| "How Did
Cunningham Get an Invitation; He Isn't Even From
Charlotte?!.. Choice of Players for 2014 Invitational Raises Many Questions? By NM Leland Fuerstman Approximately one year has transpired since the 2013 NCCA Invitational debacle?! As you may, or may not recall, not only was one of the co-champions not a member of the NCCA (exactly what is the purpose of a tie-break system if not to determine an individual champion? Duh) but according to the record, he was not even a current member of the USCF until after the event? (See Message 499). As usual, no one stepped forward to answer as to why the candidates were not properly vetted. It was later found out that the apparently uninformed Dictator waited until the last moment to delegate the authority to someone else to handle the event. And, in doing so, various requirements for participation took a back seat to simply finding warm bodies... According to that which is published on the forum of their website, this year's event will be conducted at the Charlotte Chess Center and Scholastic Academy owned and operated by NM Peter Giannatos and famous "Chess Bully" Expert Gary Newsom. Participants include the following list of honored players: LM Chris Mabe (2350), LM Dr. Robin Cunningham (2235), NM Tianqi Wang (2219), NM Peter Giannatos (2211), NM Pat Sciacca (2144) and Expert Dominique Myers (2132). (Wait a minute; where are LM Mike Klein and NM Mat Noble when you need them? Oh, they would be the other two instructors for the Charlotte Chess Center and Scholastic Academy... You know, with a bit more maneuvering, they could have ditched Sciacca and included Newsom...) However, this raises a number of curious questions? According to one interested bystander, "...how did Cunningham get an invitation?; he isn't even from Charlotte!..." (LOL) (Who knows, maybe that's one of the criteria, now... since nothing is ever reported nor discussed ahead of time??) All levity aside, another interested member is more concerned about the qualifications of a different invitee? When one observes the current USCF List of Top 200 Players in North Carolina, excluding the other 5 invitees, there are 14 higher rated players than #20 Expert Dominique Myers. Included on that list is CCC "favorite son" NM Shawn Pealer (2176) (now 2194) as player #13! So, why didn't Pealer receive an invitation? ----- ANSWER: According to a popular NCCA "political analyzer," NM Pealer was not a current member of the NCCA. And, among their revised rules, he "must have been both a member of the USCF and the NCCA for at least 6 months prior to being invited..." So, he is disqualified from participating. Therefore, one would assume that those rules would apply to everyone equally... However, it has been brought to the attention of this editor, that until late April 2014, Expert Dominique Myers was not listed as a "current" member of the NCCA. In fact, he has spent most of the past couple of years at a college in Virginia. Yet, amazingly enough, his name has just mysteriously appeared on the NCCA Roster as an active member? Therefore, the questions are, when did he pay, to whom did he give the money, who deposited the money into the NCCA treasury and who changed his expiration date on the official NCCA membership list for publication? Regardless of all of that, Myers was "...not a current member for 6 months before being invited..." Just to save them a significant amount of embarrassment, I will divulge right here and now that "dated copies" of their roster which is published on the NCCA website have been maintained as "evidence" and will be reproduced, if necessary. The most recent copy, prior to late April, indicates that Dominique Myers expired in December 2013? However, it also includes the name of #18 Jonathon McNeill (2141) from Asheboro, who has been a member of the NCCA for many years without a break! Was he considered and rejected, or simply overlooked? In either case, a legitimate explanation would be in order. (and, it's probably not too late to make a correction!) Now, in deference to my old friend Dominique, I am still his biggest fan! In fact, I knew his grandfather years ago through pocket billiards! "Nique" cut his teeth at the Charlotte Chess Club where he had the opportunity to compete against some of the strongest players in the state. I have continued to monitor his progress through the years and firmly believe that he will soon achieve the Title of National Master! And, I will be the first one to congratulate him... That having been said, I have also monitored the progress of Expert Jonathon McNeill about whom I could quote the exact same superlatives! And, according to their own criteria, he qualifies and deserves to be there. But, when it comes to impartiality, the NCCA completely misses the target. --- Some speculate that the reason so many of the other players "chose not to participate" may have been due to the Dictator's act of downgrading the Invitational by reducing the budget by 40% while increasing the budget of his "girls" championship to include a $500 prize for utter mediocrity?? So, who could blame them?! Right now, I must rush to the hospital and check on Jason "1st Amendment" Mytrysak who became "blue in the face" after "holding his breath" waiting for an answer as to how much money the NCCA has in the bank?! If it is, in fact, over $15,000, then why on earth would the funding of the most prestigious event of the year be reduced?? Now, with fewer members than the Charlotte Chess Club, the NCCA has morphed into a "private chess company" which answers to no one, shares none of their business publicly and only serves to profit a select few. And, I really don't believe that was the way it was originally designed... The NCCA needs an entirely new set of honest officers who will act in a democratic fashion for the future good of chess in North Carolina. If you know someone who is qualified, encourage him or her to run for office. I remain, NM Leland Fuerstman |