Semi-Final Tie-Breaker

Mas - Mok Tze Meng

1. e4 g6 2. d4 c6 3. Be3

Mas deviates first.

d5 4 e5 f6

Nimzowitsch wrote a book "My System" where he laid the foundations for black against the pawn center. He advocates attacking the base of the centre with ...c5. But in the Modern , we often see black playing ...f6 attacking the head of the chain instead.

5. f4 Nh6 6. Nf3 qb6 7. Qc1 Bb7 8. c4


Traditionalists might not like to play like this as it allows black a strong d5 square after capturing on c4.

0-0 9. Nc3

Black will probably defend with ...Be6 as ...e6 will weaken the e5 square.

9...Be6

White might try 10.c5 and go for queen-side expansion. Releasing the centre tension will also allow black to try for king-side play. Maybe 10.b3 to maintain the centre.

10. h3 Qd8

10...dxc4? 11. d5 wins a piece. But now the pawn capture is a threat

11.cxd5 cxd5

white has managed to keep his strong centre intact. The only way for black to attack it is ..Nf7, ...g5 etc but this is a very risky manoeuvre. Instead black will try something like ...fxe5,...Bf5 and ...e6

12. Be2 Nf5 13.g4

Black will find life difficult after this ...
sorry...white will find life difficult after this ...

white time :10 minutes
Black time : 9 minutes

13..Ng3 14. Rg1 Nxe2 15. Kxe2 Nc6 16. Qd2 Qa5 17.Raf1 Rad8


white time :8 minutes
Black time : 5 minutes

17.Kd1 fxe5

I think there is a sac on e5 coming

18. fxe5 Rxf3 19 Rxf3 Bxe5

This is not a position you want to have as white with five minutes on the clock.
20. dxe5 d4 opens up a world of hurt for white.

white time :4 minutes
Black time : 4 minutes

20. Kc1 Bg7 21. Kb1 Kh8

Black plans ..Bg8...e5

22. Rd1 Bg8 23. Bg1

23...e5 should be strong now

23...e5 24. Ne2

Ladies and gentleman, we are now officially in blitz mode. There may be some interruptions in your live telecast :)

24...qxd2 25. Rxd2 e4 26. Rf1 Bh6 27. Rc2

Mok is scratching his head, bad sign? :)

White won.
Mok blundered a whole rook in a won position

Bg5 29.Bh2 Be6 30.Bf4 Be7 31.Bh6 Rg8 32.a3 g5 33.b4 a6 34.Kc1 Rg6 35.Bf8 Bf6 36.Bc5 Kg7 37.a4 h5 38.b5 axb5 39.axb5 Na5 40.Rc3 hxg4 41.hxg4 Bxg4 42.Ng3 Nc4 43.Nxe4 dxe4 44.Rxc4 Be2 45.Rxf6 Rxf6 46.Rc2 Bxb5 47.d5 Rf1+ 48.Kd2 Rf2+ 49.Bxf2