Showing amazing persistance, Ivanchuk managed to win an almost dead drawn ending in game 5, and then drew the 6th and last game of the match using the Scandinavian Defence. The Ukrainian won the Revanche Match against Leko deservedly, after showing better preparation and... better chess.

4th-6th January Ivanchuk and Leko played a 6-game rapid match (25 minutes + 10 seconds per move) in Mukachevo, Ukraine. It was called Revanche Match, after a similar match in October 2007 had ended in 6-6, after which Ivanchuk had won the blitz playoff. The first four games, played on Saturday and Sunday, ended in a draw; yesterday the last two were played.

Game 5 and 6

In the 5th game Ivanchuk went back to 1.Nf3, his first choice, but then went 2.c4 (not 2.d4 as in game 1) and the opening became a Symmetrical English. The players followed a 28-year-old game and then the Ukrainian came up with a spectacular novelty which was answered very accurately by Leko. Perhaps motivated by earlier missed wins, Ivanchuk tried and tried to win a just very slightly better ending... and eventually managed. Incredible!

Again in the 6th and last game, it was Ivanchuk who surprised Leko in the opening and he was probably even better at some point, but eventually a sharp middlegame finished in a perpetual check.

And so, just like in 2007 but this time without the blitz playoff, Ivanchuk won his match against Leko. It doesn't say too much, but still: in 5 out of 6 games it was the Ukrainian who came up with the theoretical novelty, and in two drawn games he was very close to winning.

Match score

Ivanchuk's next big event will be the Corus Chess Tournament, where he will be first seeded. We're not sure if Leko will be playing a tournament soon.

Previous articles:

• Rematch Ivanchuk-Leko starts with two draws
• Two more fighting draws in Ivanchuk-Leko

Links:

• Official website
• Games in PGN