117th Knight's Quest, Round 4

The final round.  This round I got the pleasure of playing against National Master Kenneth Wallach; my first time playing against a titled player in a USCF tournament!  I lost but the game was interesting.

I played white for the third time this tournament.

I finished the tournament with 2.5/4 points, which I was pretty happy with especially since I had to play against a master last round.  My rating went up from 1664 (Yes I know it says 1654, but that was the non-updated rating that they were using for me) to 1678, so this was a pretty good tournament for me.  

Lol, that opening is so fun to play as black, but it's dubious. it's called Clarendon Court if i remember correctly

It's dubious?  I thought it was just a transposition to the Leningrad Dutch.

11. Na4

Generally it isn't a good idea to trade a developed piece for an undeveloped piece.  That bishop wasn't really doing anything anyway so I don't see why you thought you should get rid of it wasting two valuable tempo in the process.  A better idea would be to try and find a way to keep that bishop out of play.  Your bishop wasn't so hot either.  I do not see a way for it to become better.  I think any other move would have been better than that one, just my thoughts.  Personally I think it would have been a better idea to try and later find a way to trade your light squared bishop off for his because your pawns where restricting it's scope.  Those two central pawns would probably be the end game pawns anyway I think..  I didn't really analyse this just throwing out ideas.  Just because you don't follow a general rule doesn't mean it's a bad move.  I just don't see how wasting two tempi is justified when you take away a bishop that really wasn't doing anything in the game at the moment, plus, the lightsquares where restricted by your own pawns, so I don't see how you could have done anything in this closed position when your bishop was hemmed by your own pawns.

It isn't the Czech Benoni. The Czech Benoni arises after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 e5. Black never even played ...e5 in the game!

This is actually the Mujannah Formation that arises from the Old Benoni. It's a very interesting sideline that prevents white from playing an immediate e2-e4. It's just as good as, if not better than, the main line of the Old Benoni, which is theoretically slightly advantageous for white.

Lol he played this exact same line against me. 

I think 9.Nd2 was probably better, if you can get a knight on e4 you might be able to get it to e6. I like 11. Qc2, it's kind of flexible, and protects c3 if you want to play b4 and allows e4 ideas. 15.b3 deals with some of the pressure. 16.b3 still seems better, f4 creates such a mess. I think he had a much better position after that

Nice game John; hopefully I can play him again in the future and put up a better fight.

I think I got up a pawn, and then dropped an exchange, and then won a bishop and pawn vs rook endgame

Still I'd be happy to get that position against him again

Just found this. This line is indeed dubious. 

That line seems dubious af