Next Monday (3-19) is the day for game 5 of our Match

After 4 games out 16 scheduled for this Match 2012, the score has leveled out and we're again as in the beginning, except of course that now only 12 more games are left to decide who will be the champion this year.

It's like the first quarter of a football game is now over and there's no advantage in points for anybody. And just like in football, everything will be decided in the 4th quarter. If, by then, neither I nor Jose is ahead by at least 2 points, say after 12 games, then this is going to be a very close race, and I think it will be close.
Last year I didn't do very well playing with the black pieces against my friend, but that is what I'm trying to change this year. 

So far, I've been able to stop Jose with two draws, the first one when he allowed me to play my favorite defense, the French, and the second one against his own favorite, the English Opening or "Matadora" (the killer) as he loves to call it.

I don't know what he'll decide to play next Monday, I do have an idea, but the most important thing for me in the next game will be to keep his tactical hands tight up, to try to find a way to win with black, and to play my next game with white and an advantage in the score also, that would be ideal, although this is still more wishful thinking than reality.
However, I'm still going into this battle with the full intention of winning it. If that is not possible, at least a draw would be OK with me. Anyways, I don't play to draw on purpose, I really don't even know how to, and Jose -specially with white- always plays not only to win, but to kill his opponent, so if I lose there really is not a surprise, I admit it completely.

But there's a reason why I want to win this game with black  and is this: The last time I beat Jose while he was playing had the white pieces was in April of last year, so it's been almost a year since then, and I think that's too much time. I need to make my black pieces work a little harder than just for getting a draw, and find a way to win. If in that search and risk I end up losing, well, what can I say? There's still a lot of games remaining in the match, and also, I rather lose fighting to the fullest, than to make a chicken-draw. IF there's a draw it'll be a well fought out draw, and I won't offer it on moves 40's, not even 50's.
Jose and I know each other very well, specially and with a big emphasis when it comes to knowing each other as chess players. There's no much that we can surprise the other with in the opening phase, so everything comes down to be the best fighter on that particular night and that particular game.
We'll see what happens.
For now all I can say is: I AM READY MR. RAMIREZ!!