Hi Leland:     I have been thinking of writing you this note for a month or so now. I hesitated mainly because I did not want to offend other members of our chess community. I would hope that anyone taking exception to this note remember that I am just a chess enthusiast who wishes merely to give credit where credit is due. I do not wish to take anything away from anyone else. It has been my honor to participate as a member of the Charlotte Chess Club on an admittedly on and off basis for 7(!) years now. For me, the highlight of those 7 years has to be all the decent people and talented players whom I have met and competed with at the club.   Leland, you have done us all a tremendous service by maintaining the Charlotte Chess Club over all of these years (I know it was operating decades before I arrived). While players have come and gone (myself included!), YOU have remained constant in providing those who were interested with a quality venue, tournament and opponent! Of all the venues at which the club has operated during the seven years time that I have been involved, I am convinced that the Skyland restaurant is the best. I have found the atmosphere friendly and relaxed. The room in which we play is sectioned off from the rest of the restaurant, but not so isolated as to make service from the staff infrequent. There is hardly ever any through traffic from other customers. It is possible to focus solely on the evening's game or to watch silent, closed caption television while waiting for your opponent's move, to reflect on Mr. Sinanovic's puzzle of the week or walk easily in between the various other games and spectate. The fare is not as ambitious as Bertucci's was, for example, but it is decent enough and the service is good and not terribly in/obtrusive.   However, one of the nicest things about your club, Leland, is the general comradery that exists between the members. Chess is not an easy game. Over the years, I have found that the best clubs (another club I really enjoyed was the Vassar Chess Club in Poughkeepsie, NY should anyone be traveling in that area) are the ones that are welcoming. Everyone pretty much greets each other with a smile and at least a brief word of hello. Players often congregate to analyze together after a game, not to prove that they are the best, but to share in an enjoyable exchange of ideas. The strength of all players is bound to increase if this keeps up! I look forward to what seems our inevitable battle this week. I know I will need to be on guard constantly. Let's all remain respectful of one another. That, and only that, is the key to a successful club. -Shawn ************************************************************** Shawn: I am pleasantly surprised by your very kind words. When I first began playing tournament chess, (according to Bob Moore, the "Groundhog" way back in 1973), I promply visited chess clubs in a number of cities. Each one seemed to have the same boring design. Week after week, the same players would face off against each other for lengthy bouts of speed chess, generally never allowing others to challenge them. That made it difficult for anyone to ever have the opportunity of playing the strongest players. Finally, while living in Atlanta, as Vice President of the Decater (Ga) Chess Club, I created the "one tournament game per week, 5 round event!" From my recollection, the first week, we had 8 players, the second, 16, the third 30, the forth 48 and the final round, we had 53 players!! In 1975, I moved back to Charlotte and established the Metrolina Chess Club where that system was used. The rest is history. Probably every successful club in the country now emphasizes weekly tournament competition over speed chess. Members of the Charlotte chess community are extremely fortunate to have 2 full time chess clubs operating in their town. The CCC has always been known as an "adult" club (with the exception of the strongest scholastic players). It's great to congregate once a week to share a delicious meal with my chess buddies! In fact, the very reason I continue to operate the club is the enjoyment of interacting with the many interesting chess players whom I have met through the years.   We are honored to have you as our #1 player. It is a breath of fresh air to watch you accommodate a new unrated player with an off hand game! And, after each tournament game, win or lose, you always offer to provide a post mortem analysis with your opponent. If  ever there were a "chess gentleman" it is you. Students of the game like Expert Shawn "Arlo" Pealer make it all worthwhile.  LF