Safely Cowering Behind the Iron Wall of Electronic Pixels
by NM Leland Fuerstman, 67!
"What we've got here is... failure to communicate. Some men you just can't reach. So you get what we had here last week, which is the way he wants it... well, he gets it. I don't like it any more than you men..." Cool Hand Luke
If my memory serves me correctly, a couple of years after Patrick McCartney joined the CCC, angry about BS he had posted on the internet, member Brian
Fraiser walked up to him at a club
meeting and punched him in the stomach "real hard"!?
The result was: he promptly stopped posting BS
about Fraiser on the internet! Then, a few
years later at the now defunct
Queen City Chess
Club, he became involved in a loud, violent
argument whereupon he was "backed down"
by a five foot tall girl who threatened
to kick his butt!!? So, he shut his mouth and ran
away... And, more recently, I heard a rumor that he
was again "punched in the stomach" by spunky 77 year old LM Klaus Pohl
who has since had to endure yet another incident with
him at LotS?! (According
to McCartney, "Pohl complained to
the Director about his {McCartney's} coughing
during their game, but the complaint was
dismissed?!") This
guy never seems to learn? In all of this author's
years as a Tournament Director, it is
my observation that though a few players may have been
involved in one or two incidents in their entire chess
career, most players are never involved in
any incidents! McCartney has been
involved in many. In fact, it is my
understanding that he has even been kicked out of the
Charlotte Bridge Club in the past for his
unacceptable behavior!? A few days ago, it was pointed out to me by a concerned chess player that their non- "commentator" (who completely ignores requests from members attempting to register to post messages on their Forum) of the NCCA website has again allowed Patrick McCartney, in his typical cowardly passive aggressive fashion, to violate the rules of use of their "Forum" by posting personal slurs {that he would certainly never risk saying to my face} about a "67 year old retarded clown from Mint Hill." (Since I am neither retarded nor a clown, I can only assume that he was talking about some other 67 year old person from Mint Hill!?) He goes on to admonish the NCCA officers and demand that they update their list so the person "can't legitimately include me in his stupid hoopla without it being false advertising so that I can sue him for defamation if he does include me in his BS!" (Curiously, he posted his message on Thursday, February 12 at 11:08 am. I wonder if his Managers at Wells-Fargo have authorized the use of his valuable time and their computers for such purposes?)
How confused can this self aggrandizing miscreant really be? Seriously, "false advertising??" The official membership list of the non-profit NCCA is "public" information. And, as a chess journalist, I certainly have every right to re-publish that information as does any other citizen of the United States of America for any reason. It is hardly grounds for suit to mention that a particular person's membership to an organization has expired?! Regardless of whether he paid or not, their "official list" is all that one can go by. If NCCA Sec/Treas. Tom Kabasakalian is too negligent to update the list in a timely fashion, that's not my fault!! In fact, McCartney and I both appear to be on the same side of these current issues. For years, I have complained about the incompetence and negligence of past and recently "appointed" officers of the NCCA. Yet, for completely unfounded reasons, McCartney has chosen to openly vilify me? I don't get it... (well, he sure won't be invited to my poker game again any time soon?!)
Upon reviewing McCartney's bulging dossier, in recent years he has been censured and reprimanded on at least 4 separate occasions for violations of USCF and CCC rules; incidents where he was disrespectful to lower rated and newer players as well as players many years his senior which always resulted in a major disruption of the felicity of our club. Descriptions of his personality voiced by his fellow members include anal retentive, passive aggressive, cowardly, puerile, self-aggrandizing, anti-social, disrespectful, conceited, ill mannered, boastful and unfriendly. In more recent times, his explosive incident with Emmanuel Cooper, who was explaining a friendly postmortem lament, involved some "loud shushing" and ended with McCartney yelling "f..k you" out loud 4 separate times directly in the presence of 14 year old NM Daniel Cremisi and within earshot of other players, restaurant patrons and management? Such reprehensible behavior necessitated that I promptly apologize to management the following morning for fear of losing the use of their fine facility!?
A committee of 4 of McCartney's peers compared their eye and ear witness statements and decided upon his fate. I did not vote. It was determined, that since this was his second offense for a similar violation, McCartney would be expelled from participation at the Charlotte Chess Club for a period of 6 months. In addition, McCartney had the opportunity to "appeal" the decision of that committee to the USCF, which he apparently chose not to do. (Cooper was also suspended as a result of his part in that incident) - Because a few members expressed compassion for his distorted personality, as President of the CCC, I was on the verge of suspending 3 of those months, when McCartney abruptly posted an intentionally misleading message on the NCCA Forum basically blaming me for the entire incident and calling me a "liar" (though he never actually explains exactly what I had supposedly lied about) and renouncing his membership to the CCC. This would be the third time he has jumped ship from one club to another after some kind of disturbing incident to which he was a party.
Yet, other members found it curious that he would turn on us so quickly? Particularly, considering the fact that he had clambered to the height of "Pairing Director" and seemed to be quite content with the strong competition at the CCC. In fact, McCartney played in his 3rd rated event, the Atlantic Coast G60 Championship on May 10, 1997 when my rating was 2116 and I Drew eventual winner, GM Rashid Ziatdinov (2566) in the first round! When McCartney joined the CCC in May of 1997, his provisional rating was 1408. Only four years later in June of 2001, his rating went over 2000! In fact, his ego had swollen to such an extent that he went on the internet squawking about "NMLF's stupid Master Title' and claimed that "he would make Master within one year!!??" But, that was 14 years ago... Since then, he has had mixed results, increasing his rating to a high of 2185 in September of 2014 and watching it promptly plummet to his current rating of 2092. And, let us never forget his "permanent" lifetime losing record against NMLF. McCartney has already gone beyond the 14 years that were required for me to achieve the Title of National Master. So, I ask you, exactly who is really the "retarded clown?" In reality, McCartney has absolutely no reason to be angry with me except for the fact that I have defeated him in chess. Most players believe he's just jealous...
As a result of McCartney's latest ugly incident at the CCC, we have adopted a new policy which forbids the use of "shushing" altogether! "If a noise distraction occurs, you may stop your clock, turn to the "minor noise violators" and silently place your finger over your lips! After the "talkers" acknowledge your complaint, you resume your game. All postmortem analysis must be moved to an area away from games which are still in progress... NMLF" "Shushing" is bad manners and will not be practiced at the CCC.
I have been a member of the USCF since 1970 and a Senior Tournament Director and tournament organizer for most of those years. It is my observation that, unfortunately, every chess club in America has a "Patrick McCartney!?" Recently, I read a funny comment on Facebook posted by resident Charlotte Chess Center GM Ben Finegold (2600) pertaining to "how 'loud' McCartney was while demonstrating his game after which a disturbed player asked someone to 'please close the door!'... the problem was, the door was already closed!?" This is a perfect example of McCartney's puerile attitude! "(puerile: 1. marked by or suggesting childishness and immaturity 2. ... like that of a child in being louder than normal.") The fact is, McCartney is always the first one to "shush" the crowd while his game is in progress; but when his game is over, he often forgets to render the same respect to his fellow chess players?
However, I wish for everyone to take note that, though a litany of readers chimed in on Facebook with their negative followup comments about Mr. McCartney, I was not one of them. I don't believe in berating people in that manner and the NCCA should likewise prevent McCartney from doing the same. In closing, as for his profound personality disorder, I recommend that he seek professional help. But, his propensity to berate people simply because of their age, is equal to violating the rights of any other minority. (After all, his father is my age...) Apparently, his parents neglected to address his bad behavior as a child and he never learned to properly respect his elders? Finally, the best remedy for treatment of his anal-retentive tendencies would be a good green tea enema... and, while he's at it, he might want to read a copy of "How to Win Friends and Influence People!"
Have a nice day!
NM Leland Fuerstman, STD
Charlotte Chess Club