agree. I mentioned Rubinstein and Boleslavsky because I think they had superb chess qualities, but I can't imagine them as a Champion, just like Polugaevsky (and probably Ivanchuk, but I don't know enough of him to judge).

You may be right about Stein, but with the others it is only the coincidence that there were such strong world champions already and that they were just not good enough. Keres and Bronstein would have gained the title if it weren't for Botvinnik being in their way. Karpov and Kasparov have frustrated the ambitions of many.

But I should add this is only my opinion, objection is allowed :)

Feb-14-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  Red October: some were content to train a future champion like Boleslavsky
Feb-14-08   brankat: <nescio> <Besides I don't agree.>

After reading Your post, I concluded that we are saying the same thing. So, You actually do agree :-)

Feb-23-08   MoonlitKnight: Besides Korchnoi, Polugaevsky and Stein must have been the strongest players from this generation to never reach the summit of chess.

Polugaevsky's class was very high. His understanding of the game and ability to calculate variations was that of a world champ. He was probably also the hardest working chess player in the world at one point. He was famous for having the deepest opening preparations of all. What he lacked was the ability to make good practical decisions OTB. That's what made Karpov so much stronger.

Apr-21-08   TheDude: I found some pictures in Google and i must say that he has a similarity with Garry Kasparov. Ok, ok, maybe in 30 years. ;-)
Sep-06-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  just a kid: One of the most least kibitzed great games of Polugaevsky.Polugaevsky vs Kudrin, 1989
Nov-13-08   Andrijadj: Polu seemed to have good all time scores against GMs of today,beating Short and Polgar for example,and losing to Vishy Anand by a narrow margin...Kasparov beat him 4:0,but I think 2 of that games are from simultaneous exibitions Polu gave...
Nov-13-08   Andrijadj: I think that is because of his opening knowledge,as he was able to match the preparation of younger players...
Nov-20-08   brankat: R.I.P. Lev.
Dec-26-08   M.D. Wilson: He was a concrete calculator and an openings maven. Widely respected by the USSR chess elite. Very sad he died from a brain tumour.
Jan-18-09   M.D. Wilson: How difficult is it to get a photo of Lev Polugaevsky up on this site?
Mar-03-09   Dredge Rivers: Once you've played a match behind bulletproof glass, nothing else is ever the same!
Jun-28-09   M.D. Wilson: Polugaevsky had a great record against the bane of World Champions: Efim Geller.
Nov-20-09   19842009: I have his book "The birth of Variation".
There He wrote a lot of Himself.
And my impression is that ... He is a very charming man, very ... (and very honest...) A Great Man!
Nov-20-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  Sem: Who has the prerogative of including a picture in a biography on this website? Will chessgames.com upload a photo offered by one of its members?
Nov-20-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  talisman: happy birthday Lev!
one of the all-time greats.
Rocky got a locker so there is still hope...Lev might get a picture.
Nov-20-09   WhiteRook48: he beat everybody!!
Nov-20-09   SakoTRG22: Happy Birthday to one my favorite classical players, Lev Polugaevsky!
Dec-17-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  mysql: Who is the equivalent of Polugaevsky in our modern crop of players?
Dec-17-09   returnoftheking: Topalov with black? Kramnik with white?
Dec-27-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  Karpova: Lev Polugayevsky: <Ninety per cent of all chess books you can open at page one and then immediately close again for ever. Sometimes you see books that have been written in one month. I don’t like that. You should take at least two years for a book, or not do it at all.>

7/1990, New in Chess, page 57

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