This week’s episode of the New In Chess Podcast features a narration from “The Essential Sosonko”, a collection of chess portraits based on personal stories authored by chess grandmaster Genna Sosonko.
This episode is about Lev Abramovich Polugaevsky, one of the strongest chess-players of the late 1960s and early 1970s. To a significant extent his successes can be attributed to his thorough opening preparation, which went even deeper than Botvinnik’s, and set the trend for the later generations of world elite players.
From a young age, Lev’s thinking was concrete, and his analysis “simply brilliant”, in the words of his good friend Vasily Smyslov. He obtained the Master title when he had already reached adulthood, but he never stopped becoming stronger until well in his forties. He peaked at 2645 and made it to third place on the ranks in July 1972.
A lifelong friend of the Sicilian Defence, among the works on his bibliography are two monographs on the opening. “Lyova” even came up with his own variation of the Najdorf Sicilian, which was duly named after him. A Sicilian-themed tournament was organised in celebration of his 60th birthday in 1994, but he was unable to play due to illness.
Enjoy this week’s episode of the New In Chess Podcast! Remember, you can find us on popular platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts, making it convenient for you to browse the chapters and listen to your favourite parts.
