Your Lifetime Losing Record By NM Leland Fuerstman (Originally published on 2-11-10) Recently, a CCC spy overheard Patrick McCartney state at a QCCA meeting words to the effect that NM Leland Fuerstman had "cheated in order to gain his Master's rating?" In a subsequent E-mail, Mr. McCartney denied that he ever said such a thing and even referred to that person as a liar?! However, upon re-examination, the witness recalled that he heard PM voice his opinion about how easy NM Leland Fuerstman was to beat and said something to the effect of "someone told me that Leland had paid people to  throw games in order to gain his masters rating??" Unless one is absolutely certain of facts challenging something as sensitive as a title or commission or achievement which a person has earned in his lifetime, one should hesitate to make such a remark. (But, who has ever know Patrick McCartney to have good manners?) Hence, I will be more than happy to provide the name of the "liar" who shared your comments with me as soon as you provide me with the name of the person who supposedly told you that I cheated!? Again, I will state that I earned my National Master Title in November of 1984 in an honest and legal fashion. Furthermore, 57 games with a Master rating is equivalent to 11 five round events in one year, which is probably more than your average!? (Some players achieve the NM Title and don't play 50 more games for the rest of their entire career!?) Regardless, these are actual achievements which should be honored and celebrated by all chessplayers, not questioned and minimized as you seem to have this great desire to continue to do. Regardless of how you spin it, Patrick McCartney has a "lifetime losing record" against NM Leland Fuerstman, as do Newsom, Trower, Kliber, Xin, Mu and almost every other talented player in our area. (Of course, there are a few exceptions of players with whom I have only played one or two games or genii like Masters Mabe, Newton, Rangarajan and Chumachenko!?). I am the first one to admit that when I began competing with you, my playing strength had already diminished by 200 points!? But, I have an excuse... I'm 62 years old now! When you started in October of 1996, your first published rating was 1177. Five years later, in August of 2001, you achieved a published Expert's rating of 2001! (Surely, more rapidly than most.) But, that was 9 years ago; so, what's your excuse?... Since then, you have gone on the internet to make disparaging statements about me to include rhetoric like "Leland's stupid Master's rating" which you were "sure to achieve within the year!?" That was 6 years ago... Though you burst out of the blocks very quickly, you seem to have petered out toward the end of the race. Is that MY fault? Instead of deriding others with BS, disparaging statements and childish gossip, you would do best to concentrate your efforts on your own game. After all, I achieved the National Master Title at age 37! So, you may still have time. I am neither abrasive nor obnoxious to anyone whom I first meet. I believe I detect a certain amount of projection when you mention the word "obnoxious!" Because, your well known reputation and the way you react to people would certainly substantiate that. It's only after a person proves how unreasonable and obnoxious he truly is that I become "abrasive!" I am far more civil to people in public than you have ever been. And, without harping on the point any further, remembering the number of times you have been "officially" censured for personally offending people, you are probably less well liked in all chess and "bridge" circles than I will ever be!? One can take the opposite side of any argument, but having great, wonderfully nutritious food available at the CCC at a very low price is a good thing! How you can poo poo that doesn't make sense to me? Furthermore, since the first 2 weeks of our meeting there, I have NEVER announced anything about being "required" to purchase food at the club?? There is one statement published on our website whereby the management requests that members dine there, but I NEVER say that at the club and a few players who play every week NEVER purchase their meal?! Your statement that QUOTE: "You DO try to force people to purchase food at the club" is absolutely NOT true. And, since you have not been there to observe or listen, how can you say such a thing? According to you, "many" people are standing around every week at the QCCA talkin' a lot of trash about NM Leland Fuerstman and the CCC and suggesting to players who have never even met me NOT to participate at our club? We don't EVER talk about individuals who are not present and I have promptly apprised every new player about the Tuesday night chess club... conversely, because he can't stand any criticism, nor does he ever answer to it, NCCA President Newsom published a statement recommending that players NOT participate at the CCC? - Look, I run a good club. We have a bunch of amenities, a current website where the results are always promptly posted and all of our players are happy! The President of the NCCA should be spreading "good will" by recommending that people play chess everywhere, instead of negatively singling out one or two promoters with whom he has a personal difference of opinion in order to purposely hurt their numbers? That is patently unfair and I certainly wouldn't do that to him... In addition, one of the so called leaders of the QCCA,  went to a lot of trouble to post unfriendly digs and personal slurs about me on  Message Boards as well as verbally at a number of his club meetings?! The paradox is that I have never even had the opportunity of meeting this seemingly literate person nor (to my knowledge) have I ever been to any event where he has been present!? Apparently, his opinion of me has been tainted by the heresay and false allegations of others; which is clearly an unfair way of assessing one's true personality or effectiveness as an Organizer or Director. Don't worry, I had already been apprised by one of my spies that this same person attempted to censure his own players for simply being members of the CCC?! (A CCC member recently shared with me that this QCCA leader has subsequently personally apologized to him for having done that; such contrition is admirable; maybe there's hope!). - All of the members of the CCC wish to have better relations with the QCCA. After all, most of the players there are ex-members of the CCC! I have, on numerous occasions, offered to exchange links, which Newsom has continually refused to do. Until he demonstrates a more friendly attitude with "everyone" involved in the North Carolina chess community, and maturely puts aside his personal differences, his value as an effective leader will continue to be questioned. We don't spread vicious, untrue rumors about people at the CCC, and I'm going to ask that QCCA members do the same. In fairness, if you have never been to the CCC at Skyland, why not come at least one time and judge me and our club for yourself?! I am always friendly to everyone and available for a true challenge where it should take place; over the chessboard. I'll see ya' there! NM Leland Fuerstman