After a 5 year break, the UK hosted a week-long Scrabble series of tournaments, held in Reading. There would be 67 games spread over 4 tournaments. The first two were an Early-Bird ten game tournament followed by a fourteen Warm-up game tournament. 5 East Berks players played across those two tournaments.
Lots of games, lots of words and here are the thoughts of the East Berks Scrabble players over those two tournaments.
Pat only played in the first 10-game tournament (Division C) and won 5 games.
She writes :
I played in the Early Bird tournament, playing 10 games and winning 5. I was pleased to have increased my Scrabble rating by one point. My highest scoring word was PRETZEL which scored 111. In the same game, I played CAJOLING for 84, and won that game easily. My most satisfying bonus word was RELENTED, which was played at the end of the game to secure a win.
Wanda played in Division B for both tournaments, here she is playing Richard in the Early-Bird.
Wanda won 7 games over the weekend. Her best and more unusual words over both tournaments included FALSETTO, TAIGLES, STRAWEN, AMIRATES, INSANIE and BRUX FOR 84 points!
Richard won Division B with a game to spare, and played in Division A for the second tournament. During the second tournament, he had a very interesting conclusion to one game…Richard recounts :
On move 2 I bonused with INTHRAL -it only played leaving the I in the triple word lane. My opponent had good letters and laid the nine timer DISCERNS for 176.
On move 7 I bonused again with LAYOUTS to bring the score close. The scores were still close with 1 tile in the bag with my opponent leading 385 to 366.
There was no reason to play off one tile as it was clear how good the opponents rack was so I played my third bonus of ENCHAINS.
I was then put on hold while my opponent considered whether to challenge or play a bonus himself. With a rack of DEIOOS? there were no playable bonuses through the floating tiles aside from the N. I fully expected my opponent to lay a bonus through it and win the game but time passed and he went overtime. After going over by 6 minutes 40 sec and incurring 70 points in time penalties only a second nine timer would win as he already trailed 440-385 before penalties.
Just as I was thinking his chances had gone he laid his second 9 timer of the game of OZONISED with the Z as the blank for 131 plus 5 points for my challenge and he won by 452-439. Interestingly had he spent 20 seconds longer he'd have incurred an extra 10 point penalty and lost by 439-437 as I would not have needed to challenge and give him the extra 5 points.
My best bonuses of the tournament were PEDANTRY, TRIFOLIA, REDFOOTS, OILPANS, JINGLET, LIBRETTO, SOULDIER, DOWLNES
Here is that double nine-timer board!
Helen played in A for both tournaments accruing 4 wins in the first, and 6 in the second. Her best words included MAGNETOS, ANTICKED (scoring 109), DIABLES and STORGES. One of the more unusual words played against Helen was OROPESA (a float used in mine-sweeping).
Graham also played in A for both tournaments and had the reverse fortune to Helen. He won 6 in the first tournament, winning a ratings prize in the process, and only 3 in the second, finishing bottom of his division – whoops!
His best words included three back-to-back bonuses UNSEATED, RETUNES and MINORING and in different games UNICORN, DOGFISH and TAGETES.
Here is Graham receiving his rating prize.
