Mok - Mas, Game 4 (6:15 PM 31st October 2009)

Mas won the third game to level the match at 1 1/2 - 1 1/2. Mok won the first game and the second was draw with Mas a rook up for three passed pawns. Even though his material is winning, Mas accepted a draw due to insufficient time on the clock (apparently one minute left).

The third game was very interesting. Mok played an inferior opening, trading queens early with hopes of holding a draw. In a critical position (see diagram) he made a bad choice of move (15...a5). After that it was downhill all the way



What will happen in the fourth game? Mok will have white and will he be trying to win or just draw and take the match to tie-breaks? As I noted before, Mok's white repertoire is rather simple avoiding main lines. In the second game where he had white and tried to surprise Mas with a main line Sicilian, he did not do well in the opening, coming away with a rook down.

Note: Tie-breaks will be a two game rapid. If this does not produce a winner, then two blitz games and followed by a sudden death game.