Round four was  crucial. Many top teams had to make a strong showing to avoid falling too far behind and playing risky chess to catch up. One interesting matchup was Cuba-Poland with both teams trotting out a pair of "teenage titans." GMs Lázaro Bruzón and GM Lenier Domínguez held the first two boards for Cuba, while Poland countered with GMs Bartlomiej  Macieja and Kamil Miton at the middle boards. Krasenow beat Bruzón's Rossolimo Sicilian in a fierce battle and led Poland to a 3-1 victory.

Perhaps everyone is now warmed up after a few games and there was some exciting chess in Round #4. In the Hungrary-Azerbaijan match, GM Judit Polgar rocked the hall with the brilliant 12.Nxf7!! and sent  Mamedyarov's king scurrying out in the center of the board. Such a position is sure death against Polgar and she mercilessly punished her opponent. Her victory was the decisive game in the match as the others were drawn.

Russia maintained a share of the lead with a convincing 3-1 win over Georgia. Armenia had a surprisingly easy time with Yugoslavia with a crushing 3½-½ victory. They have now joined Poland and Russia in joint 1st. The Ukraine put together a nice performance against Spain and now is in a good position to make a move for the lead.

After 12.Nxf7!!, Polgar forced the Black King to "walk the plank" before battering it and ending  with a spectacular mate.

While several African and Caribbean nations had poor results in Round #4, some notable performances occurred. IM Robert Gwaze of Zimbabwe tallied his fourth win in a row with an impressive kingside attack against FM Abdul Hassan of the United Arab Emirates. Zambia, playing without IM Amon Simutowe, shocked the Peruvians 2½-1½. However, the score could have turned into a rout had NM Stanley Chumfwa converted a winning position against GM Julio Granda-Zuniga. Truly an exciting game and a wonderful performance by Chumfwa despite his defeat.

FM Philip Corbin, the "Mikhail Tal" of the Caribbean showed why he is deserving of this name with a slashing attack over Borisek Jure of Slovenia (B). His win represented the spirit of the team as the "Bajans" waltzed to a 3-1 victory. Uganda's NM Grace Nsubuga, primarily a postional player, showed why his attacking skill should not be underestimated. Nsubuga's 25.Nf6+! was followed with a furious attack which ended with the shot 35.Bf7+ with mate following! However this wasn't enough to give Uganda a victory over the team from Hong Kong and the match ended a 2-2 draw. The games are starting to heat up!