97 The bi-monthly magazine of the 87 A P R IL APRIL CCAALLEENNDDAARR OOFF EEVVEENNTTSS 7 APRIL A P R I ASSOCIATION OF BRITISH L A quick reference to forthcoming competitions SCRABBLE PLAYERS (fuller list and details inside) Date Tournament (no. of games) Contact Telephone
Feb 3rd Perth (7 games) Amy Byrne 0131 6613869 Feb 3rd-4th Nottingham Nomads Clive Spate 0115 9200208 Feb 10th Wirral Open Len Moir 0151 6061112 Feb 18th Andover Alan Bailey 023 92384360 Feb 24th New Malden Shirley Cave 0208 5408469 No 112 February 2007 Feb 24th Peterborough 5pp Challenge Chris Hawkins 01733 223202 Mar 3rd Leicester Marjorie Smith 01162 551176 Deadline for next issue - 5th March Mar 11th Swindon (6 games) Steve Perry 01367 244757 Mar 16th-19th Clifton Park Viv Beckmann 0191 2731705 A fund for Graeme Mar 17th East Sussex Ed Breed 01424 219334 Mar 24th Peterborough Free Challenge Chris Hawkins 01733 223202 Following Graeme Thomas's untimely death last November, the ABSP have received several Mar 25th Southampton Alan Bailey 023 92384360 suggestions of what we can do to recognise all that Graeme did for Scrabble and to keep his Apr 6th-7th Exeter Isca Ronnie Reid 01256 354604 memory alive. Apr 7th-9th Exeter Main Ronnie Reid 01256 354604 Having consulted with Graeme's family, we have decided to take a twofold approach. April 14-15th 20th Durham Tournament Laura Finley 0191 5654079 Apr 29th Bourne (6 games) Betty Benton 01778 425234 First, in recognition of Graeme's welcoming approach to new tournament players, a trophy Apr 29th Sutton Coldfield Unrated Rick Blakeway 0121 2490892 will be given to winners of the New Player Events, the first of which was successfully organised Apr 29th Harrow Sandie Simonis 020 84283397 by Stewart Holden last year. We're hoping to run at least a further two events this year, one is likely to run in parallel with the BMSC, and the winner of each event will be awarded the May 4th Best Western Viv Beckmann 0191 2731705 Graeme Thomas trophy. This will continue for future years. May 11th Lothersdale Hotel Viv Beckmann 0191 2731705 May 12th Scottish Round Robin Marion Keatings 01592 265524 Second, Graeme was always keen to encourage new young talent in the pursuit of excellence, May 13th Bournemouth Ruth Marsden 01202 707148 and would no doubt have been impressed with Austin Shin's success at the inaugural World May 19th Warrington Wayne Kelly 01925 483530 Youth Scrabble Championships (WYSC) last year. The ABSP Committee recognise that for future young UK players to travel and take part in these Championships may involve expenses May 26th-28th Stoke Rochford Christina French 01708 701578 that they are unable to afford. Therefore, we would like to establish a fund in Graeme's Jun 2nd Havering Evergrenn Cindy Holyer 01277 822050 memory that will enable us to help future prospects to attend the WYSC. Jun 3rd Melton Mowbray Maureen Rayson 01664 563330 June 9th-10th Edinburgh Amy Byrne 0131 6613869 I hope that all of us who knew and respected Graeme will be able to contribute something June 11th Cairn Hotel Viv Beckmann 0191 2731705 towards the fund. Cheques can be sent to Anne Ramsay ABSP, 8 Glen Cova Place, Kirkcaldy, July 20th Carrington Bournemouth Viv Beckmann 0191 2731705 Fife KY2 6UL or can be made directly through Paypal. Just go to the ABSP website July 24th Essex Extraordinaire Phil Kelly 01702 202168 www.absp.org.uk
The Last Word is printed by Keely Print, Beccles, Suffolk Tel: 01502 713930 SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark of J.W.Spear & Sons Ltd., Maidenhead SL6 4UB ISSUE CONTENTS Committee Corner 1 A Mystery Tale 27 CCOOMMMMIITTTTEEEE CCOORRNNEERR Awards & Titles 2 Obituaries 28 Event Reports 4 Edgeways 31 Across The Board 10 Player Profile 38 ATB Solutions and Poll Result 18 Fantasy Scrabble 40 The Committee met on 10th December in the run up to the festive season. At this Ratings 19 Forthcoming Events 42 time of year the renewal slips and payment of subscriptions is taking place. In A few words from Austin 26 Edgeways Answers ibc Calendar of Events obc future the renewal slips are going to go out with the October issue to allow plenty of time for renewing and to stagger the workload. This also means that members can take advantage of the discount on entries for any tournament taking place in Throughout this publication, comments by the Editor do not represent the views of the January and February. Tournament Organisers of these events will be able to check ABSP Committee. Any statements by the Committee are clearly marked as such. All other contributions to The Last Word represent only the views of the contributor. the website to ensure an individual is an ABSP member.
Speaking of members can I once again point everyone to their Members Handbook THE LAST WORD TEAM and the Game Rules and Code of Conduct. If you are not familiar with these please take the time to read them to avoid conflict during a tournament either with your The Last Words Team welcomes contributions from readers to their respective areas, either as letters, articles or suggestions. Contact information: opponent or the Tournament Director. Complaints by Tournament Directors about behaviour are taken very seriously. Editor: Games and Strategies: Words and Puzzles: Elisabeth Jardine Phil Appleby, David Sutton 6 Wentworth Avenue Thorns Cottage, 46 West Chiltern, With the recent death of Graeme Thomas a suitable memorial for him was discussed. Bournemouth BH5 2ED Mount Pleasant Lane, Woodcote, Reading, Berks Graeme’s family will be fully involved in this and you can read the details of what 01202 419 708 Lymington, RG8 0SG was agreed either elsewhere in this issue or if too late for this issue it will be in the [email protected] Hants SO41 8LS [email protected] next. [email protected] Co-editor: The WESPA Dictionary Committee provided a report saying that all was now in Wayne Kelly Forthcoming events: place for the Collins Word List to go to the printers and recommended acceptance Paul Cartman, [email protected] of it for our word adjudication. However, the Committee had promised at the 9 Chapel Terrace, Stafford ST16 3AH AGM that members would be balloted and by the time that you receive this issue 01785 211851 the result of that ballot will be known. The deadline for receipt of ballot papers is [email protected] 15th January 2007. The result may be headline news on the front cover.
One other new development is that the Organiser of the Causeway Challenge in If you are reading this then you have probably Singapore, Michael Tang, is hoping to increase the number of teams invited to take renewed your membership.... part in 2007. If he does then he has said that the UK will be invited to take part. ...but just in case the easiest way to renew is via the ABSP website: The team will be composed of either 5 or 6 players and the Committee would be http://www.absp.org.uk interested in hearing from anyone who would be interested in playing at this event Using the Paypal function on the site is very easy and completely safe. More traditionally next November. you can join or renew by sending your details and a cheque for £15 to Anne Ramsay, membership secretary, made payable to ABSP to: The Committee is scheduled to meet again on the 25th March and if there is anything ABSP, 8 Glen Cova Place, Kirkcaldy, Fife KY2 6UL If you wish to write to Anne her email address is [email protected] that you wish raised, please write to me or speak to any Committee member who f. Anne would like to say Thank You to all those who sent Christmas Cards, notes of will raise it on your behal Amy Byrne appreciation, emails and best wishes with their renewals. Secretary
1 2006 ABSP AWARDS ABSP TITLES UPDATE - JANUARY 2007 This informationinformation supplied supplied courtesy courtesy of John of JohnGrayson, Grayson,ABSP ABSP ratings ratingsofficer officer Highest Rated Player 2006 As much as I love statistics, the more useless the better, I would dearly love not to be Highest Rated Player 2006 doing this job just yet. For as long as I can remember this had been Pete Finley’s domain Brett Smitheram(GM)Smitheram (GM)isis the the highest highest rated rated player player (202) (202) at at the the end end of 2006 with at least 30 and this is just one of the many voids that his passing away created. But ABSP Titles are ratedof 2006 games with in at 2006. least 30Adam rated Logan's games ratingin the isyear. higher Adam (211), Logan's but he rat- played no games in 2006. to be celebrated, and I am very glad to be the bearer of good news for once - for some Bretting is will higher receive (211), the but trophy he has at playeda mutually no ABSPconvenient rated gamestime. since anyway! April 2005. In last year’s predictions, only one potential Grand Master was identified for this year, and MostBrett willimproved receive player the trophy 2006 at a mutually convenient time. whaddya know, we have one GM award to dish out. Stewart Holden needed a 180 unweighted yearly rating., and achieved this exactly. That is called cutting it fine! He TheMost following improved fulfilled player the 2006criteria on being ABSP members, an end-2005 Rating based on achieved GM status with 5 180+ ratings in 5 years, the first of those 5 being 190. aThe total following of at least fulfilled 30 games, the andcriteria 30 games on being in 2006. ABSP The members, Committee an has vetted the awardees andend-2005 removed rating any basedplayer onwho a istotal a fluctuator of at least as opposed30 games, to anand improver. 30 Congratulations to There were 6 Experts touted last year, and all but one have made it. Raelgames Hayman in 2006. who, The with Committee a superb hasrise vettedof +26, the receives awardees the ABSPand Most Improved Player Ed Martin only needed 165 in 2006 to get his Expert status, but cruised in with a 193 shield.removed All any those player who who achieved is a fluctuator an improvement as opposed of to 20 an or improver. more rating points will get free unweighted rating, to give him a 5 year 175+ average. Brett Smitheram 2007Congratulations membership. to Rael Hayman who, with a superb rise of +26, Not quite as impressive, but not bad either, was someone called Wayne Kelly’s (who he?) receives the ABSP Most Improved Player shield. All those who performance. He needed a 168 rating this year but achieved a 185 rating to give him also Aachieved is end-2006 an improvement rating: B is improvementof 20 or more : ratingC is membership points will getnumber: free a 175+ average for 5 years and also 5 170+. (It’s bizarre taking about youself in 3rd D2007 is thire membership. club and E is end rating in 2005 person!) ABCIn the following table A is end-2006 rating; B is improvement; D C is E Barry Grossman needed 170 for 5 170+ ratings in 5 years and, like Ed and Wayne, achieved a personal best with 178. 164ABSP membership +26 1408number; RaelD is theirHayman club and E is end of LSL year rat- 138 177ing in 2005. +23 1197 Christian Brown Mapperley 154 Austin Shin achieved his Expert status with a 5 year average of 175+, this year putting in a 159 +23 1375 Michael Chappell LSL 136 177 performance, 2 more than he needed. A B C D E 160 +22 0589 Anne Steward Lang Toun 138 Craig Beevers, obviously an impatient sort, decided that 5 years was for wimps and 137164 +26 +22 1408 1136 Rael Hayman Jean Williams LSL Cardiff 138 115 acheived Expert status with 3 180+ in 3 years, with a personal best of 186. 177 +23 1197 Christian Brown Mapperley 154 120 +22 1315 Tanya Robson Southampton 98 Only Jared Robinson failed according to Pete’s predictions, although with a bit of a push 159 +23 1375 Michael Chappell LSL 136 116 +20 1237 Dorn Osborne Weedon 96 it’s not impossible in 2007. 160 +22 0589 Anne Steward Lang Toun 138 137 +22 1136 Jean Williams Cardiff 115 Potential candidates for Grand Master status next year are Ed Martin, who would need a 184 rating and Femi Awowade, who needs 180. They have both have achieved this over This120 players+22 also1315 improved Tanya byRobson at least 20 Southamptonpoints, but did not 98 meet the criteria: Rael Hayman the last 3 years so I wouldn’t bet against them attaining their respective targets. 102116 +21+20 1454 1237 Janet WatsonDorn Osborne Bourne .....tooWeedon few (28) games 96 end 2005 There are 5 wannabe Experts for 2007 who in descending order of target are- David Sutton This players also improved by at least 20 points, but did not meet (180), Gary Oliver (180), Jared Robinson (178), Theresa Camilleri (178) and Adam Mostthe criteria games because played inher 2006 2005(all rating shown was are based ABSP on members) only 28 games. Philpotts, who needs only 148! 198 would actually get him GM status, though that is 10 102 +21 1454 Janet Watson Bourne 81 higher than his personal best. The winner in 2005 played 259 games. For 2006, the winner is Mike Whiteoak with the There was a bumper crop, this year, of players reaching their first 170+ unweighted rating hugeMost tallygames of 410 played games. in Top2006 four were - the first rung to Expert status. They were, in alphabetical order, John Ashmore, Christian The winner in 2005 played 259 games.For 2006, the winner is Brown, Wale Fashina, Gary Fox, Graham Harding, Steve Hilton, Mikki Nicholson, Shane O'Neill, Philips Owalobi, Paul Richards(Sale), Phil Robertshaw and Ben Tarlow. Wale’s Mike Whiteoak with the huge tally of 410 games. Games Memb performance was 195 - one rung on the ladder to GM status! Top four were: 410 Mike Whiteoak 1057 Well done to all the new title-holders and good luck to everyone in 2007! 295Games Peter Ashurst Mem 0427 No. 410 Mike Whiteoak 1057 292295 Peter David Ashurst Shenkin 04760427 Wayne Kelly(Exp) (Couldn’t resist!) 288292 David Steve Balment Shenkin 02520476 ABSP Titles Registrar 288 Steve Balment 0252 Mike Whiteoak
2 3 SSCCRRAABBBBLLEE EEVVEENNTTSS catastrophic tournament. Four or five wins are a great pick-me-up. SCRABBLE EVENTS Interesting to note that Diane Pratesi, mum of last year’s outstanding performer, Jessica, has RREESSUULLTTSS && RREEPPOORRTTSS done the biz this time around. And real congratulations to the only 6-win player, Yvonne RESULTS & REPORTS McKeon. Maybe that’s how she forgot her knitting. (See below). Organisers are encouraged to send a list of prize winners and a brief tournament report to the TLW editor as soon as possible after the event. From the list of acceptable words on the challenge sheets, there were many that are everyday Remember I can only publish them if you send them to me! ones carrying a prefix ‘A’ :- RAISES, PER, PAGE, NAN, FEARING, BRIM, NIGH, and NOW. And two new names for tournament use: WALLY, LAURA.
Luton Left property this year is notable for its variety: Quantity of knitting; busy diary; a rugged vacuum flask; and a not-cheap weather jacket. The latter two have not been claimed, (Nov 22) even though there was hot coffee in one, and cash in a pocket of the other. 11th Nov Report from Adrian Noller Finally, it was generally felt to be an enjoyable and successful day, finishing just five minutes late after the first hour of unscheduled impediments. Once upon a time a Scrabble tournament was arranged. Ninety-six players applied to play, Luton B and all arrived on the day, thirty minutes before start time. The officials were in place and the Theresa Cole 5 380 computer systems were up and running. Luton A Richard Woodward 5 297 Luton D George Gruner 5 401 Nick Jenkins 5 -30 Jacqui White 5 466 Not so at Luton. Six withdrawals in the past week, including three within the final twelve Diane Pratesi 5 365 Ratings: Jackie Adams Cindy Hollyer 5 326 hours. The programming computer and printer weren’t talking to each other. And the 91st Jackie Mcleod 5 311 Luton C Anne Corpe 4 284 remaining player dashed in at start time. Ratings: Abraham Sosseh Yvonne McKeon 6 490 Ratings:G. Simpson (unrated) J. Clifford 5 278 A. Eames 4 272 Eventually, after a pause for a minute’s silence for the Fallen and Scrabble’s Graeme Thomas; Ratings:Helen Sandler and a sacrifice of a place by a heroic local player, Eric Rowland, play started at 10.19.
Because the important service of a feed from computer to printer had failed, Tournament Winter Matchplay Director David Wilson had to use his schoolmaster experience, kept his cool, and announced in his “listen at the back please” voice, the 1st round pairings and tables. During the playing 25th - 26th November of that first round, David had time to speed home to pick up some vital paperwork, which enabled the software to be programmed to perform correctly in time for the 2nd round Division B was Swiss pairing for the first 9 rounds then King of the Hill for the last 2 results and subsequent pairings. Mauro Pratesi played a vital part in keeping matters on time, rounds.Division C was a Round Robin. Division D was a Round Robin with 11 players and early and late, to the point that many players were unaware of the problems, thinking it a the fictitious A. Zother. Everyone in the division thus had 10 rated games, but the wins Luton quirk to present verbal details of the next opponent and where to sit. column includes the tournament win against A.Zother Incidentally, we found it very useful and encouraging to receive three or four phone calls during registration time from players who had been held up by road works or sat/nav Milton Keynes A Milton Keynes C eccentricities. Thank you to those calling under a certain amount of duress. And as a sort of Craig Beevers 9 840 Janet Bonham 9 999 annex to this part of a Scrabble day, some of us believe it to be an excellent ploy by Organisers Olatunde Oduwole 9 556 Dot Taylor 9 574 to include the Postcode with venue addresses. Very useful with sat/nav and Streetmap, etc. Joyce Cansfield 8 192 Albert Chong Hon Yen 8 96 Abiodun Olaleru 7 416 Ginny Dixon 8 95 Pleas to be placed in a higher division this year resulted in a disproportionately large A Milton Keynes B Milton Keynes D group; if we had agreed to every claim there would have been a 36-player line-up. As it was, Teresa Hill 8 688 Ken Bird 10 1099 two of the claimants had mediocre performances in a lower group. Janet Adams 8 240 Sheila Anderson 8 469 Abiodun Adeyemi 8 197 Andrea Waddington 8 392 Peter Hall 7 144 Jenny Harris 8 218 In the course of the day’s play, double century spreads were quite common (I suffered one, which ultimately cost me a trophy place), but one of those does not necessarily indicate a
4 5 Harrogate HB Manchester A Manchester B Manchester C C. Brown 5 609 P. Ashurst 6 252 B. Hill 6 546 24th - 26th November D. Francis 4 291 D. Stanton 5 112 B. Lukey 5 250 M. Nicholson 4 289 M. Skinner 4 297 N. Foulkes 4 368 There were 14 scheduled rounds. Outside of this structure, there were 7 extra individual M. Goodwin 4 263 F. Forster 4 169 I. Atkinson 4 358 games played. These were rated . Two games between May Gray and Edna Lindeck were not played because of illness. May was awarded 2 tournament wins.
Harrogate 1 Harrogate 3 Jill Bright 10 675 Anne Darby. 8 610 Paul Thomson 10 554 Kathy Suddick 8 265 Hockley Frank Forster 8 159 Hazel Parsons 7 49 Harrogate 2 Harrogate 4 2nd December Christabel Jackson 9 567 Jonathan Tatlow 11 644 Report from Les Costin Hilary Birdsall 8 252 Tom Beardmore 10 635 Hockley Scrabble Club held its first ever tournament at the Eastwood Church of the Latter Janet Southworth. 8 48 Sonia Cox 9 945 Day Saints, Leigh-on-Sea, an imposing and spacious modern venue, kindly loaned us by Bishop Watling of the Christian Mormon Church. The playing area in the main hall alone can easily accommodate up to 100 players, with almost luxurious rest areas and large grounds, Manchester Open plus the added advantage of masses of parking spaces.
2nd December Due to a few late cancellations our final entry number was reduced to 50. One player who Report from Paul Richards failed to arrive and didn’t let us know in time, caused problems in ‘A’ division. As the player is usually reliable he was included in round one and his clock started. When he still failed to Best theme word (the theme was travel) - BOXCAR by Anne arrive it was too late for the computer to adjust the division. A further 5 players had to have Hidden a bye because of this. Lots of praise here to our excellent TD Dave French who is completely unflappable. He did a really terrific job of arranging and rearranging games. From then on it Mileage competition - we asked people was a ‘walk in the park’. to guess the combined total number of miles all the competitors would have Christian Brown Our small band of helpers, runners, adjudicators and tea servers, helped run things like had to have travelled from their home clockwork. Most of the competitors were from Essex clubs and 12 from our own Hockley address to the venue -3867 miles - Club, with our neighbours from Romford and Brentford being well represented. Others Christian Brown Martin Harrison was the closest with 3866. travelled from London, Kent, Beds and Sussex.
Paul Ashurst Best performance in last 3 games of the day - Mark Hollingsworth We also helsd a ‘Highest word score’ in each division. In “A” Div Diane Pratesi played a Peter Ashurst - 3 wins + 243. Mark was the only player who won the last 3 magnificent nine-timer, ‘ENSNARED’ for 140. In the “B” Div Carole Wheatley did well with games, to finish outside the cash prizes. There were cash prizes in each division : 1st - £80, ‘CROQUET’ for 110 and in “C” Div Joan Everitt produced ‘QUOTERS’ for 110 2nd - £40, 3rd - £20, 4th - £10 and a ratings prize of £10. Everyone seemed to enjoy the day in a friendly atmosphere. Bishop Watling attended the The ratings winners were: prize-giving and offered the premises for a future tournament, which will be on September Division A - Mark Lane (9th) - a tough A division today, only two of 29th. We also managed to make a small profit which will be offered to the church or a the players eligible for the ratings prize finished in the top half and charity of their choice they were the two highest rated. Division B - Richard Moody (9th) Hockley A Hockley B Hockley C George Gruner 6 291 Marc Meakin 5.5 526 Moira Metcalf 5 133 Division C - Eileen Hume (5th) - Sale SC’s own super-sub octogenarian Barbara Hill who did not know she was playing in her first rated tournament (not Kevin Synnott 4 287 Jake Berliner 5 173 Mark Reeves 4 260 Phil Kelly 4 249 Ann Golding 4.5 324 Cindy Hollyer 4 147 even as a reserve) until 55 minutes before the start. She tells me I’m a Barbara Hill Priscilla Encarnacion 4 135 Margaret White 4 214 Michael Double 4 125 very nice bully.
6 7 Home International Stoke Rochford 16th-17th December 2nd-3rd December Report from Linda Vickers. Stoke Rochford A Stoke Rochford B Stoke Rochford C In 2006, it was Wales' privilege to host this annual event for the first time. The Tournament Wayne Kelly 12 789 Pete Ashurst 11 382 Ginny Dixon 9 459 Elie Dangoor 8 670 Len Moir 9 466 Joseph Doku 8 287 was held at The Hill Conference Centre, Abergavenny, on the 2/3 December, when sixteen Nick Deller 8 591 Gerard Fox 8 767 Marjorie Smith 8 266 of the top-rated Scrabble players from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales played almost Ratings: Cecil Muscat (7th) Ratings: Marion Kirk (4th) Ratings: Jenny Harris (4th) one hundred games of Scrabble between them.
The competition to become the 2006 Home International Champions was fierce, but South Essex Round Robin sportsmanlike conduct, humour, camaraderie and co-operation prevailed. It was a pleasure to be part of this event, which embodied the community spirit of Scrabble and brought 7th Jan together sixteen of the finest ambassadors for our beloved game. Report from Phil Kelly In Group A, Paloma Raychbart did very well as the lowest rated player in that group. She Adam Philpotts (England) and Kay McColgan (Ireland) received won it with 5 wins and a superior spread to win a very tight round robin of 7 games. Her last the prizes for winning the highest number of games and Neil game against Robert Richland was still going on whilst everyone else had finished and was Green (Wales) was presented with The Cupboardy Award for taking an interest in her progress. She held her nerve to win the game and take the £100 his wonderfully creative phoney prize money. TONSILIER, which was voted favourite of the tourney by his In Group B, it looked like Christina French was going to win (as the adjudicator’s wife how fellow competitors. Other good could she lose?) as she was unbeaten after 6 games. But unluckily for her she couldn’t win words played (but allowed) her last game, and lost the Group on spread to Rachelle Winer who also finished on 6 wins, included BOOHING and who also went home with £100 prize money. This was a reversal of fortune for Rachelle *The victorious England Team GEODESIC APATITE PURFLING since the last round robins at this venue of Hockley Old Fire station in July 2006 when POLYPITES and SUPERMAN. Rachelle had been unlucky to come second on spread despite winning 6 games.
Congratulations to Team England on their victory and well South Essex A South Essex B done to all the players for making the event a success. Special Paloma Raychbart 5 411 Rachelle Winer 6 432 thanks to Mary Allen, Tournament Organiser extraordinaire! Neil Green receives his trophy Cecil Muscat 5 265 Christina French 6 265 Mike Whiteoak 4 65 Jim Lyes 5 -89 1. England 3. Wales 29 wins +1288 spread 23 wins -577 spread I.O.W Adam Philpotts 9 626 John Grayson 7 203 Brett Smitheram 8 518 Shane O’Neill 7 -36 I.O.W. A I.O.W. D Wayne Kelly 7 77 Gareth Williams 6 -30 Stewart Holden 12 1571 Margaret Mitchell 11 360 Craig Beevers 5 67 Neil Green 3 -714 Gary Oliver 12 1341 Jean Shaw 10 293 2. Scotland 4. Ireland Elie Dangoor 12 557 Anne Darby 9 483 23 wins +422 spread 21 wins -1133 spread Noel Turner 9 307 Margaret Firmston 9 20 Allan Simmons 7 413 Kay McColgan. 9 504 I.O.W. B I.O.W. E Neil Scott 7 -72 Kevin McMahon 6 88 Maureen Reynolds 11 11 Susan Thorne 12 701 Wilma Warwick 5 202 Eileen Meghen 4 -882 Louise Brundell 10 403 Betty Simmonds 11 309 Simon Gillam 4 121 Ademola Ajayi 2 -843 Peter Thomas 10 -5 Jean(Ryde) Williams 10 624 *1 Brett Smitheram -The reigning Easter matchplay and BMSC champion - the latter he has won 3 out of the last 4 James Rossiter 9 802 Brian Beaumont 10 371 years, a previous winner of the Masters and National Championship and is currently England's No 1 rated player. 2. I.O.W. C Craig Beevers - a formidable opponent clocking up two notches to becoming a Grandmaster, never mind an Expert. Barbara Allen 12 429 He won his first major within that last week at Milton Keynes, so is definitely the man in form. He is currently ranked Marjorie Smith 11 862 Stewart Holden, the ABSP’s Stewart - the newest G.M. 14th and is vying for a place at next years WSC. 3. Adam Philpotts - in the game for quite a few years, finally making Ian Caws 11 312 newest Grand Master collects collects his trophy his mark in 2003. In 2004 he clinched his first major by winning the Durham event, and has performed consistently Rita Todd 10 439 the A Division Trophy in the ratings. He is currently 23rd. 4. Wayne Kelly - Won first major, also at Durham, earlier this year. Currently ranked 29th but has been as high as 13th Ed’ t 9 8 9 David 2: AC AEIOT (-18) A poor pick-up for David, but he finds the perfect solution. The only other move that bears comparison with COAITA is CIAO at H5a for 31, leaving the highly promising ATE on David ’s rack. But the board is very tight, so it ’s undoubtedly better to take the extra points. COAITA F6a 35 62 Austin 3: AG? AERV (-17) by PHIL APPLEBY At last Austin gets his bonus. The choice is between RAVAGEs at A9a for 68, or sAVAGER at The main feature of this issue ’s Across the Board is an annotated game from the World Youth M6d for 66. A question that I ’m sure crossed Austin’s mind: can SAVAGER be a noun (one Scrabble Championship, featuring the two finalists. It ’s not one of the games from the Final, who savages)? If so, it could give a lot of points away; if not, then it ’s worthwhile sacrificing all of which turned out to be a little one-sided. Instead I ’ve featured game 17 of the main a couple of points to avoid opening the nine-timer. As it happens, SAVAGER doesn ’t take an S, event, which turned out to be an absolute cracker. and for this reason it simulates a few points better than RAVAGES. That said, it ’s worth noting I also have the usual array of moves to be proud of – do keep them coming in! that the chance of David having a nine-timer, having played six tiles, is less than if he ’d Annotated Game: Austin Shin v David Eldar (World Youth Scrabble Championship) played off a couple, suggesting a bonus-friendly rack. Those of us who followed the World Youth Scrabble Championship (WYSC) on the internet RAVAGEs A9a 68 113 enjoyed a thrilling event, and a terrific performance by the only UK representative, Austin David 3: E AEFLU? (-51) Shin. Austin was always there or thereabouts, and won his final three games in the main event to qualify for the Final, against the formidable Australian youngster, David Eldar, who Again, faultless play. EAsEFUL is available at M4d for 65, but David spots the only 8-letter finished 11th in the 2005 World Championship. word through the R. Note that if you don ’t spot FUnEREAL, FUELER at A4d for 39 actually simulates significantly better than EAsEFUL; it ’s worthwhile sacrificing 26 points to retain the Austin probably won ’t thank me for including this particular game. I ’m quite sure he played blank, when it takes off the only major hot-spot on the board. far better in many others. But this was a splendidly exciting tussle with an extraordinary endgame; well worth examining in detail! FUnEREAL A5d 83 145 The analysis of the game was done using the excellent Quackle program, downloadable for Austin 4: AAEIKTY (-32) free from the Web at http://www.quackle.org The awkward tiles are the K and Y, and Austin ’s play successfully gets rid of both. It would Austin 1: EILMUX? have been nice if he could have played off another vowel, but the only possibilities are words such as LEAKY at A12a, which score less and burn the E. Unfortunately Austin misses the bonus play on his opening rack. Can you see it? (See page 18.xx) The 96 points would have put him in a very strong position in the game. His move of KAY K4a 27 140 MUX is next best. David 4: EEJLMPT (+ 5) MUX G8a 24 24 David maximises his score with a word that many players wouldn ’t know. If you want to David 1: ABCDEOO (-24) play off AELMP you’ve got AMPLE and MAPLE – who needs more? Well, if you want to score David has picked ABCDE – how many 7-letter words can you see that contain those five 36 points on this move you also need to know PELMA. In fact the optimal move according to tiles? (See page xx) Unfortunately for David they don ’t include his rack. BOOED is best, Quackle is LAPJE at D8d for 30, leaving MET. It seems that the scoring potential of the J is with COOED close behind. Moves that retain the E, such as OBO or ADOBO at I7a, don ’t outweighed by the flexibility of the M. score enough and give too much away. PELMA H1d 36 181 BOOED F7a 27 27 Austin 5: AEIT GOS (-41) Austin 2: EIL? AGU(- 3) Austin misses another chance to put the pressure on David: LATIGOES plays at A12a for 70. I guess Austin must have been feeling the pressure at this stage, because he again misses a Do you know the unplayable anagram? (See page xx.) Having failed to spot the bonus, bonus play – this time LInGUAE or LIGUlAE at I6a for 76. If you don ’t know, or don ’t spot, the Austin finds a neat play. GO opens up column D for 7-letter words, and the 3-vowel 2- bonus moves, what should you play? Austin opts for LIEU at I6a for 21, leaving ?AG on his rack. consonant leave is unlikely to be a problem, given that there are several vowel-heavy words I rather like LEU in the same s pot for 1 point less. With a good pick-u p there ’s the delicious possibility of a double-double 7-letter –ING word from E5, also forming ILEX, NED and GU. on the board. LIEU I6a 21 45 GO E6a 14 154
10 11 S EGIORTW N R S BOOED N ID LOE EZMUXTIED EN Y RAVAGE AI N
David 5: EJT DINZ (+27) David 8: ST DIRST (-74) Excellent play by David. Most players would settle for ZANTE for 48, or possibly JEEZ at G2a David comes up with an imaginative play, but I can ’t believe it ’s the best one. He was no for 40, but ZANIED is undoubtedly best, if you know it. Having moved into a 79-point lead, doubt considering the S-TIED hook, an opening that Austin might not spot. But with an ever- David is happy to keep back the J for its scoring potential. dwindling supply of vowels (now 9 out of 28 unseen tiles), keeping four consonants is unlikely to lead to a bonus next move. He would probably need to pick two vowels, and that ’s a very ZANIED D8d 52 233 low probability. I think STED in the same spot is better, keeping IRST. Okay, the board ’s not Austin 6: AEIST IO (-79) great, but there are a few bonus lanes: the B, L, and M columns, and across from D11. TIED L8a 18 278 Unlucky pick-up. The game appears to be slipping away from Austin. He really needs a bonus, and fast. Keeping back AEIST last move didn’t pay off, but he decides to give it Austinabcdef 9: EGIORTWg hij klmno (+56) another go. Although the C12 position scores less than M2 or N3/N4, it is safer, and leaves 1 PETUN I AS Austin the N bonus lane open. The only play that simulates better is VITAE at C9d for 28, but’m I 2 JEEL with Austin – a bonus is needed, and playing off OI maximizes the chances. 3 L 4 MKAYS 5 FCOAITAC Unseen: OI C12d 12 166 6 UGOLIEUE AAIIOO David 6: JT ELNST (+67) 7 N 8 BDFHHNNNPQRRRSSTTVW Tricky. With only 16 vowels unseen out of 45 tiles, and with Austin showing all the symptoms 9 10 Score: of a vowel-heavy rack, it would be nice to retain the E, but there is no good way of doing so. JET 11 Austin: 334 at G2a scores only 10, and LANT at B8d for 14 is little better. David’s play relies on a good pick- 12 up. With no S’s played, I’d have gone for JEST at N2d for 33. True, it opens the O column, but 13 David: 278 with a 100-point lead I think it’s worthwhile playing off the S and using an extra tile. 14 15 JEEL F2a 27 260 Austin 7: AEIST NU(-94) It’s decision time for Austin. Should he look to score well, ignoring the potential danger spots? Or should he try to make it as difficult as possible for David to play a bonus, That’s more like it! Austin finds the optimal play. SINUATE is also playable in several places, regardless of what the blocking move scores? An additional consideration is rack balance. but for significantly fewer points, Game on! From Austin ’s perspective, there are 6 vowels and 19 consonants unseen, so it ’s important PETUNIAS H1a 85 251 to retain vowels. It ’s a tough call. An ideal move would block the K, L and M columns, and the possible double-double from D11, whilst scoring well. But that ’s not an option. David 7: NSTT IQR (+ 9) In this kind of situation my inclination is to keep the score ticking over. I ’d also be keen to Unusually, there is absolutely nowhere on the board to play QI or QIS. No doubt David was retain the E, the last one unplayed. The obvious moves are TWO or OWT at M2a for 26. It eyeing up QIS/KAYOS for 36, prior to Austin’s PETUNIAS! It has to be a change, but what? extends Austin ’s lead to 82, and leaves a nice balanced EIGR. The worst possible scenario David chooses to change QINRT, keeping ST. With only 11 vowels unseen out of 35 tiles,’d I is for David to get a bonus from D11. A bonus down the K, L, or M columns might well lead to a bonus response from Austin. Austin decides to block. GREY is good in many ways. It definitely have retained the I. My instinct, with lots of N’s and R’s in the bag, would be to blocks STIED, and all playable bonuses from D11. (For practice, see if you can work out the keep IST, but I’d have been wrong. According to Quackle, best, by some distance, is to four 8-letter words that start with I and end in O, and the one 8-letter word that starts and change only QT. I’m still not convinced; a two-consonant pick-up (quite likely, given the ends in I, answers on page 18.) Also, it uses only one vowel. On the down side, it scores unseen tiles) would leave another difficult rack. But INRST does combine well with A, E, and only 8 points, uses the E, and creates on opening for high-scoring plays such as SOVRAN O, which I suspect is why changing QT simulates so well. at O10d for 48. Computer simulation suggests that TWO is slightly better, winning 93.8% Ch INQRT 0 260 of all games, but GREY isn ’t far behind, with a winning percentage of 91.1%. Austin 8: CEENRSY (- 9) GREY K10a 8 342 David 9: RSST AOQ (-64) What a turn-round! Within two moves, Austin has transformed a 94-point deficit into a 74- Picking two vowels was lucky, but picking the Q wasn ’t. There ’s not a lot to think about point lead. SCENERY is an everyday word, but an easy one to miss. Excellent stuff from Austin. here. QAT at B4d is the only place to play the Q, so down it goes.... SCENERY N4d 83 334 QAT B4d 23 301
12 13 S N
Austin 10: IOTW BPW (+41) As it turns out, David can guarantee a win – but in order to do so he must get this move right. Another tricky decision for Austin. It ’s very tempting to take advantage of QI with a move And he does, with NAH at B8d for 29. If he plays elsewhere, for example NOH at D10a for such as WIT or TIP, both for 29, but he is obviously fearful of David scoring heavily with QIS. 30 or QIS at B4a for 24, Austin could play FAR at B8d, taking off the hotspot. HAH in the The alternative, which Austin chooses, is the play he might have made on the previous same spot also guarantees a win, but by fewer points. move, OWT at M2a for 26. NAH B8d 29 378 Simulation puts WIT on top, just ahead of OWT, but again there ’s not a lot in it. I guess the danger of leaving the QI spot is that David will score well there next move using one of the Austin 12: INW FPR (+23) two unseen i ’s and score even more heavily the following move with QIS. I have no idea how much time Austin had left; I suspect not a lot. There is much to think OWT M2a 26 368 about. Perhaps the key thought is what to do with the W. It turns out that there is just one David 10: ORSS ANV (-67) place to play it: WINN at L15a. So Austin must either play it now, or keep back WIN so that it’s available next move. There is also the NOH danger. PIRN at C11a would block it, but A dream pick-up for David! He can play SOVRAN/GREYS, and get himself right back into would stick Austin with the W. EF is another possibility, but it doesn’t score enough, and with the game. Oddl y, the WYSC website shows a score of 42 for the move, whereas it should David able to play out in two WINN wouldn’t do Austin any good anyway. have been 48. I find it surprising that both players could have mis-scored the move, so I ’ve However, I’ve already given away the denouement – Austin is destined to lose whatever he scored it as 48. does. His best play is PIR, but after that the optimal sequence of moves is as follows: SOVRANS O10d 48 349 Austin PIR C11a 15 416 David QIS B4a 24 402 Austin 11: IBPW DNR (+19) Austin WINN L15a 11 427 David THIO H11a 20 422 With F left on his rack, Austin loses, 423-426. With three tiles in the bag, the unseen tiles are: IIO FHHNRST. There is little point in leaving In the game, Austin plays FIN at B13d for 19, condemning himself to be stuck with the W, a tile in the bag. If he can score reasonably well, Austin ’s lead should be sufficient to see off and making David’s life a little bit easier. a two-move play-off by David. The QI opening is the main scoring opportunity, and this time FIN B13d 19 420 Austin can play there without the prospect of a high-scoring response from David. Because there are no E’s unseen, DRIP or DRIB from C2d mean that the worst that can happen is QIS David 12: HIOST (-42) for 24. Austin chooses DRIB, holding back the P for C11. For some reason DRIP simulates David slips up by playing NOH straight away. There is nothing Austin can do to block it, and slightly better, and I can ’t work out why. If you have any ideas, let me know! he gives Austin an extra 8 points for PIR next move. Best is QIS. DRIB C2d 33 401 NOH D10a 30 408 David 11: S HHINOT (-52) Austin 13: PRW (+12) abcdefg hij klmno Austin takes the 23 points on offer, but must now wait while David plays out. 1 PETUN I AS PIR C11a 23 443 2 DJEELOWT 3 RL David 13: IST (-35) 4 QI M KAYS David 5 FABCOAITAC I HHNOTS QIS B4a 24 432 6 UT GO L I EU E 7 N BOOED N Austin 14: W (+11) 8 EZMUXTIED 9 Pass 0 443 RAVAGES R 10 E N GREYS David 14: IT (-11) 11 Score: AI O 12 David 349 LOE V TI A14d 14 446 13 ID R Austin 401 14 Final score: 15 A N Austin: 439 David 450
Things look hopeless for David, but with the two H ’s on his rack, there is still hope, especially Summary: A remarkable game. Austin missed some chances early on, but played very well as there are two hotspots available, at B10 and F10. Austin ’s final rack (FINPRW) is extremely from move 6 onwards, and looked to have the game won after his back-to-back bonuses. awkward, and there is no way for him to play out in two, so David is ensured of at least three But in the end he was thwarted by an excellent player who got a little bit lucky with his pick- moves. ups on moves 10 and 11.
14 15 D BE I RTU? S G
2a. Played by Chris Hawkins, Peterborough SC, December 2006. Can you win this endgame? P My thanks to Ronnie Reid for submitting this endgame, which occurred when he was playing This was the penultimate league game of the Maven (which would no doubt explain the presence of ECO on the board!). Ronnie needed year, and Chris needed to win this game to play out to win, but didn ’t see (or know) the winning play. Can you do any better? See over against Nick Deller in orderO to win the league for tiles and board. by the narrowest of margins.
abcdefg hij klmno Chris: AGLNSTU 1 R 2 IC 3 ZAP V A 4 DOUT GA I DS Score: 5 HE I D F M T Chris: 357 6 FOL I AG ES O 7 Ronnie: Nick: 368 QI R P 8 ANU 9 ANNU I TY S 10 R 11 THENARS B Maven: EEIRT 2b. Played by Chris Hawkins, Peterborough SC, December 2006. O 12 RO I L GU KO 13 GEM DALLY PANT 14 WEB I ECO E 15 VOX E EEGLV JEW NOSE Chris:
Moves To Be Proud of... Score: Chris 446 An honourable mention to Jackie McLeod, who played the splendid PISTOLEERS around Nick 379 OLE on the board in a London League match in November. Unfortunately I don’t have the full board position, but a wonderful play nevertheless. Here are some more.... I
abcdefg hij klmno 1. Played by Stewart Holden, 1 E 2 WH V C Durham Grand event, September 2006 3 KBAR I U 4 JETE R L 3. Played by Bob Violett in January 2007, at Hockley.
Stewart: AC I FNRY I Bob: Score: Unknown
Opponent: EIST
Score: Bob: 371 Opponent: 433
16 17 164 0281 Steve Perry 164 0479 Andrew Roughton(Exp) 174 1016 John Ashmore Solutions 174 0734 Nick Deller 164Ratings Jin_Chor atTan Across The Board Solutions No. 30 by Phil Appleby A B S P R a t i n g s 163 1428 Martin Harrison A B S P 174R 0025a t i Richardn g Evans(Exp)s 163 1228 Mark Lane (GM) Grand 174Master 0224 (Exp) Gary Expert Polhill(Exp) 21-1-2007 • The move 1 bonus for Austin is MILIEUX. 163 0086 Frankie Mairey ABSP membership173 number 0081 Joycefor members Cansfield(Exp) 173 1443 Steve Hilton 163 0408At least Nuala 30’Rourke O games • There are no fewer than 20 7-letter words containing ABCDE: ABDUCED, is shown173 before name Chris Vicary 162 1375and Michael at least Chappell 162 0079 Chris Finlay ABDUCES, BATCHED, BEACHED, BELACED, BLACKED, BRACTED, 172 0058 Russell Byers(GM) 1 since 21-1-2005 211 Adam Logan 172 0199 Graham Harding 162 0154 Mike’Rourke O BROCADE, CABINED, CARBIDE, CODABLE, CRABBED, CUDBEAR, 202 0774 Brett Smitheram(GM)172 0038 Jackie McLeod(Exp) 162 1170 Paloma Raychbart DEBACLE, DEBAUCH, DECARBS, DIEBACK, PEDICAB, REDBACK, SCABBED. 198 0497 Andrew Davis(GM) 171 Peter Igweke 161 Ken Heaton 196 1422 Wale Fashina 170 0202 Penny Downer(Exp) 161 0105 Elisabeth Jardine • The anagram of LATIGOES is OTALGIES. 194 0751 Paul Allan(GM) 170 0573 Gary Fox 161 0984 Roy Miller 194 0280 Andrew Perry(GM) 170 0006 Darryl Francis(Exp) 161 Jeff Ngeze • The four 8-letter words starting with I and ending in O are IMPETIGO, INNUENDO, 194 0338 David Webb(GM) 170 0888 Chris Keeley 161 Paul Nind 193 0147 Helen Gipson(GM) 170 0999 Kay McColgan 161 0213 Neil Rowley INTAGLIO and INTONACO. The 8-letter word starting and ending with I is 192 0158 Ed Martin(Exp) 169 0241 Bob Berry 160 0852 Maureen Chamberlain IGNORAMI. 190 0015 Phil Appleby(GM) 169 Paul Chadwick 160 0986 Robert Pells 190 0621 Andrew Cook(GM) 169 Brendan McDonnell160 Malcolm Quirie 190 0745 Harshan 169 0012 Ruth Morgan- 160 0631 Alison Sadler Can you win this endgame? Lamabadusuriya(GM) Thomas(Exp) 160 0589 Anne Steward 160 1057 Mike Whiteoak 190 0007 Allan Simmons(GM)169 0115 Diane Pratesi(Exp) 159 0534 Caroline Atkins Ronnie’s winning play is AUTOMEN at d8d for 10. 188 0014 Di Dennis(GM) 169 0814 Jared Robinson 159 0914 Vincent Boyle 187 0823 Wayne Kelly(Exp) 169 0428 Kwaku Sapong Moves to be proud of 159 0343 Amy Byrne 187 0060 Terry Kirk(GM) 169 1369 Ben Tarlow 159 Chris Cummins 187 0750 Shanker Menon 168 1116 Paul Bassett 1. Stewart played ACIDIFY at I10a for 55. 159 1221 JOjo Delia 187 0041 Gareth Williams(GM)168 0019 David Brook 159 Ed Garrett-Jones 186 1355 Craig Beevers(Exp) 168 Catherine Costello 159 0837 Peter Liggett 2a. Chris played YGLAUNST at H15a for 89. 186 1220 Theresa Camilleri 168 Alastair Richards 159 0760 Sanmi Odelana 186 0777 Adam Philpotts 168 0172 Daniel Simonis 159 1363 Stephen Pearce 2b. Chris played INVEIGLE at D7d for 13. 185 0057 Mark Nyman(GM) 167 0609 Bob Lynn 159 0101 Robert Richland(Exp) 185 0482 Neil Scott(GM) 167 1102 Paul(Sale) Richards 3. Bob played aTTRIBUTE at O15d for 83. 159 0719 Kate Surtees 184 0880 Femi Awowade(Exp)167 0088 Sandie Simonis(Exp) 158 0688 Lorraine Gordon 183 1000 Stewart Holden(GM)167 0123 Noel Turner(Exp) 158 0235 Martin Reed 183 0362 Gary Oliver 167 0162 Alec Webb(Exp) 158 Karen Richards 183 1163 David Sutton 167 0017 Mike Willis(Exp) 158 Margaret Rogers 181 0478 Elie Dangoor(Exp) 166 0463 Helen Harding 158 1488 Edward Rossiter 181 0530 George Gruner(Exp) 166 Mark Hollingsworth 158 1268 Abraham Sosseh 181 0049 Bob Violett(Exp) 166 0021 Evan Simpson(GM) 158 0857 Angela Swain 180 0764 Lewis Mackay(Exp) 165 Neil Green 158 0555 Raymond Tate 180 0005 Brian Sugar(GM) 165 1129 Lee Hartley 158 1389 Paul(Tranmere) 179 0045 Barry Grossman(Exp)165 Dianne Ward Thomson Poll Result 179 0846 Austin Shin(Exp) 164 0766 Chris Davison I’m pleased to be able to announce the result of the poll on the move to adopt 178 1427 Mikki Nicholson 164 0059 Simon Gillam(Exp) 177 1197 Christian Brown 164 Mark Goodwin Collins Scrabble Words. 177 0072 John Grayson(GM) 164 0368 Chris Hawkins(Exp) 177 1349 Fidelis Olotu 164 1408 Rael Hayman There were 488 votes cast. Of these: 177 Biyi Oyadiran 164 1006 Ross Mackenzie 176 0770 Jake Jacobs 164 0165 Cecil Muscat 176 Omar_Malleh Jah 398 are in favour (of which 108 were cast at the Chair ’s discretion) 176 0004 Philip Nelkon(GM) 82 are against 8 spoiled ballots 176 1295 Shane’Neill O 176 Philips Owolabi 175 Adekoyejo Adegbesan So, 82% of votes are in favour of the change. We are waiting for Collins to confirm 175 Gerry Carter a publication date and adjudication tool agreement before determining an 175 1368 Phil Robertshaw 175 0292 Wilma Warwick implementation timescale. Allan Simmons and I will continue our discussions with Collins tomorrow.
Many thanks to everyone who took the trouble to vote. Terry Kirk ABSP Chairman
18 19 143 1097 Ronnie Reid 128 1320 Rita Todd 143 0546 Joyce Squire 128 0864 Margaret White 143 0422 Carol Stanley 127 0110 Liz Barber 143 0775 Pat Wheeler 127 0924 Linda Barratt 143 1053 Stephen Wintle 127 0107 Joan Caws 143 0637 Val Wright 127 0297 Norma Howarth 142 0080 Mary Allen 127 0886 Ruth Marsden 142 0565 Ann Coleman 127 1066 Barbara Morris 142 0923 Teresa Hill 127 Mary Shaw 142 Wendy Lindridge 127 1189 Martin Taylor 149 0003 Laura Finley 142 0537 Carol Malkin 132 Nick Baker 149 1322 Frank Forster 127 0136 Jan Turner 142 0120 Kate McNulty 132 0252 Steve Balment 126 Noel Barnes 149 1362 Graham Haigh 142 Huw Morgan 132 Kate Barratt 149 0793 Joanne Hiley 126 0257 Syd Berger 142 1131 Russell Smith 132 1466 Suzanne Dundas 126 1513 Linda Bird 149 0084 Pauline Johnson 142 0587 Maria Thomson 132 0163 Yvonne Eade 149 0100 David Lawton 126 Janet Braund 141 1092 Heather Burnet 132 1007 Margaret Irons 126 0543 Winnie Buik 149 0873 Matthew Pinner 141 1202 Jason Carney 132 1136 Ted Lewis 148 0051 Cathy Anderson 126 1182 David Carrod 141 James Crooks 132 Jo Ramjane 126 Sylvia Carroll 148 0978 Andy Becher 141 Patricia Fenn 132 Becky Samuel 148 0024 Angela Evans 126 0992 Geoff Cooper 157 1429 Stewart Houten 141 1067 Gavin Holmes 137 0092 Priscilla Encarnacion131 1409 Mick Beasley 126 1265 Joy Fox 148 0967 Gerard Fox 141 Pinaach Kolte 131 0899 Jake Berliner 157 1203 Greg Kelly 148 0471 Anne Hidden 137 1476 Daniel Harris 126 0641 Norma Galley 157 Christine McKenzie 141 0707 Gwynfor Owen 137 Alastair Ives 131 Jean Dymock 126 0381 Michael Harley 148 Chrystal Rose 141 0690 Maureen Reynolds 157 0161 Margaret Pritchett 137 1514 Victoria Kingham 131 0964 Phyllis Fernandez 126 0663 Linda Hillard 148 0790 Margaret Staunton 141 Lesley Trotter 157 0476 David Shenkin 137 1198 Maurice McParland 131 Paul Heasman 126 0263 Sheila Jolliffe 147 0789 Alan Bailey 140 0738 Margaret Armstrong 157 0116 Martin Thompson 137 Helen Mitchell 131 1025 Marion Kirk 126 0904 George Newman 147 Alan Buckley 140 0427 Peter Ashurst 156 0069 Moira Conway 137 0804 Mary Oram 131 0911 Marie Perry 126 0938 Helen Polhill 147 1120 Anand Buddhdev 140 0242 Sheila Green 156 Alan Georgeson 137 0960 Mary Siggers 131 0443 Ann Pitblado 126 0972 Denise Saxton 147 0254 Ian Burn 140 Tim Hebbes 156 0055 Helen Grayson(Exp) 137 Brian Watson 131 0152 Marjorie Smith 126 1457 Amanda Sodhy 147 0469 Tony Davis 140 Sheila Hinett 156 Dave Nunn 137 0248 Jean(Cardiff) Williams131 Evan Terrett 126 Gill(Taunton) 147 1404 Chris Harrison 140 Terry Jones 156 0657 Frances Ure 136 0330 Viv Beckmann 131 1149 Jim Wilkie Thompson 147 1115 Nick Jenkins 140 0150 David Longley 131 1003 Sheena Wilson 156 0810 Linda Vickers 136 0920 Eleanor Dobson 125 0512 Etta Alexander 147 0523 Kate Leckie 140 Gerry Pearce 131 Jenny Woodroffe 156 1279 Ben Wilson 136 Alasdair Dowling 125 Pat Broderick 147 1032 Kevin Synnott 140 0215 Jean Rappitt 130 Sheila(Perth) Anderson 156 Ricky Zinger 136 1423 Calum Edwards 125 0402 Sally Fiszman 147 Pam Titheradge 139 1179 Janet Adams 130 Eryl Barker 155 0103 Danny Bekhor 136 0544 Marjory Flight 125 1413 Geoff Goodwin 147 Amy Willcox 139 Jean Bridge 130 1020 Derek Bower 155 1440 Tim Charlton 136 1282 Barbara Goodban 125 0759 John Harrison 146 Tony Bearn 139 0089 Margaret Bright 130 0223 June Edwards 155 1211 Ian Coventry 136 0608 Sandra Hoffland 125 0347 Kathleen Higgins 146 1412 Melanie Beaumont 139 0655 Mary Jones 130 Pam Fairless 155 0488 Marion Keatings 136 Sally Lewis 125 0858 May Macdonald 146 0061 Loz Crouch 139 1153 Colin Parker 130 Jean Gallacher 155 0093 Ruth MacInerney 136 0547 Tess McCarthy 125 1463 Hari Nanayakkara 146 0232 Iain Harley 139 0632 Carol(Norwich) Smith 130 1242 John Garcia 155 0020 Janet Phillips 136 0035 Lois McLeod 125 Mauro Pratesi 146 0713 Trish Johnson 139 Carol(Ryde) Smith 130 0442 Agnes Gunn 155 0226 Alan Sinclair 136 0028 Lorna Rapley 125 Miri Purse 146 1164 Karl Kwiatkowski 139 1287 Stuart Solomons 130 Nola Marrow 154 Ralph Gibbs 136 Martin Sheehan 125 0634 Edith Smith 146 0016 Maureen Rayson 139 0291 Sylvia Swaney 130 0895 David Reading 154 Andrew Goodwin 136 Richard Woodward 124 0898 Alistair Baker 146 0996 Kenneth Ross 139 0099 Josef Thompson 130 0470 Norman Smith 154 0795 Chris Quartermaine 135 0635 Philip Aldous 124 0849 John Ball 146 0876 Evelyn Wallace 139 0177 Henry Walton 129 0767 Kathy Bullen 154 0480 Anne Ramsay 135 Liz Allen 124 Jill Burgess 145 Oluyemi Adesiyan 138 0419 Michael Baxendale 129 Garry Clark 154 0094 Rachelle Winer 135 0856 Minu Anderson 124 0106 Ian Caws 145 1046 Paul Ashworth 138 0096 Diana Beasley 129 1305 Jason Goddard 153 0228 Adrienne Berger 135 0511 Samantha Beckwith 145 0399 Louise Brundell 138 1217 Carolyn Emery 129 1331 Carol Grant 124 0668 Ceridwen Davies 153 1301 Richard Blakeway 135 0238 Margaret Burdon 145 0507 Kathryn Henry 138 0329 Heather Frankland 129 0776 Peter Hall 124 0539 Lynn Giles 153 1145 Peter Darby 135 0933 Ann Golding 145 1051 Elizabeth Hull 138 Alan Guy 129 0572 Val Hoskings 124 0715 Barbara Hill 153 0836 Chris Fenwick 135 0729 Kathy Greaves 145 0067 Danny McMullan 138 1125 Andrew Hart 129 Brenda Margereson 124 Medina Hull 153 Brian Jones 135 Helen Jones 145 0423 Alec Robertson 138 0932 Jill Parker 129 1050 Yvonne McKeon 124 1113 Christabel Jackson 153 Timothy Lawrence 135 Roger Ordish 144 John Balloch 138 0029 Marlene Skinner 129 Janet Southworth 124 0414 Jill Jones 153 0268 Donna Stanton 135 1206 Sarah Wilks 144 0369 Brian Bull 137 0066 Sue Bowman 129 Sheila Wall 124 0036 Dot Taylor 153 0272 Ivan Swallow 134 1210 Graham Bonham 144 0449 Alan Childs 137 1005 Verity Cross 129 1273 Peter Winnick 123 Elizabeth Allen 153 0489 Tom Wilson 134 Joe Caruana 144 0135 David Meadows 137 0406 Moya Dewar 128 Gail Allen 123 Harry Beckett 152 Christina French 134 0032 Ron Hendra 144 1270 Len Moir 137 Chris Downer 128 1373 Stany Arnold 123 0735 Hilary Birdsall 152 1419 John Hardie 134 0875 Jim Lyes 144 Kay Powick 128 0943 Carol Arthurton 123 0493 Kate Boutinot 152 0121 Debbie Heaton 134 1269 Richard Moody 144 0576 Carole Rison 128 1158 Wasinee Beech 152 Eileen Meghen 134 0995 Carol Sienkiewicz 144 0636 David Williams 128 0682 Janet Bonham 151 0574 Simon Carter 134 1294 Christine Strawbridge 143 0822 Jill Bright 128 Barbara Dein 151 Alan Catherall 134 Carole Thomas 143 0870 Jean Bromley 128 0475 Jill Fisher 151 0124 Ivy Dixon-Baird 134 Annette Tinning 143 William Coleman 128 0868 Christine Gillespie 151 0331 Davina Galloway 143 0395 Pat Colling 133 0922 Barbara Allen 151 0997 Phil Kelly 128 0077 Joy Lloyd 143 Debbie Holloway 133 Brenda Baxter 128 Heather Roberts 151 1469 James Rossiter 143 0335 Robert Johnston 133 0557 Janice Bease 151 0229 Graham Wakefield 128 Brenda Rodwell 143 0802 Patricia Pay 133 1035 Andy Gray 128 0452 Peter Sime 150 Eddy Breed 133 0840 Rhoda Gray 150 0835 Maurice Brown 133 Maureen Greening- 150 Billy Dott Steer 150 1243 Doj Graham 133 0975 Jill Harrison 150 0267 Graham Maker 133 0401 Sharon Landau 150 1019 Lynne Murphy 133 0829 Kim Phipps 150 Bryn Packer 133 Malcolm Roberts 150 0919 Peter Thomas 133 Wojtek Usakiewicz 149 0838 Theresa Cole 133 1175 Rosalind Wilson 149 0732 Wanda De Poitiers 132 Gillian Ashworth
20 21 112 Jane Comer 99 0485 Ann Toft 112 Eunice Conibear 99 Alice Tozeland 112 Marlene Diskin 99 1520 Paul Walford 112 1238 Juliet Green 98 1259 Sheila(Romford) 112 Roma Hollingworth Anderson 112 Ann McDonnell 98 Gilly Batten 112 1080 Margaret Mitchell 98 1248 Margaret Coleman 112 0626 Martha Mitchell 98 Jean Fothergill 112 0952 Jean Owen 98 1496 Margaret Keeper 112 Norman Partridge 117 0356 Pamela Windsor 103 0474 Eileen Bradshaw 98 Patrice McCarry 112 1169 Yvonne Templeton 116 Shirley Angell 103 Len Choules 98 Moreen Shillitoe 112 0246 Wendy Tiley 116 Nora Bain 103 1200 Caroline Elliott 98 1171 Susan Thorne 112 1339 Carole Wheatley 116 Marie English 103 1306 Margaret Emmott 97 1168 Brian Beaumont 116 Joanne Hawkins 111 Eileen(Reading) 103 Barbara Etheridge 97 Steve Davie Anderson 116 1199 Richard Hitchcock 103 Marjorie Hislop 97 Peter Dittert 116 0752 Peter Kelly 111 1063 Irene Atkinson 103 1261 Jo Holland 97 1008 Yvonne Goodridge 116 0736 Molly Lane 111 1449 Mary Brodbin 103 1410 Hilbre Jenkins 97 Paul Harding 116 0798 Peter Lindeck 111 Beryl Browner 103 1112 Peter Johnson 97 Esme Norris 116 0320 Fay Madeley 111 Martin Byrne 103 1134 Dorothy Kemlicz 97 1297 Graham Pace 123 0915 Shirley Chidwick 109 Mary Orr 116 0833 Judy Monger 111 1119 Anne Darby 103 0927 Audrey Medhurst 97 Connie Riach 123 Georgina Cook 109 Joan Rees 116 1237 Dorn Osborne 111 Eve Dwyer 103 Heather Stevens 97 Su Williams 123 1262 Ginny Dixon 109 0692 Margaret Seabrook 116 0052 Martin Summers 111 0640 Daphne Fletcher 103 1434 Kat Wilkes 96 Alex Beckmann 123 Malcolm(Luton) 109 0917 Nicola Staunton 116 0826 Elizabeth Terry 111 Marjorie Gardner 102 0951 Bill Anderson 96 1081 Anna Blakey Graham 109 0169 Sue Thompson 115 0709 Betty Benton 111 1077 Marian Hamer 102 0965 Carmen Borg 96 0384 Mabel Choularton 123 1146 Leonora Hutton 109 0376 Claire Violett 115 0603 Linda Bradford 111 1183 Priscilla Munday 102 Jean Buckley 96 Pete Ison 123 Sheila Jeffery 109 Jane Weston 115 0156 Dorothy Dean 111 Joy Reason 102 Pat Burgess 96 Jean Jacobs 123 Angie Jones 108 0579 Sheila Booth-Millard 115 0854 Joseph Doku 111 Sheila Tutt 102 Cecilia Cotton 96 Mollie Moran 123 0616 Gertie Roberts 108 Gill Carr 115 1456 Andrew Eames 111 0844 Jan Vokes-Taylor 102 1034 Elsie Edwards 96 Renee Paine 122 0390 Betty Balding 108 Irene Catherall 115 Ann Fiddler 111 Kathleen Ward 102 Margaret Macdonald 96 Susan Paton 122 Jennifer Clifford 115 0128 Vera Flood 111 Judy Young 108 1458 June Faulkner 102 Marina Mehta 96 1502 Cathy Poacher 122 Eileen Douglas 115 Lorna Franks 110 Doreen Acton 108 Barbara Kent 102 0782 Richard Pajak 96 1450 Christine Tudge 122 0948 Eileen Foster 115 0718 Pat Friend 110 0761 Mary Adams 108 Janet Milford 102 0083 Pat Rockley 95 0877 Shirley Cave 122 1212 Marjorie Gillott 115 Joan Lawrence 110 1049 Ken Bird 108 0184 Celia Osborn 102 1118 Remie Salazar 95 Alan Everitt 122 1257 Mary Hopwood 115 1510 Jessica Pratesi 110 Bridget Busk 108 0954 Dorothy Pearson 102 1454 Janet Watson 95 1218 Terry Masterson 122 1479 Bob Jarvie 115 Jo Tebbutt 110 0725 Paul Cartman 108 1009 Jenny Sakamoto 102 0671 Chris Wide 95 0828 Moira Metcalf 122 1110 Pamela Kikumu 115 Michael-John Turp 110 0894 Owen Clarke 108 Isobel Smith 101 Philip Bowden 95 Hepzi Rodrigues 122 0142 Jane Lowndes 115 Maureen Underdown110 Ann Croll 108 0851 Sheila Smith 95 1174 Peter Trembath 122 1535 Marc Meakin 101 0928 Iris Cornish 115 Lee Walker 110 Jill Dyer 108 1468 Kathy Suddick 95 Christine Watkins 122 1365 Christina Pace 101 0683 Mavis Ernest 115 0606 Teena Walls 110 Joan Ellis 108 1271 Claudia Wiseman 95 Anne Wilkins 122 0236 Hazel Parker 101 0799 Cindy Hollyer 115 1276 Evelyn Wansbrough 110 1298 Helgamarie Farrow 107 Jenny Burgess 95 0900 Amabel Winter 121 1455 Angela Burke 101 1064 June Johnstone 115 Isla Wilkie 110 Noel Foulkes 107 0410 Myra Copleston 94 Mary Connell 121 0755 Carmen Dolan 101 0970 Sheila Miller 115 0645 June Wilson 110 1225 Lena Glass 107 0934 Joyce Jarvis 94 1289 Kerry Constant 121 Helen Rees 101 1516 Hazel Parsons 114 Maureen Austin 110 James Mutton 107 0791 Rosemary Jordan 94 0030 Ruby Flood 120 Sue Ball 101 Christine Pullen 114 Anne Backley 110 Stuart Ross 107 Gwen Roberts 94 0941 Audrey Harvey 120 1310 Jim Blackler 101 Josie Rogers 114 1391 Jan Bailey 110 1341 Pamela Sparkes 107 Helen Sandler 94 1185 Lyndon Johnson 120 Heather Cruickshank 101 1506 Gill(Norwich) 114 0327 Jessie Brown 110 Edith Tempest 107 Shirley Scoberg Thompson 94 Sheila Johnston 120 1181 Sue Ison 107 Sheila Szzvanowski 114 Philippa Crosland- 109 1038 Jacquie Aldous 101 1398 Jill Warren 94 0132 Lorna Llewellyn 120 Stuart May 107 0436 Irene Woolley Taylor 109 Don Beavis 101 Elisabeth Williams 94 John MacLellan 120 0211 Philippa Morris 106 0953 Peter Bailey 114 Maisie Culpin 109 1002 Margaret Boyd 100 Helen Aley 94 1219 Jean Masterson 120 Angela Mort 106 1029 Tricia Cooper 114 Paul Moorefield 109 Fran Burling 100 Les Costin 94 Isabelle McLean 120 1315 Tanya Robson 106 June Lindridge 120 1231 David Steel 114 Mark Murray 109 Marie Davie 100 Joan Everitt 94 1560 June Peck 114 0976 Adrian Noller 109 0513 Florence Davies 106 1383 Sarah-Jane Taylor 94 Sonja Wyld 119 Beverley Calder 100 Fay Goble 114 1159 Vivienne Plewes 109 0400 Margaret Johnson 106 1442 Gordon Winter 93 Judy Beales 119 0772 David Hoyle 100 0374 Joy Hodge 114 0357 Jean Shaw 109 0486 Marjorie Lefley 105 Madelaine Baker 93 Maggie Fleming 119 Jayanthi Kannan 100 Olive Holroyd 114 Monica Stockwell 109 Jean Mainwaring 105 1489 Anne Cheesman 93 Patricia Holmes 119 Mark Redhead 100 0451 Vera Sime 114 Sally Twine 109 Robin McDougall 105 0527 Dorothy Churcher 93 Joan Johns 119 Rose Spencer 100 1253 Philip Turner 114 Cyndy Walker-Firth 109 1089 Vivienne Newman 105 Gwyneth Cox 118 0518 Eileen Basham 100 0872 Jacqui White 114 Rosemary Wood 105 Paula Docherty 118 Linda Beard 100 1441 Jean(Ryde) Williams 113 Margaret Bigg 105 1073 Jenny Harris 118 Bobbie Bennett 99 Jack Baker 113 1424 Len Edwards 105 1445 Jean Robinson 118 0305 Doreen Blake 99 0726 Christine Cartman 113 1027 Margaret Firmston 105 Willie Scott 118 Simon Francis 99 0526 Keith Churcher 113 0298 Mavis Harding 105 1085 Betty Simmonds 118 Joyce Gershon 99 0415 Marjorie Garrett 113 Margaret Herbert 105 0564 Jean Stevens 118 0737 Margaret Harkness 99 0783 Barrie Hall 113 0477 Malcolm Shaw 105 Marjorie Struggles 118 Miriam Moss 99 Rose Lawson 113 1071 Barbara Solomon 105 0935 Ian Whyte 118 0385 Ken Quarshie 99 1304 Linda Moir 112 0982 Ron Bucknell 104 1263 Barbara Barker 118 Julie Tate 104 1503 Maureen Barlow 117 Rose Calder 104 0827 Ann Clark 117 1207 Hannah Corbett 104 Joyce Frost 117 0405 Peter Ernest 104 1052 Barbara Haggett 117 Doug Hill 104 1222 Bronagh Kenny 117 1054 Barbara Lukey 104 Sandy McLeod 117 0625 John Mitchell 104 David Paine 117 Mary Morgan 104 0946 Sheila Reeve 117 1380 Anthony Pinnell 103 0771 Sylvia Baldock 117 Doris Street
22 23 76 1234 Jean Ross 76 1069 Olive Smith 75 Audrey Paley 75 Iris Semus 75 1205 Patrick Teague 75 1288 Millie Ward 75 Keith Woodruff 74 Marie Cross 74 Dorothy Double 74 0153 Mary Lindsay 86 Reg Wiseman 73 0541 Pamela Brown 85 Hilda Bristow 73 1135 Sylvia Oates 85 1465 Doreen Clayton 73 0031 Norah Thompson 85 Joan Garlick 73 1086 Margaret Webb 85 Zoe Marlowe 73 Nancy Yorkston 85 Barbara Pinto 72 Michael Double 85 Roy Smith 72 Muriel Mortimer 84 Mary Craddock 72 1377 Maria Moseley 84 1148 Renee Gilbert 72 George Sinclair 84 0290 May Gray 71 1316 Veronica Baker 93 1114 Barbara McLaren 84 0998 Jean Hendrick 93 1492 Peggy Moore 71 Connie Hardacre 84 1229 Eileen Hunter 70 Doreen Coleman WESPA BULLETIN 93 1030 Derek Neath 84 Audrey Jackson 93 0818 Rose Wall 70 Christine Hall A useful Scrabble handbook is set to be published by the Association of British Scrabble 84 1448 Joy Rowe 70 Doreen Throssell 93 1076 Marianne Ward 84 Jill Russell Players (ABSP) at the end of the month, as a handy reference to introduce players to 93 Henry Woodward 70 Alec West 84 1252 Ruth Turner 69 Marcia Davies the most useful new words in Collins Scrabble Words (CSW) book. ABSP members 92 Peter Beales 83 Anna Churchouse 92 Ruth Binding 69 Julie Rees will get the CSW Initiation Kit booklet free, and this is what WESPA has issued to the 83 Connie Hudson 69 Margaret Scott 92 Prue Buckingham 83 1407 Jan Hudson wider global Scrabble community. 92 1141 Michael Murray 69 Jane Thomas 83 Patrick Kelleher 68 Alan Fothergill 92 Irene Newberry 83 1267 Margot Montgomery A publication date for CSW is expected to be announced imminently, after which 92 Les Searle 68 Shelagh Howes 83 Betty Nichols 68 Carl Szzvanowski national associations around the globe will plan to implement a changeover later in 91 Olive Matthew 83 Kitty Reid 91 Vivian Mifsud 67 Michael Slow 83 Kalpana Thakker 65 Zandra Begg 2007. 91 Doreen Searles 82 0758 Kathy Carson 90 1039 Dorothy Edwards 65 Jessie Chisholm 82 1147 Brenda Lock 63 1028 Peggy Lavender The 44-page booklet, titled Collins Scrabble Words Initiation Kit, lists all the new two- 90 Iris Grover 82 June Lovett 90 Rosemarie Howis 63 1386 Betty Meazey three- and four-letter words with definitions, along with their hooks, plus new words 82 Angela Rigley 61 1284 Margaret Hallin 90 0859 John Macdonald 82 1399 Carol Russell with the power tiles (J,Q,X,Z), new vowel-heavy words, and concludes with new high 90 0119 Mary Ralfs 61 Kath Harrison 81 Chris Baker 61 0949 Barbara Horlock probability seven- and eight-letter bonus words. All in all, about 1000 of the 8000 90 Winifred Stitt 81 Sylvia Colledge 90 Richard Tempest 61 Helen Tegg new words in CSW are covered by the booklet. 81 Paul Grimshaw 58 Maureen Knox 90 1332 Sheila Wyatt 81 1531 Lydia Sharkey 89 0359 Vera Allen 80 Alice Bennell With the changeover, some words allowed in the previous authority (Chambers Scrabble 89 1235 Rita Barton 80 Ann Gregson Words International) are no longer valid, so to complete the kit there is a short ist of 2- 89 Bernard Bruno 80 1480 Doreen Jarvie 89 Agnes Gray 80 1247 Edna Lindeck 9 letters words to unlearn, including the two-letter word PH. 89 Lionel Howard 80 0583 Joan Murphy 89 1176 Gordon Lamb 79 1490 Rita Robinson The word lists have been assembled by David Sutton for the ABSP, in consultation 89 Anne Lawton 79 Helen Thompson with the WESPA Dictionary Committee representative, Darryl Francis, and WESPA 89 0778 Gwen Linfoot 78 Frank Goodier 89 Monica Marden 78 Ena Harding chairman, Allan Simmons. The booklet will be available outside the ABSP at £1.50 89 1068 Lionel Millmore 78 Eileen Johnson per copy plus postage via the Scrabble accessories outlet at www.tilefish.co.uk 89 Christine Nicholson 78 Jacqueline King 89 Patricia Parton 78 1541 Marjorie Lunn 89 0253 Peter Shuttlewood 78 Peter Munt There may be discounts for bulk orders – enquiries should be via the tilefish website. 89 Beryl Trace 77 0908 Ted Anderson Allan adds: “I am hoping to agree with the ABSP that an electronic version of the 88 1104 Hazel Brannan 77 1548 Vivienne Bishop booklet can be emailed to WESPA member association contacts free. ” Announcements 88 Jan Gibson 77 1485 Winnie Haston are also expected shortly regarding the availability of an ABSP adjudication tool 88 1162 Betty Hallett 77 Teresa Haycock 88 Olive Martin 77 1334 Catherine McMillan incorporating the new Collins Scrabble Word list (under special agreement with 88 Rena Waddell 76 Maris Bradley HarperCollins). The software tool will work on a variety Allanof platforms Simmons and WESPA will be Chairmanmade 88 Rod Winfield 76 Mary Harris 87 Peter Basham 76 1324 Margaret Jaggs available for all tournament organisers, most likely via the WESPA website. 87 0563 Fred Burford 76 1290 Mary Kennedy The ABSP are updating their list of e-mail addresses, 87 Marcia Hall 76 Margaret Regan Attention: E-mail addresses please - 87 1487 Sally Hanson as it is cheaper and quicker to use. Please could all members who are happy to be 87 Dorothy Henry 87 Evelyn Mankelow contacted by e-mail, send an e-mail to [email protected] with their e-mail 87 1390 Maria Raffaelli address and membership number, if known.Those who have recently confirmed already, 87 Nicholas Robertson need not do so again. 86 Jo Calvert-Mindell 86 1453 Anne Corpe 86 Josephine Croasdale 86 1525 Caroline Foy Scrabble gives 86 Pat MacLellan more to Charity Mary Allen presenting a cheque for £1,000 to Myra Copleston of Cardiff Scrabble Club who represents the Penarth Branch of Cancer Research Fund Raising committee, the result of activities held at the Cardiff Weekend Scrabble Competition at Abergavenny. 24 25 competitors. I received A$800 (£400) and a trophy. One of the Australian national newspapers, A few words from Austin.. The Mercury, featured a small article on the tournament with a picture of us playing in the final. I flew to Sydney the day after I competed in the Milton Keynes Winter Matchplay. It was a perfect warm up for the World Youth Scrabble Championship (WYSC) as I hadn ’t competed A week later, I participated in the Causeway Scrabble Challenge 2006 in Malaysia. 20 games in a couple of months and was lacking match practise. Unfortunately, I didn ’t manage to were played over three days. This time, I came top of the open division with 18/20 wins, retain the trophy, but I remained optimistic about my chances in Australia. finishing four games ahead of the second placed competitor. I won RM2,500 (about £350) and I was interviewed by a journalist from the national Malaysian newspaper, The Star. After winning the first two games, I was placed third overall. The third game against Singaporean Toh Weibin was my first game on table 1, and also the first time I had ever had I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. I made many friends that I would not have my game annotated. Fortunately, I was eased into it with three bonuses in the first four normally have had the opportunity in meeting over two weeks. Austin Shin moves, AGNATION, FATTENED and RESPITES, together with consistent scoring and another bonus at the end, BLINDEST, sealed a lucky 545-398 win. In the fourth round, I was losing against another Singaporean, Liew Kian Boon by 90 points, but managed to salvage the win by playing DAWTIES (80) and VERLIGTE (89) in two moves to take the lead in the tournament. And a mystery explained I won the next three games to keep my 100% record, including a one point win over Benjamin Chow, in a very tight endgame. My final game of the day was against David Eldar who was “If this bloke wants to talk into his mobile why does third at the time. Although he won by 21, I remained the leader after day one on spread. he have to stand in front of the noticeboard?” Following a near-perfect first day, I lost two of the next three games and dropped to third I understand that at scrabble tournaments some players cannot place. Thankfully, I strung together a four-game winning streak with wins of 224, 15, 138 understand why anyone would want to spend time, after each and 144 before losing the last one of the day by 8, to consolidate second position after day couple of rounds or so, reading the results into a mobile phone. two. This was important to make the best of five final. I will endeavour to explain the mystery. The first game of day three saw me take on Eldar. I agonisingly lost 439-444 despite a lead of There must be many Scrabble players who compete in tournaments but do not have a 58 points entering the final stages of the game. At this point, I had won 12/17 and the computer at home which is connected to the Internet. If you are amongst these then all chasing pack had the same number of wins. Eldar was ahead on 14/17 with three games th your news concerning coming tournaments, results of past tournaments and how your remaining and had almost sealed his place in the final. The 18 game against Thailand’s Tanasak Supaphibunk, I went out with OBDURES (77) to take a very scrappy 326-295 win. rating stands can only be gleaned from the pages of ”The Last Word”. I won the last two to finish on 15/20 earning a place in the final against Eldar. The ABSP has an extensive website where computer users can see the whole scrabble During lunch, all the Singaporeans wished me the best of luck. I was whisked away to a tournament calendar and the up to date ratings list. In addition to this there is an email room upstairs where we would play the final while the rest of the competitors observed group called uk-scrabble where every email sent is received by everyone else. At the end every move via a live internet broadcast in the main playing hall. The first game was very of a tournament you probably collect a result printout for your division from the computer one-sided as I won 619-341. I played operator. The complete results of all divisions are usually sent by email to the uk-scrabble 9-timer REMOTIoN for 131 points (extra group so, very often, all members of the group will have read them before you get home. 5 points was added on because of the You might think that everyone would be happy with this arrangement but it has been 5-point penalty challenge). In the taken a stage further. Updates to the masses during the tournaments. second game, squandered chances to win proved costly as I could have made One player, usually the one in your way when you are trying to read where you stand it 2-0 but nevertheless the score was 1- after the last round and who you will be playing in the next one, phones a colleague who 1. Unfortunately, my run of good luck is at home by his/her computer. Information about the current leaders is passed on, an ended with two further losses resulting email sent and the news appears instantly on the screens of the rest of the group. A bit like in a 3-1 defeat. Sky News really. We do try to phone our reports through during coffee and meal breaks so I hope we don ’t get in your way too much. When we returned to the main hall, we were greeted with generous applause. My part in all this? Unpaid unelected press-ganged co-ordinator of who does the phoning and who sends the emails. However, at the time of writing I am basking in the sunshine in I was told that we both had our own set Austin (seated far right) joins a group of Singaporean, Geoff Cooper of supporters among the watching Thai and Malaysian players Benidorm and letting our band of volunteers get on with it!
26 27 mocking anonymous email writers or anyone connected with Mattel or Collins, his sharpest Graeme Thomas derision was always saved for members of the British press when reporting on anything to do with Scrabble. To use his own words from a very recent email to the Scrabble mailing list, In June of last year we all mourned the sudden, tragic loss of Pete Finley. Few people were “I’ve had major difficulties lately judging issues by the criterion of “surely no journalist more shocked than Graeme Thomas, who could be stupid enough to make that up ”, only to find that they could ”. Nonetheless, bravely stood in front of the assembled crowd Graeme conducted numerous interviews for newspaper and radio and was a leading at the funeral and delivered a moving eulogy ambassador for the game both during his long stint as ABSP Chairman and in the years that to a fellow past ABSP chairman and a close followed. friend. Nobody could have imagined that less than six months later someone else would be In the days after first learning of Graeme ’s tragic death, Scrabble players in the UK who doing the same for Graeme himself. In his thought they knew him well were amazed at the number of international tributes that came tribute to Pete, Graeme concluded by saying in from every corner of the world. Players from Nigeria to New Zealand have been taking that anyone attempting to fill the void left by the time to write and tell the members of their communities what Graeme meant to them. his departure would certainly fail; it is a void Even in North America, so often isolated from the rest of the Scrabble world, dozens of which now feels like a chasm. emails appeared from people who had only met Graeme once or twice, or in some cases never at all, but who had appreciated his dry wit and his keenness to build bridges across In the UK Scrabble community, Graeme that Great Divide. To quote just one of those messages, from a player in California: Thomas was seen as a treasure trove of knowledge on every subject you could imagine. Anyone who spent even one day sitting next to him adjudicating at a Scrabble tournament “Of all the thousands of Scrabble players there have been over the years, Graeme Thomas will testify that he would define every valid word that came up and was invariably ‘spot on’. stood out as the one who GENUINELY loved words and word origins. The man could talk Admittedly, by the end of those days we would quite often know a lot of information we for hours about common and esoteric words without losing my interest. He once traveled never particularly wanted to know, but you could never fail to be impressed by the breadth of his knowledge or his passion for sharing it with others. all the way to America just to support a small tournament our friend was conducting. He helped me on many occasions in my business and personal relationships, in particular Graeme’s only brush with television was a sadly short-lived appearance on Countdown in these two invaluable pieces of Graeme ’s wit and wisdom: 1983 (he had the misfortune to come up against Gareth Williams in his first match). However if Graeme had ever been allowed as a guest on “QI”, they could have made a two-hour 1. Never ascribe evil intentions to someone ’s actions that hurt you. That person might just special before anyone else had had a chance to speak. be incompetent or clueless. 2. Never argue with an idiot in public. An observer might not be able to tell which one is Some familiar scenes from Scrabble tournaments over the past 30 years: the idiot. ”
“My event is three days away and my Tournament Director has dropped out ” Another person wrote: “Ask Graeme Thomas, he ’ll be happy to help ” Graeme, thank you for enriching my life and outlooks in so many ways. It is an honour to have had you as a friend. “I’m having trouble with the ABSP ’s computer program ” Those are sentiments which were echoed by dozens more. “Ask Graeme, he wrote it, he ’ll be happy to help ” Discussion soon began of ways in which Graeme ’s enormous contribution to the world of “I’m new and I don ’t really know what I ’m doing” Scrabble would be commemorated. One of those suggestions came from another North “Ask Graeme, he ’ll be happy to help ” American friend, John Chew, who said that “graeme ” could become an eponym. The only question is what it ought to mean to graeme , or to be a graeme . Most of the comments that and heaven forbid.... followed implied that it would have to include all of the following... a hugely respected ambassador for Scrabble across the world.... a man who knows so much about so much.... “That’s an interesting and obscure word you ’ve just played, I wonder what it means... ” you a prolific organiser, director and computer operator... a man for whom nothing is too much wouldn’t even need to ask Graeme, he ’d be there! He would define it, decline it, chastise trouble... and a great friend who would give you the shirt off his own back. The only you for not knowing it and give you the seven alternative spellings before you ’d got back to problem with Scrabble players giving that definition to “graeme ” is that it will be such a your seat. long time before anyone else is worthy of holding the title.
Graeme was not known to suffer fools gladly and while he took great delight in gently Adapted from the eulogy given by Stewart at Graeme ’s funeral. Ed 30
28 29 MICHAEL PARTNER RIP It is with great sadness that I report that Michael died on Friday 24 th November 2006 following a short but severe illness with inoperable cancer. The reason for his feeling ill was diagnosed in June and over the next five months things got rapidly worse and, towards the end, he was in the Marie Curie Hospice in Caterham where his wife Pam says he was well looked after but it was very harrowing and awfully difficult to minimise the extreme Compiled by David Sutton pain and discomfort as his end drew nigh. (Puzzle solutions on inside back cover) EDGEWAYS Michael was the founder of the Southern Counties Scrabble League and for 17 years he was the inspiration behind it ’s growth and popularity. His League gave pleasure and The Five-Minute Anagram Challenge fulfilment to hundreds of local scrabble players and he was greatly missed when he decided Below are four sets of anagrams, presented in ascending order of difficulty based partly on to retire at the end of the 2001 season. the likely familiarity of the words and partly on the nature of their ‘pattern ’. Each anagram Michael was also involved in the founding of several Scrabble Clubs including Croydon has a unique solution. It is suggested that full marks in set A corresponds to an ABSP rating and Carshalton and his Croydon Red team was regularly one of the top teams in the of around 125; in set B to 150; in set C to 175; and in set D to 200, though of course people Southern Counties League. Some of you will no doubt remember that back in the early differ in their vocabularies and anagramming skills so any such categorisation can only be 80’s players competed in their own clubs with only an occasional visit to one of the rare loose and intuitive. Give yourself five minutes for the chosen set. Of course, by all means tournaments to get a chance to play other players. It was a friendly game between Croydon try the harder sets, but don ’t be discouraged if the going gets tough! and Southampton Scrabble Club in September 1984 which sparked off the idea of forming A. ROUGEAC SAWDORN BREVIAT RERHINO BEATNIC a League. Michael developed the idea, persuaded people to support him and started the League in February 1985 with just nine Clubs. When he retired there were over 40 teams LARKINE RETROFIN IRONYARD SAFETEND FEARBOOT playing in the League. B. SETBALL GILTAID ANTHEME AQUOIES TRINTED Michael was closely supported in the League ’s administrative tasks by Pam Titherage his ARAGONS CANOLIS REMANGE SHEATED AIRMADE partner for over 20 years and they were familiar figures together at Tournaments all over the UK. They always had a kindly word for Southern League players wherever they met C. DIMNILE HITPETE HARDGIS ADORANT DRIPROC them. Pam and Michael married quite recently and our thoughts and heartfelt good wishes UNBODICE LAYMOAN ANYMOAT BUGRIFE NICEGUES go out to Pam in her time of great loss. D. SEEKBELL LOBEMYN OMBOLES SONGROT IMPOURT Michael was always a kind and considerate man, a very keen scrabble enthusiast with a HAVELUIS KATAISTS MADLINIE ALLSPYS IHEAROUT love for the game and a great desire to see it kept alive and available for all players of every level, even those with modest aspirations. His going is yet another big loss to the World of Scrabble. Peter Sime You Can Put An X On That?! Most –X hooks are plurals and so fairly obvious, like EAU/EAUX, but here are a few that are not and can easily be overlooked.
APE BORA CARE CODE CRU FLU GALA HOA JIN LATE A message from UK Games Expo 2007 LIMA MINIMA MIRE PRE REDO We are just notifying you that there is a new Boardgame and other games convention in UK GAMES EXPO 2007 SILE SIMPLE SORE VIBE VITE Birmingham next summer whose aim is to Everything about games promote and encourage the playing of 2nd to 3rd June 2007 games of all sorts. As you are enthusiastic The Clarendon Suites Multipack Monsters scrabble players you might find some of 2 Stirling Road, Edgbaston, GANEF is a Yiddish word for a thief. It has the following variants: the abstract and word puzzles and other Birmingham B16 9SB boardgames of interest. http://www.UKGamesExpo.co.uk GANEF GANEV GANOF GONIF GONIFF GONOF GONOPH
30 31 trankum a trinket. Author! Author! tuptowing Scott’s present participle of TYPTO, to work at Greek conjugation. This will probably get me lynched if I ever venture north of the unbrizzed Scott’s spelling of UNBRUISED. (A slightly worse effort, one notes, than that of Border, but I have to confess that I have never really got on with the Shakespeare who at least managed UNBRUSED). novels of Sir Walter Scott. This is puzzling, as I feel it ought to be just unhalsed unsaluted. the kind of stuff I like, but somehow that ornate style gets in the way: vassail, vessail a vessel. I find myself exclaiming “Oh, get on with it, man, we haven’t got all verquire Scott’s spelling of VERQUERE, an obsolete form of backgammon. day”. But of course, Scott’s original readers did have all day, and villagio Scott’s spelling of Shakespearean VILIACO, VILLIAGO or VILIAGO, a coward. Pl. maybe that’s what he deserves; I must have another go some time. VILLAGIOES or VILLAGIOS. Meanwhile, here are some of the now rather strange words that he Sir Walter Scott viretot rush, dash, gad. resurrected or coined. wampish to brandish, flourish. astucious having keen perception; of astute and penetrating discernment. yarto Scott’s spelling of JARTA or YARTA, heart, used as term of endearment in the bartisan, bartizan a small overhanging turret projecting from an angle on the top of a tower. Shetlands. [ON hjarta, heart]. beetmister Scott’s spelling of BEETMASTER, a help in need. yealdon Scott’s spelling of ELDIN, fuel. beflum to befool, cajole. birlieman a BYRLAW-MAN, an arbiter, oddsman or umpire in matters of local law. Curio Corner breaskit Scott’s spelling of BRISKET, the breast of an animal, viewed as meat. brouze Scott’s spelling of BROOSE, a race at a wedding. The word TORQUE, in the sense of a neck ornament with variant canceleer, cancelier the turn of a hawk upon the wing to recover herself, when she misses her TORC, has mysteriously acquired an –S in American usage and aim in the stoop; (verb) to make such a turn. gone on to develop its own plural, thus giving us an unusual condiddle to steal. ‘double plural’ situation: TORQUE/TORQUES/TORQUESES. dargle a dell. Another example is KUDO/KUDOS/KUDOSES, though here the eatche an adze. ‘correct’ singular is KUDOS and it is KUDO that has been formed empacket to pack up. by an erroneous back-formation. Can you think of any other exam- fanfarona a gold chain. ples? – no reward offered, but plenty of KUDOS or possibly KUDOSES. frampal Scott’s spelling of FRAMPOLD, peevish, intractable. frampler a brawler. galopin an errand boy, kitchen boy. Match The Benjamins gamash, gramash Scott’s spelling of GRAMOCHE, a kind of legging. A Benjamin is a 3-letter extension of a five-letter word, especially relevant to the sec- magg to steal. ond move in a game where knowing a Benjamin for your opponent’s word played may massymore a subterranean prison. allow you to reach a triple-letter square. misarray disarray. monotroch a wheelbarrow. Here are ten ‘front benjamins’, where three letters are to be prefixed to a five letter word to noop a knob, the tip of the elbow. create a valid new word, and ten ‘back benjamins’, where three letters are to be suffixed. penneech, penneeck an old card-game with a new trump for every trick. Your task is to match the correct prefixes and suffixes to their respective five-letter words. phrenesiac hypochondriac. Be warned that some of the resulting eight-letter words are fairly unusual. pictarnie a tern. rabatine a low collar. Front Benjamins Back Benjamins railly a jacket. CAR ABAND ABOMA POD ranshackle, ranshakle to search, ransack. AWH ABOUT AGENE SAL rascaille a form of RASCAL, rabble. THR ADORE AGGRI YPY raun Scott’s spelling of RAWN, fish-roe. reckan racked. TOM ALIAS ALAMO TIC scrae scree, loose rock debris. CAL ALLEY ALLOT ROM sibb a blood relation, a kinsman. PAL AMITY AMBER ICA steery a commotion. MAT AMINO AMPLE EVE tedy tedious: TEDIER, TEDIEST. tertia Scott’s spelling of TERCIO, an infantry GAD APACE ANGEL DES regiment, originally Spanish. SAR APING ANGLE INA toustie irascible: TOUSTIER, TOUSTIEST. VED APPLE ANGST XUS tozie a shawl made from a goat's inner coat.
32 33 Watch Your Language: 4. Nahuatl hule, ule a Central American rubber tree. a fibre obtained from the agave. Continuing our series in which we take a look at some of the more exotic languages that have istle, ixtle contributed to the Scrabble player’s lexicon. Those wishing to pursue a particular language more jacal a hut built of erect stakes filled in with wattle and mud, common in Mexico and the south- fully might care to look at the Words page on the ABSP web site. western US; an adobe house. Also, the material or method used in building such a hut. Pl. JACALS or JACALES. [Nahuatl xacalli contr. of xamitl calli adobe house.] Nahuatl, also called Aztec, is an American Indian language of the Uto-Aztecan family, spoken in central and western Mexico. jicama an edible starchy tuberous root of a leguminous tropical American vine. Classical Nahuatl was the language of the Aztec and Toltec mescal, mezcal a distilled liquor prepared in Mexico from a species of agave. civilizations of Mexico. A large body of literature in Nahuatl, mesquit, mesquite, mezquit, mezquite, muskit a name for two trees of the southwestern part of produced by the Aztecs, survives from the 16th century, recorded North America, the honey mesquite, and screw-pod mesquite. in an orthography that was introduced by Spanish priests and based on that of Spanish. metate in Mexico etc., a stone with a concave surface used in conjunction with a MANO for grinding maize. achiote the seeds of the ANNATTO tree; also, the colouring matter, ANNATTO. nopal a Central American cactus plant, on which the cochineal insect feeds, and from which it is collected. [Nahuatl nopalli, cactus]. aguacate an avocado pear. ocelot a kind of cat. atlatl a Native American throwing-stick. ocotillo a cactus-like Mexican tree. avocado a rough-skinned pear-shaped edible fruit. [Sp. from Nahuatl ahuacatl]. Pl. AVOCADOS or AVOCADOES. peyote, peyotl a Mexican intoxicant made from cactus tops. axolotl (left) any of a number of Central pulque a Mexican fermented drink made from agave. [Nahuatl American salamanders of the genus Ambystoma, puli˙hki, decomposed.] which live in lakes and retain many larval quetzal, quezal a golden-green bird of Central America. Pl. characters. [Nahuatl, f. atl water + xolotl servant.] QUETZALES or QUETZALS, QUEZALS or QUEZALES. cacao a small evergreen tree of South America sacahuista, sacahuiste a kind of grass that may cause poisoning and the West Indies. Its fruit contains an edible in livestock. pulp, enclosing seeds about the size of an sotol any of several desert plants of the genus Dasylirion, of the almond, from which cocoa and chocolate are agave family, native to south-western N. America; the fibre from prepared. the leaves of this plant; an alcoholic drink made from its sap. cacomistle, cacomixl a North American tacamahac, tacmahack, takamaka a gum resin yielded by carnivore, about the size of a cat, related to the various tropical trees. quetzal raccoons. It inhabits Mexico, Texas, and tamal, tamale a highly- axolotl California. seasoned Mexican dish of chayote a tropical American cucurbitaceous plant, aka CHOKO or CHOCHO. [Nahuatl fruit. chayotli.] teocalli a temple, usually chicle the coagulated latex of the SAPODILLA, and several related trees, which forms the basis of pyramidal form, such of chewing- gum. [Nahuatl tzictli.] as were built by the chilli the (dried) red pod of a Capsicum pepper used in sauces, relishes, aborigines of Mexico, etc., and made into a hot cayenne. Pl. CHILLIS or CHILLIES. [Nahuatl Yucatan, etc. [Nahuatl chilli.] teotl, god + calli, house]. chinampa (far right) a floating garden of earth piled on rafts of twigs. teopan a TEOCALLI, an copal a hard resin got from tropical trees. [Nahuatl copalli incense.] Aztec pyramid temple. guacamole a kind of dip. [Nahuatl ahuacamoli, avocado sauce]. tule a large American bulrush. [Nahuatl tollin, guayule a silver-leaved shrub of the daisy family. tullin]. a South American bird; the young have clawed wings. hoactzin, hoatzin zopilote the American Pl. HOACTZINES or HOACTZINS, HOATZINES or HOATZINS. black vulture, aka URUBU. huisache a thorny, scrubby acacia. [Nahuatl pilotl]. chinampa hoatzin
34 35 The following story was written by Alan Childs and is intended to help railings. SUGAR thought himself IMMUNE to INJURY having had his fair QUOTA of rough you remember some of those NON- words that along with RE- and tumbles, but this was different; he managed to CLING on and make an URGENT call for help OUT- and UN- can be among the most troublesome in the Scrabble on his MOBILE before FADING into unconsciousness. player’s repertoire. NON is acceptable before all words printed in “Oh”, he thought, when he awoke, “It wasn’t FATAL,” and then he saw the most beautiful capitals. sight in the world, his nurse, a WHITE girl called Lemona BLACK. They BONDED instantly like an ATOMIC reaction. The DOCTOR told him he had suffered only mild concussion. The SUGAR WHITE’S MOVING STORY POLICE had a WORD about the accident but the RULING was a FORMAL warning, a SUGAR WHITE, a BLACK MAN AGED 19, had a CASUAL STYLE but SUCH ENERGY! A FAN DEGREE lenient; no ACTION taken on his CRIME of driving without road TAX because no of heavy METAL MUSIC, he loved to PARTY and join in EXOTIC DANCE. His SOCIAL group other PERSON was involved. of friends were a mixed bunch: an ARTIST who was also a DRUG ADDICT, an actor and a The happy couple were joined in UNION at the LOCAL CHURCH six months later, all NEWS WRITER. So the FOCAL POINT for a chat tended to be ART, ACTING in PLAYS, NEWS CREDIT to him he looked nice in his new SUIT and she? million DOLLAR! In the FINAL topics like TIDAL waves, when they got into PRINT, or MORAL ISSUES like LIVES lost in the ENDING their children were RATED by some people as Chinese looking; probably the mix of WAR in Iraq. They were SMOKERS but not alcoholic; their favourite LIQUID was COLA. A sweet and sour, SUGAR and Lemona. VIRGIN with RANDOM SEXUAL feelings, he wondered if he was GAY since most of his pals were male, but EROTIC with MEN never! His COLOR, PLUS ETHNIC background, made SUGAR a TARGET for VERBAL and RACIAL abuse from a few MEMBERS of the PUBLIC. Birds of a Feather In TRUTH, HOME was POOR lodgings in an URBAN area, but a BASIC SELF BELIEF that things would improve prevailed. He was a dreamer who could almost SENSE LIVING in a One of Graham Wakefield’s ‘letter logic’ specials. This is a crossword with no actual clues LEAFY GREEN RURAL COUNTY. A DAIRY FARMER perhaps with acres of ARABLE land but the numbers in the squares represent the value of the letter in Scrabble (so, for example, where he would be a HUNTER and win a MAJOR EVENT with his ANIMAL, meet the ROYAL 8 must be X or J), and as a further aid all the solutions have an ornithological flavour. FAMILY and gain a TITLE maybe. ENTRY into the ELITE CLASS! GAME for anything, he might try a CAREER as GOLFER, SKATER, SKIER or DANCER? One night he dreamed vividly 3 †† 311811 of BEING in the LEGAL SYSTEM AS A LAWYER and making a VOCA L summing up SPEECH to the JURY. 1 10††1††††††1
All this dreaming made him restless and he decided to take ACTION before he was PAYING 0 1 814 †1 the cost with a MENTAL breakdown; the ANSWER would be MOVING. 1†1†† 1011†††1 He bought a car from a former SCHOOL chum who needed the CASH. What he was BUYING was not antique but definitely UNIQUE. He liked its SOLID SECURE look; it 1 1115111††††††1 seemed IDEAL and SUITED him and would improve his IMAGE to a VIEWER. Little RUBBER † ††1†† 1††††††1 on the tyres and no road TAX but at least he had a VALID licence. The car ran on FUEL GRADED as LEADED and he guessed it was EMPTY, yes the gauge read ZERO. He left 10† †† 211114112
WORK, got PAID his MONEY, said goodbye to MANUAL LABOUR at the MEAT MARKET and 1 † 3 ††††1 set off the very next morning. 3 11131211†††††2 Which way should he ELECT to go? Since it was PEAK traffic time USING the back road would PROFIT him by BEING less busy; the one PAST the college CAMPUS and the BRAND 1 † 1†† 1†††2††† new block of flats. There were few VIABLE alternatives. The flats site had raised a GLARE of 1 † 4†† 31121111 publicity when they demolished the NAVAL block and discovered masses of TOXIC waste. He took that route and was soon FLYING along at a STEADY 60 mph. Much later, when it 1 † 4†† 4†††2†1† got dark and colder, he realised that he had no firm plans, but he never worried too much, 1 † 41414††1†1† was EQUAL to any occasion. He began to dream of when he would be a famous AUTHOR writing NOVELS like his HERO Thomas HARDY. SUGAR was an avid READER of BOOKS. 1 ††††††1††† †3† Now suddenly he was fully awake! A CRISIS! An INSECT BITING his BODY! It obviously 1 411††††3111411 regarded an ADULT HUMAN BEING AS EDIBLE FOOD. Squirming and trying to COMBAT this menace SUGAR felt a slight SLIP, he was an EXPERT DRIVER but mistakenly thought the road was GREASY whereas it was in FACT FROZEN. Now he went into a SKID, rolled down a steep BANK through WOODY GROWTH and came to a STOP on IMPACT with IRON
36 37 Personal Profile: George Gruner When you analyse your own games, do you find that when you miss the optimum move, this is most Continuing our series profiling various well-known players and often a) because you simply don’t know the word, b) because you know the word but don’t find it attempting to explore their approach to the game. My guest on this or c) because you know the word and find it but fail to recognise that it is the optimum move. occasion is George Gruner. With a current ABSP rating of 179 and Very much b). I reckon to know pretty well all the words in SOWPODS up to and including eight a best ever of 187, George has been a force on the tournament letters, in the sense of recognising them as valid if presented with them. I learn words by visual scene for several years now, and is renowned for his extensive word recognition, so I need to shuffle the letters until the word springs out at me. Many of the words knowledge. I have learnt I cannot recall without this visual nudge. For example, yesterday I has the rack AAGINST. The obvious AGAINST wouldn’t fit. I shuffled and produced ANTIGAS*, which didn’t George, can you say a little about your progress through the Scrabble feel right, and then suddenly saw ANTISAG, which immediately rang a ‘Yes’ bell in my mind. ranks. Do you attempt to ‘peak’ for certain events (i.e. intensify your study) or do you tend to keep at a I start playing competitive Scrabble in 1994. My rating for that year was 126. It took me till 1998 to get to 156, but then I improved consistent level throughout? fairly steadily to reach 170 in 2000, 175 in 2001 and my peak rating I aim at a consistent level throughout. of 187 at the end of February 2004. To what extent do you find that once you have learnt words you tend to remember them and to what Approximately how many hours per day, on average, do you devote to the play and/or study of the extent do you find that your word knowledge suffers from ‘fade’ and requires constant reinforce- game? ment? I study for one to two hours per day. I reckon to play between 70 and 100 rated games per year. Fade is a definite problem, hence the need to constantly revise.
Can you describe what forms your study takes, in order of importance to you. How interested are you in the meanings of the words? Mainly general word familiarisation, from OSWI or the dictionary. After that, the study of hooks, My interest in the meanings is at best marginal. which I actually consider of paramount importance. I no longer spend much time testing myself on anagrams, although I have done a lot of this in the past. To my mind this is a skill which can Would you describe your attitude towards significant extensions to the Scrabble lexicon (such as be learnt and which, once learnt, tends not to be forgotten, though that’s not to say that a spot happened with OSWI and may happen with Collins) as apprehension, excitement or something of revision in this department wouldn’t be useful. The rest of my study consists of play against the computer and human opponents. I don’t analyse my games. The games against the computer between? I treat as a learning exercise e.g. I use the computer’s kibitz function. I am quite excited. Can you say roughly what proportion of your study time you spend on each of the word lengths from How much do you think success at Scrabble depends on a natural ability which, perhaps like musi- 4 to 8? cal ability, one tends to have or not have and how much do you think it is overwhelmingly a mat- About equal for all lengths. ter of application? I think that there is definitely a natural ability to solve anagrams. I have had to work long and In the case of seven- and eight-letter words, can you roughly quantify the way in which you weight hard to develop this skill, which did not (and still does not) come naturally to me. your study, if you do, towards higher probability words. I aim to study all the words but spend considerably more time on the more probable. Do you feel that you have pretty much got as far as you’re going to in the game, or do you feel that you have the potential to get significantly better? Do you spend any time on the study of words of nine letters or more? I’m afraid I’ve got about as far as I’m going to. If you ask me what my limiting factors are, I can No. only say I wish I knew! But I find it interesting that I appear to have been more or less on a plateau since 2002, although I have learnt many new words since 2002. I suspect that I may be Do you study bonus stems? guilty of weak strategies in real games, which offsets the increased vocabulary. Yes. Any other hints for our readers? Do you use any mnemonic techniques, e.g. anamonics, associative phoneys, or the kind of more elab- If you have, say, an hour for study during the day, I find it is far better to use this time in short orate techniques described in ‘How To Win at Scrabble’? bursts of 5-15 mins, rather than in a single slog. I use quite a few associative phoneys. Thank you, George, and hang in there: it could still be that the best is yet to come!
38 39 GROUP A GROUP B FANTASY SCRABBLE LEAGUE 2007 202 Brett Smitheram(GM) 50p 190 H L’suriya(GM) 30p FANTASY SCRABBLE LEAGUE 2007 199 Olatunde Odulwole* 45p 190 Phil Appleby(GM) 30p 198 Andrew Davis(GM) 45p 190 Allan Simmons(GM) 30p Last year the FSL was won by Barry Grossman, with me and Peter Thomas in 196 Wale Fashina 45p 189 Terry Kirk(GM) 30p second and third. Due to the tragic events of last year, I had decided not to 194 Andrew Perry(GM) 40p 188 Di Dennis(GM) 25p publish updates in TLW, and to donate all but the winner's £10 to the Pete Finley 194 David Webb(GM) 40p 187 Wayne Kelly(Exp) 25p Fund. This year I hope will be less traumatic so I will run the competition again. 194 Paul Allan(GM) 40p 187 Shanker Menon 25p Peter Thomas and I will have free entry. 193 Helen Gipson(GM) 35p 187 G Williams(GM) 25p 193 Ed Martin(Exp) 35p 186 Craig Beevers(Exp) 20p THE RULES 191 Andrew Cook(GM) 35p 186 Theresa Camilleri 20p 186 Adam Philpotts 20p The top 30 players as at 31 December 2006 have been broken down into three GROUP C GROUP D groups - A, B and C and valued accordingly between 50p and 10p. Everybody 185 Mark Nyman(GM) 15p Any player not listed above is worth else is in category D and worth 5p. You must pick at least one player from each GROUP D 185 Neil Scott(GM) 15p 5p (Not Adam Logan though!) group, but can choose as many as you like from each providing your team is Any player not listed above is worth 184 Femi Awowade(Exp) 15p worth no more than £1.30. (Given the fact that Adam Logan is miles ahead of the 5p (Not Adam Logan though!) 182 David Sutton 15p field, and will probably disappear from the rating by April, he will be ineligible 182 Bob Violett(Exp) 15p for Fantasy Scrabble purposes.) 181 George Gruner(Exp) 10p GROUP E In addition to this, you must choose 2 players in Group E (providing they had a 181 Stewart Holden(GM) 10p Choose any two players that you think full rating (30 games) as at 31 Dec 2006) who you think will improve during the 181 Gary Oliver 10p will improve their rating the most over year. They will cost 10p each. Therefore cost of entry is £1.50. 180 Lewis Mackay(Exp) 10p the course of the year. 180 Brian Sugar(GM) 10p SCORING Players in groups A to D will score points based on their position in the ratings list *Note- Although Olatunde Oduwole didn't have a full rating as at 31/12/06, to not give him a value as at 31 Dec 2007. The player rated top will receive 30 points, the player in in thelist would be asking for trouble! second place will earn 29, and so on down to the player in 30th place who will receive 1 point. Ties will share the relevant points. Also players will receive TO ENTER points if the win any major competitions (in the highest Division at each event) Send your choices, plus £1.50 entry fee, to Wayne Kelly, 17 Cossack Avenue, through the year based on the following sliding scale. Orford, Warrington, WA2 9PB. Cheques should be made payable to Wayne BMSC & MASTERS 10 points Kelly. Alternatively you can email your selection to me at [email protected] and pass the cash on when you next see me. EASTER MATCHPLAY & NSC 8 points DURHAM, SUMMER MATCHPLAY & WINTER MATCHPLAY 5 points Remember you must choose at least one player from each group A to D and two players in section E. Please indicate which group each player is in, their full name and value. If possible please give their rating/club, in case of players with Players chosen in group E will receive points based on the number of points they namesakes! have improved their rating over the year. This does mean, of course, that your two choices may actually lose you points if their rating goes down! Check the Also include your name, address, phone number and email address if you have ratings elsewhere in the magazine to see standings at time of going to press. For one, in case there are any problems with your selection or, of course, if you win! up to date ratings check out www.absp.org.uk and browse the ratings pages. You The closing date for entries is 31st March 2007 and you must have paid before can also see the 31 December 2006 ratings and compare them to the current Exeter- April 7th (or if you are attending Exeter on the first day of the event to me position. in person.) The winner will receive 50% of the total takings and there will be second and (Note - players in Group E will not receive points for being in the top 30 or third prizes given with a 30% - 20% split. winning major tournaments so it is possible to pick a player in E that you have in one of the other sections.) Good luck everybody!
40 41 Leicester (6 games) 3 Divisional tournament Saturday 3rd March Tea/Coffee available on arrival and after the Contact Marjorie Smith fourth game. 01162 551176 Entry costs: £10.50 to ABSP member Venue The Church of the Blessed £12.50 to non-ABSP member Sacrament, Gooding Avenue, Deduct 50p if willing to bring and loan a timer Leicester Cheques payable to Leicester West End Perth (7 games) Registration 09.15 Registration 9:30 Firstgame 10:15 Scrabble Club MP event and sent to Marjorie Saturday 3rd February First game 09.45 Departure 17:30 Smith, 9 Brazil Street, Leicester, LE2 7JA Contact Amy Byrne Number of divisions to be decided, Swindon (6 games) Registration Not Before 09.15 0131 661 3869 depending upon entries First game 10:15 Sunday 11th March Venue Gannochy Suite, Dewars Soup and sandwiches will be provided, meals Clocks will be started at 10.15 Contact Steve Perry Centre, Glover Street, Perth, can be purchased 4 Divisional tournament. 01367-244757 PH2 0TH Tea, coffee, fruit juices and biscuits available Emergency on day throughout the day, lunch NOT provided 07969-294062 or Entry costs: £13.50 to ABSP members Nottingham Nomads (16 games) Contact Clive Spate 07811-481949 £15.50 to non-ABSP members Saturday 3rd - Sunday 4th February 0115-920-0208 Venue University of Bath in Swindon, Deduct 50p if bringing timer and willing to Oakfield Campus, Marlowe Ave, lend it. Cheques payable to Steve Perry and Wirral Open 0151-6061112 Walcot, Swindon, SN3 3JR 10th - 11th February Or John Harrison Charity event for Macmillan Cancer Relief sent to Steve Perry, 29 Elm Road, Faringdon, Contact Len Moir 0798 6768056 Oxfordshire, SN7 7EJ East Sussex (6 games) Departure time 17.45 Andover (6 games) First game 10:10 Departure by 18.00 Saturday 17th March 2007 2/3 divisional tournament. 7th Grand Hampshire Open Entry Cost £17 for ABSP members Tea/Coffee available at points during the day £19 for non-ABSP members Contact Ed Breed Incorporating 7th Annual Test Valley but lunch is not provided. playing in the competitive section 01424 219 334 Sunday 18th February Entry costs: £12.50 for ABSP member £10 for the recreational section Venue Hailsham Community Hall, Contact Alan Bailey £14.50 for non-ABSP member Deduct 50p if bringing a timer and are Vicarage Lane, Hailsham, 023 9238 4360 Deduct 50p if bringing timer. Cheques prepared to lend it. Hot lunch will be provided BN27 2AE In emergency on the day payable to East Sussex Scrabble Tournament as will Tea/Coffee in breaks Registration 09:00 07763 894738 and sent to Ed Breed, 19 Magdalen Road, Cheques payable to Andover and District Entries not accepted after 09.45 Venue John Hanson School, Floral Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex. TN40 1SB Scrabble Club, C/o Alan Bailey, 84 East Lodge Way, Andover. SP10 3PB Clifton Park Hotel, (Near Lytham) Contact Viv Beckmann Registration 09:15 Park, Farlington, Portsmouth, P06 1AQ 16th - 19th March 0191 273 1705 New Malden (6 games) Peterborough Free Challenge Event Contact Chris Hawkins Saturday 24th February Entry costs: £12.50 for ABSP member Saturday 24th March 01733 223202 Contact Shirley Cave £14.50 for non-ABSP member 07879 885158 (mobile) 020 8540 8469 Deduct 50p if bringing a clock which you are Southampton (6 games) 4 Divisional tournament A-D Venue Christ Church Centre, Coombe willing to lend. Sunday 25th March Tea and coffee will be available during some Road, New Malden , KT3 4RE Tea, Coffee and biscuits will be provided Contact Alan Bailey breaks and before start Registration 9.15 First game 10:00 Cheques payable to S I Cave, 14 Linden Gate, 023 9238 4360 Entry costs: £12.50 for ABSP member Departure 17.45 4 Divisions 9 Church Walk, Raynes Park, London, SW20 9DL Venue Hedge End Village Hall (close £14.50 for non-ABSP member to M27) Deduct 50p if bringing timer and prepared Emergency no on day to lend it Peterborough 5pp Challenge Event Contact Chris Hawkins 07763 894738 Cheques payable to Southampton Scrabble Saturday 24th February 01733 223202 Registration 09:05 - 09.45 Club, C/o Alan Bailey, 84 East Lodge Park, 07879 885158 (mobile) First game 10:00 Departure 17:50 Farlington, Portsmouth, P06 1AQ
42 43 Lothersdale Hotel, Morecambe Lothersdale Hotel, Morecambe Exeter ISCA 11th -14th May Lothersdale11th -14th May Hotel, MorecambeH-B Holidays Friday 6th – 7th April Contact Ronnie Reid 11thCairn -14th Hotel, May Harrogate Exeter Main event 01256-354604 CairnBest Hotel, Western, Harrogate Worthing Entry forms up to Bournemouth are available 8th4th - 11th - 8th June May Saturday 7th – Monday 9th April Cairn8th - 11th Hotel, June Harrogate now. Entry forms for Newcastle onwards will CarringtonLothersdale House Hotel, Hotel, Morecambe Bournemouthbe issued late January 2007 Carrington8th - 11th June House Hotel, Bournemouth 20th11th -23rd -14th July May 20th -23rd July Draft Timetable for holidays Contact Laura Finley CarringtonCairn Hotel, House Harrogate Hotel, BournemouthFriday: Arrive from 3pm, Dinner at 6pm, 20th Durham Tournament Caledonian Hotel, Newcastle-upon-Tyne 0191 5654079 Caledonian20th8th -23rd - 11th July JuneHotel, Newcastle-upon-Tynegames start 7:30pm 14 - 15th April 2007 27th - 30th July Entry form on the ABSP website 27th - 30th July Saturday: Games from 9:15am to 1:30pm, CaledonianCarrington Hotel, House Newcastle-upon-Tyne Hotel, Dinner at 6pm, games start 7:30pm Best Western, Worthing Best27thBournemouth - Western, 30th July Worthing Sunday: Games from 1:00pm to 5:00pm, Sutton Coldfield (5 UNRATED games) 14th20th - 15th -23rd September July Dinner at 6pm, games start 7:30pm Best14th - Western, 15th September Worthing Saturday 29th28th AprilApril 2/3 divisions. Tea/coffee served on arrival and Monday: Depart 14thLothersdaleCaledonian - 15th September Hotel Hotel, Morecambe Contact Rick Blakeway throughout the day. Pub nearby LothersdaleNewcastle-upon-Tyne Hotel Morecambe This timetable applies to all holidays except 12th-15th October 0121 249 0892 Entry Cost £7.00 12th-15th27th - 30th October July Worthing in May when the timetable for Cheques payable to Mrs. S. V. Green and sent Lothersdale Hotel Morecambe Venue Stonnall Village Hall, Main St Three Counties Hotel, HEREFORD Monday will be as Saturday and we will to Rick Blakeway, 1 Hill Crest Road, Moseley, 12th-15thBest Western, October Worthing Stonnall, Staffs, WS9 9DY Three Counties Hotel, HEREFORD depart on Tuesday and St Annes on Sea when Birmingham, B13 8EX 26th14th -29th - 15th Oct Septemberober Registration 10.15 Three26th -29th Counties October Hotel, HEREFORD we will be playing on Saturday afternoon. First game 10.00 Departure 17.30 CairnLothersdale Hotel, HARROGATE Hotel Morecambe 26thCairn -29th Hotel, Oct HARROGATEober Contact Viv Beckmann 23rd-26th12th-15th November October 0191-273-1705 Cairn23rd-26th Hotel, November HARROGATE Three Counties Hotel, Hereford John Harrison Bourne (6 games) Tea/Coffee available all day 23rd-26th26th - 29th November October 01661 854336 Sunday 29th April Entry costs: £12.00 for ABSP member 0798 6768056 Contact Betty Benton £14.00 for non ABSP member Cairn Hotel, Harrogate 01778 425234 Deduct 50p if bringing a timer 23rd - 26th November [email protected] Venue Bourne Corn Exchange Cheques payable to Bourne and district Registration 09.15 Scrabble Club and sent to Betty Benton, First game 10:00 Departure 18.00 Walnut Farm, Twenty, Bourne, Lincs, PE10 0BH Bournemouth (6 games) 3 divisional tournament of up to 96 players Closing Date for entries 21st April 2007 Sunday 13th May Registration 09:30 First game 10:10 01202 707148 Tea/Coffee available throughout the day Contact Ruth Marsden Time of departure 17.30 Venue Rooper Hall, 5 Victoria Park Rd, Entry costs: £12.50 for ABSP member 01202 707148 Tea/Coffee available throughout the day Moordown, Bournemouth £14.50 for non-members Venue Rooper Hall, 5 Victoria Park Rd, Entry costs: £12.50 for ABSP member Harrow (6 games) Tea/Coffee available during the day. Can bring Moordown, Bournemouth £14.50 for non-members packed own packed lunch but are not to Sunday 29th April permitted to bring drinks. Lunch snacks and Scottish Round Robin Contact Marion Keatings Contact Sandie Simonis drinks can be purchased from the bar 12th-13th May 01592-265524 020 8428 3397 Entry costs: £17.00 for ABSP member Emergency no on day £19.00 for non-ABSP member 0771 259 0585 Deduct 50p if bringing a clock which you are Venue Eastman Hall, Kodak Sports prepared to lend Details of tournaments come from Paul Cartman Ground, Harrow View, North Closing date: 15th April
44 45 Warrington (6 games) Essex £9.99 Extraordinaire (6 games) Saturday 19th May 3 Divisional tournament Sunday 24th June First game 10.10 Depart 18.00 Contact Wayne Kelly Tea Coffee and biscuits available during the Contact Phil Kelly 3/4 divisional tournament. 01925 483530 (home) day – no lunch provided. 01702 202168 Tea/Coffee free on arrival only, free squash 07896 273063 (MOB) Entry costs: £14.00 for ABSP member Emergency Number on day between games, coffee snacks etc available Venue Appleton Parish Hall, Dudlow £16.00 for nonABSP member 07810218640 at the bar. Green Road, Appleton, Deduct 50p if bringing and willing to lend a Venue Hockley Community Centre, Entry costs: £9.99 for ABSP member Warrington, WA4 5EQ timer Cheques payable to Wayne Kelly, 17 Westminster Drive, Hockley, £11.99 for non-ABSP member Registration 09.15 First game 10.15 Cossack Avenue, Orford, Warrington, WA2 9PB Essex SS5 4BD Add £1 if you do not have a timer to share Pairings will be finalised at 09.50 only Cheques payable to Phil Kelly, 10 Sunny including non-arrivals if they have phoned Road, Hockley, SS5 4NZ
Stoke Rochford (19 games) Contact Christina French 4/5 Divisions Saturday 26th - 28th May 01708-701578 New Malden (6 games) Entry costs: £12.50 for ABSP member Saturday 30 th June £14.50 for non-ABSP member Contact Maggie Fleming Deduct 50p if bringing a clock which you 020 8337 8111 are willing to lend Venue Christ Church Centre, Coombe Havering Evergreen Tournament (6games) Tea, Coffee and biscuits will be provided Tea/Coffee available at points during the day Road, New Malden , KT3 4RE Saturday 2nd June Cheques payable to Mrs. S.I. Cave. Send to but lunch is not provided. Registration 9.15 Contact Cindy Hollyer Maggie Fleming, 10 Manor Way, Worcester Entry costs: £12.50 for ABSP member First game 10:00 Departure 17.45 01277-822050 Park, Surrey, KT4 7PH £14.50 for non-ABSP member Venue St John's Hall, Church Road, Deduct 50p if bringing and willing to lend Mountnessing, Brentwood, clock. Nottingham Nomads (16 games) Contact Clive Spate Essex, CM15 0TH Cheques payable to Havering Scrabble Club 4th – 5th August 0115-920-0208 2 Divisional tournament and sent to Cindy Hollyer, 78 Peartree Lane, Registration 09:30 Doddinghurst, Brentwood, Essex, CM15 0RH First game 10:00 Departure 18:00 BMSC Yarnfield Park Awaiting details
Havering Autumn Scrabble Registration 09:15 Melton Mowbray (6 games) Closing date for entries 21st May 2007 First game 10:00 Departure 18:00 Sunday 3rd June Tea/Coffee available on arrival and after game 4. Tournament (6 games) Saturday 1st September Tea/Coffee available at points during the day Contact Maureen Rayson Food will not be provided Contact Cindy Hollyer but lunch is not provided. 01664 563330 Entry costs: £11.50 for ABSP member 01277-822050 Entry costs: £12.50 for ABSP member Venue Council Offices, Nottingham £13.50 for non-ABSP member Venue Kelvedon Hatch Village Hall, £14.50 for non-ABSP member Road, Melton Mowbray, Leics. Deduct 50p if bringing clock which you are Kelvedon Hatch, Brentwood, Deduct 50p if bringing clock which you are LE13 0UL prepared to lend Essex prepared to lend Charity event in support of the Mayor's appeal Cheques payable to 'Melton Mowbray Registration 10:00 First game 10:30 Scrabble Club', and sent to Maureen Rayson, Norwich (6 games) 2 or 3 divisional tournament depending on Departure 18.00 57 Highfield Avenue, Melton Mowbray, Leics. Sunday 16th September entries Tea/Coffee and homemade cakes 3 divisional tournament. LE13 0NQ Contact Carol Smith provided (but not lunch) 01603 898791 Entry costs: £11.00 to ABSP members Venue Hethersett Village Hall, £13.00 to non-ABSP members No further discounts Contact Amy Byrne Hethersett, Norwich, Norfolk Edinburgh Weekend (12 games) Cheques payable to Carol Smith, 31 Christine 0131 661 3869 Registration 09.30 First game 10:15 9th – 10th June Departure 18.00 Road, Spixworth, Norwich, NR10 3PH 47
46 47 The Durham ‘Grand’ Weekend Last game Saturday ends Answers to Edgeways 22nd – 23rd September 2007 approx 9.40pm. Venue: Trevelyan College, Elvet Hill First game Sunday 8.45am, prizegiving The 5-Minute Anagram Test Road, Durham, England 5.00pm, depart approx 5.20pm. 0191 334 7001 or 7011 Contact Laura Finley A. COURAGE ONWARDS VIBRATE HORNIER CABINET Arrive by 12 noon Saturday. 206 Cleveland Road, LANKIER FRONTIER ORDINARY FASTENED BAREFOOT First game 12.30pm. Sunderland, SR4 7QR 0191 5654079 B. BALLETS DIGITAL METHANE SEQUOIA TRIDENT ANGORAS OILCANS GERMANE HEADSET MADEIRA Contact Ruth Marsden Bournemouth (6 games) C. MIDLINE EPITHET DISHRAG ONDATRA RIPCORD 01202 707148 Sunday 7th October ICEBOUND ANOMALY ANATOMY FIREBUG EUGENICS
Salisbury (6 games) D. BELLEEKS BENOMYL BLOOSME TROGONS PROTIUM Sunday 14th October VIHUELAS ASTATKIS LIMNAEID PSYLLAS THIOUREA Contact Bob Lynn Entry costs: £13.00 for ABSP member 01722-325623 £15.00 for nonABSP member Emergency Number Deduct 50p if willing to lend a timer B††BONXIE 0771-818-9630 Birds of a Feather Cheques payable to Robert Lynn Scrabble Venue Winterbourne Glebe Hall, U Q ††O††††††S Account, and addressed to Robert Lynn, Winterbourne Earls, Salisbury, tUJAY †T 4 George Street, Salisbury, SP2 7BA SP4 6HA E†A†† SkUA†††R LORIKEET†††††† I ○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ †††L†† E††††††L Z† †††GREENHEAD I'm pleased to announce details of the 2007 ABSP Masters. It will take place at the Stone O† C †††† I House Hotel in Stafford (the same venue as last year) over the weekend of June 30th/July 1st. PTARMIGAN†††††D I † U†† T†††D††† The word authority will be whatever is current for ABSP-rated events at the start of the L† F†† CARGOOSE event. There will not be a changeover mid-tournament. O† F†† H†††D†N† T† WAVEY††O†I† The Masters qualification date is March 31st. The top 16 players in the ABSP ratings on that E††††††R††† †P† date will be invited to take part in the event. To qualify, a player must have played at least 30 SWAN††††MINIVET rated games since April 1st 2006.
This year the Masters will use a 5-point penalty challenge, as agreed by the ABSP Committee. Match The Benjamins Surveys over the past two years have indicated that the majority of Masters qualifiers would Front Benjamins Back Benjamins prefer to play with penalty challenges, and since this is a World Championship year, the SAR-ABAND ABOMA-SAL event will provide excellent practice for those Masters qualifiers who are also planning to GAD-ABOUT AGENE-TIC play in the WSC. Phil Appleby MAT-ADORE AGGRI-EVE VED-ALIAS ALAMO-DES If you move or if any of your details change, please let TOM-ALLEY ALLOT-YPY Membership Secretary Anne Ramsay know at:- CAL-AMITY AMBER-INA ABSP, 8 Glen Cova Place, Kirkcaldy, Fife KY2 6UL PAL-AMINO AMPLE-XUS [email protected] CAR-APACE ANGEL-ICA or telephone: 01592 640130 AWH-APING ANGLE-POD THR-APPLE ANGST-ROM
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