EPISODE 1

This Shylockian melodrama began with the following email, sent to me by the “Ratings Officer” of the unnamed Scrabble Association:

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To Mohammed Hegazi
c. c.
SS
Secretary
President
RF

Dear Mohammed,

I am writing to you, firstly in my capacity as the ====Tournament Director, and secondly, as a member of the ==== committee.

At the ==== tournament, it was of concern to me that I was called over to a game where you had facetiously declared a score of 200 for a play which clearly did not total that amount. I consider that this ploy was done in an insolent and ill-mannered manner by you to upset your opponent, which it certainly did. I have now observed from your blog that you had deliberately intended to enact this deceptive and time-wasting ploy which is even more distressing to me and, as it was, to your opponent.

I am writing to you now because, at our regular ==== committee meeting held late last week, it came to my notice that there had already been a warning issued to you by the Tournament Director BH with regard to your inappropriate behaviour towards an opponent at the recent ==== Championships.

Following that also, at the ==== Memorial tournament last Sunday, you managed to upset one of our longest-playing and highly-respected players; which not only distressed* her but those who witnessed it happening.

The above is why I now believe it prudent to send this email to the committee and give notice that I will be moving a motion that the committee take out disciplinary action against you for what appears to be your continuing unacceptable behaviour.

Whilst you have general concerns with the rules of the game, which you can address in writing to TH, the ==== representative on the Rules Committee, you appear to constantly upset innocent opponents at tournaments with unacceptable comments and, as in the case at the ==== Tournament, ill-mannered tactics.


Your faithfully,

CJ


No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com
Version: 8.0.138/ Virus Database: 270.6.6/1621 – Release Date: 8/19/2008

* Emphasis is mine.
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As you would have noticed, the Ratings Officer made the following mistakes:

• She used rude language. She could have related what, in her opinion, constituted ill manners without expressing such ill-conceived subjective feelings.
  

• She circulated such sensitive defaming document among other members of the Association, namely RF and SS.

• She issued what would constitute a reprimand, even though she expressed her intention to pass the matter on to the Committee for further action. Her act was unconstitutional. Disciplinary action, if any, must be taken by the Committee after adequate investigation.

In view of the above, I sent an email to MM, the elected president of the Association, requesting an enquiry and proper application of disciplinary procedures, should the need arise.

Because my email exposed the irresponsible unconstitutional action of CJ, it simply disappeared from the documentation and did not rate a mention in the enquiry that followed. MM made it look as if disciplinary procedures were invoked by her and not at my own behest. Instead, she indulged in running around in haste, requesting complaints against me from fellow players. Most would have refused to take part in this ploy. She managed to compile a dossier of trivia, which I will discuss later, plus a couple of unlucky incidents that were worthy of further investigation, and were properly addressed by me in the enquiry that followed.

Of which later. Don't miss this Shylockian entertainment. Episode 2 will be released as soon as I have some free time.