Cheating in the World Open?

As I mentioned in my last post, I heard of all the famous cheating stories on the way up to the World Open. I heard all about their famous anti-sandbagging and cheating measures... so I was led to believe that they took cheating occurrences very seriously these days. The last thing I expected was to be cheated against in this very tournament! Not only, did my opponent cheat - the td helped him do it by bad ruling! Further, my incident was far from the only poor td assisted cheating incident during this tournament!

In round 6 with a 3/5 score, I played a guy the following game (which is only important to relate the error of td judgement):
1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. c4 e6 4. Bg5 c6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Nc3 Qa5 7. Nd2 dxc4 8. Bxf6 Nxf6 9. Bxc4 Be7 10. 0-0 0-0 11. e4 e5 12. d5 b5 13. Be2 Bb7 14. d6 Bxd6 15. Nc4? bxc4 16. Qxd6 Rfd8 17. Qa3 Qxa3 18. bxa3 Rd4 19. f3 Nd7 20. Na4 Kf8 21. Rab1 Ba6 22. Rfc1 Ke7 23. Rb4 c5 24. Rb2 Kd6 25. Rc2 Nb6 26. Nc3 Rab8 27. a4 Nd7 28. Nd5 Nb6 29. Nc3 Nd7 30. Nd5 Nb6 31. Nc3 three repetition draw claim. At this point my opponent decides to refuse the claim and not write down 30... Nb6 31. Nc3 the position on the board. There were two spectators watching the whole thing from 27. a4 to 31. Nc3 that could verify it. The first was my friend watching the end of my game and the second was the guy who had just lost on the board next to me. My opponent was most likely repeating moves because he had only 9 minutes left to make timecontrol but still he was losing his cpawn and back into an equal position. While I go to get the TD, my opponent destroys the position on the board! And while he is creating a new position I come back with the TD who sees my opponent messing with the board! The td plays through my scoresheet to see I have a correct 3 rep draw. Then he decides since my opponent doesn't have the same score sheet and my opponent destroyed the position on the board... he can't give a draw to me! He wanted me to agree to play the game from an earlier point in the scoresheet. He refused to look at the clock move counter or ask any of the spectators. I was being forced to play a new position entirely in which I was losing! In disgust I said I withdraw from the tournament. I went to Goichberg to appeal with the witnesses. The witnesses were told they had no involvement in the dispute! I was essentially told to go away! Rule 21F1 Page 90 of the USCF Rule book states "a delayed claim may still be in order if it is based on evidence not previously available, such as the testimony of a witness" yet the witnesses were told not to speak!

I am proud to say I will not vote for Goichberg!