World Chess hall of fame
Lev Polugaevsky
Inducted 2024 1934 - 1995
Russia
Biography
Lev Polugaevsky was one of the strongest players in the world from the 1960s to the mid-1980s. During this time, he won many important competitions, including three Soviet Championships. A four-time candidate for the World Chess Championship, he defeated Mikhail Tal and Henrique Mecking in matches, twice reaching the quarterfinals stage of the World Championship. Polugaevsky represented the Soviet Union in seven Olympiads, winning team gold six times and silver once. Despite his considerable successes as a player, Lev Polugaevsky is best remembered for the books he authored and the opening variations he discovered, particularly the one that bears his name in the Najdorf Sicilian.
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