97 The bi-monthly magazine of the 7 APRIL 8 APRIL CCAALLEENNDDAARR OOFF EEVVEENNTTSS 7 APRIL APRIL ASSOCIATION OF BRITISH A quick reference to forthcoming competitions SCRABBLE PLAYERS (fuller list and details inside) Date Tournament (No of games) Contact Telephone

Feb 5th-6th Nottingham Nomads (16) Clive Spate 0115 920 0208 Feb 6th West Sussex (6) Peter Hall 01903 775396 Feb 13th Hampshire Open (6) Alan Bailey 023 9238 4360 Feb 19th New Malden (6) Shirley Cave 020 8540 8469 Feb 19th-20th Scottish Masters Neil Scott 01224 639291 Feb 26th Leicester (6) Marjorie Smith 0116 255 1176 No 100 February 2005 Mar 4th-7th H-B Holidays - Bingley Viv Beckmann 0191 273 1705 Deadline for next issue 4th March Mar 13th Swindon (6) Steve Perry 01367 244757 Mar 25th-26th Exeter: Isca (6) Ronnie Reid 01256 354604 Mar 26th-28th Easter Matchplay: Exeter (19) Ronnie Reid 01256 354604 Special 100th issue of the ABSP Apr 2nd Southend (6) Evelyn Wallace 01702 302569 Apr 10th Southampton (6) Alan Bailey 023 9238 4360 Magazine with celebratory insert Apr 10th Brentwood (6) Cindy Hollyer 01277 822050 Apr 16th-17th Durham (11) Laura Finley 0191 565 4079 Apr 23rd Newcastle (5) Michael Murray 0191 241 2521 Apr 29th-May 3rd H-B Holidays - Worthing Viv Beckmann 0191 273 1705 May 8th Bourne, Lincolnshire (6) Betty Benton 01778 425234 May 8th Bournemouth (6) Ruth Marsden 01202 707148 May 13th-16th H-B Holidays - Morecambe Viv Beckmann 0191 273 1705 Jun 5th Melton Mowbray (6) Maureen Rayson 01664 563330 Jun 10th-13th H-B Holidays - Bridgend Viv Beckmann 0191 273 1705 Jun 12th Peterlee (5) Samantha Beckwith 0191 5866436 Jun 12th Brighton & Hove (6) Jim Lyes 01273 813006 Jun 24th-27th H-B Holidays - Ayr Viv Beckmann 0191 273 1705

Originally called the APSP Newsletter, then the ABSP Newsletter and finally with issue no.66 (the foremost in the above montage) the name The Last Word was adopted, from a suggestion by Amy Byrne. It started life as a single sheet of A4 and has progressed, through a succession of hard working editors into the popular little magazine it is today. Although, with this issue I shall be completing my term of editorship, I have absolute confidence in my successors that they will continue the magazines progress. Alec The Last Word is printed by Keely Print, Beccles, Suffolk (01502) 713930 SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark of J.W.Spear & Sons Ltd., Maidenhead SL6 4UB Under New Management CCOOMMMMIITTTTEEEE CCOORRNNEERR Please note that Editorial responsibility for The Last Word is changing hands. The new Editors will be Ben Wilson and Wayne Kelly, dealing with alternate issues, both will be assisted by Elisabeth Jardine. All material and letters The most recent meeting was just before Christmas in London - a smaller meeting than should be sent to: usual given the proximity to Christmas and other priorities at that time but nonetheless very Elisabeth Jardine focused. 6 Wentworth Avenue It was good to kick off the meeting with some great news that membership is at an all-time Bournemouth BH5 2ED Email: [email protected] high at 715 (and has risen higher since). In her report as membership secretary Viv Beckmann also advised us that sadly she wishes to step down from the Committee at the 2005 AGM. If anyone is interested in taking over the membership management areas of the ISSUE CONTENTS ABSP then please contact Viv or Allan in the first place. The key points of discussion were around the 2004 National Scrabble Week successes and Committee Corner ...... 1 Edgeways ...... 17 associated learning points, and an announcement by Philip that Mattel are seriously Dictionary Committee Update .... 2 ABSP Titles Update ...... 25 looking at hosting the 2005 World Championships now that Hasbro have declined, and NSC 2005 ...... 3 Across The Board ...... 26 that event is therefore likely to be in London. Objectives Progress Report ...... 4 Xtras ...... 35 The Committee also welcomed the news that the Dictionary Committee are making good Tournament Reports ...... 5 Forthcoming Events...... 42 progress with Collins in ensuring all new Collins words comply with existing OSW word Ratings Report...... 10 Edgeways Answers ...... ibc rules and will then be addressing format issues. Ratings ...... 11 Calendar of Events ...... obc Some time was also spent discussing the possibilities of venues for the 2005 BMSC. Several venues are being considered and it may well be that we have to go more upmarket to satisfy all the requirements. Sarah Wilks is doing a great job in addressing this area for us Throughout this publication, comments by the Editor do not represent the views of the and we expect to have reached a conclusion by early February. 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. On page 4 you will see a report of the Committee’s progress against its objectives set two years ago. At our next meeting in March we will be agreeing revised objectives for the next two years. THE LAST WORD TEAM Finally, the Committee would like to wish all members a successful 2005 and thank you The Last Words Team welcomes contributions from readers to their respective areas, all for your support during 2004, especially tournament organisers. either as letters, articles or suggestions. Contact information: Allan Simmons Editors: Games and Strategies: Words and Puzzles: Chairman Wayne Kelly Phil Appleby, David Sutton Ben Wilson Thorns Cottage, 46 West Chiltern, Mount Pleasant Lane, Woodcote, The Committee welcomes these new members for 2005: Editorial Contact: Lymington, Reading, Berks Elisabeth Jardine Hants SO41 8LS RG8 0SG Mem. No. Mem. No. Mem. No. 6 Wentworth Avenue [email protected] [email protected] Bournemouth Daniel Pratt 1366 Stany Arnold 1373 Anthony Pinnell 1380 BH5 2ED Forthcoming events: Features: Anthony Reeves 1367 Colin Blackburn 1374 Chris Ballinger 1381 Tel 01202 419708 Paul Cartman, Christina French Phil Robertshaw 1368 Michael Chappell 1375 Gwyneth Berry 1382 [email protected] 9 Chapel Terrace, 57 Cranham Road, Ben Tarlow 1369 Robert Millar 1376 Sarah-Jane Taylor 1383 Stafford ST16 3AH Hornchurh, 01785 211851 Essex RM11 2AB Jan Hynd 1370 Maria Moseley 1377 Charlie Towlson 1384 [email protected] 07736 686092 Mark Keane 1371 Karin Houkes 1378 Mark Bradley 1385 [email protected] R M Foord 1372 Marion Palles-Clark 1379 Betty Meazey 1386

1 Unfortunately the timing of NSW, both in 2003 and 2004, made it impossible to meet Dictionary Committee Update deadlines for the then imminent issue of The Last Word. In 2005 we hope to adjust the Allan Simmons and I have now completed the task of assessing all the words from publication schedule slightly in order to get my report to you rather more promptly. Collins English Dictionary that weren’t already in Chambers OSWI. Collins fed us all the non-Chambers words,asking us to assess them for validity, inflected forms, correct A warm welcome to the following 15 first-time members who took up the special plurals, and so on. We started on the A’s back in November last year,and used this letter ABSP subscription offer during National Scrabble Week: to iron out any issues between Collins and ourselves. Having resolved the problems, we then launched into the remainder of the alphabet, completing the Z’s during the first few days of January. Adekoyejo Adegbasan Graham Haigh Daniel Pratt We have initiated some exploratory discussions with the WESPA Dictionary Committee Gboye Balogun Peggy Hollingsworth Phil Robertshaw about the possibility of allowing a limited number of words which only appear in Craig Beevers George McAulay Ellen Singer phrases. We’re not talking about words from foreign phrases (such as DEJA VU), but Jim Byrne Fidelis Olotu Doris Street items like FOLIC (from FOLIC ACID) and BASMATI (from BASMATI RICE). WE have yet Paul Chadwick Christina Pace-Sigge Ben Tarlow to conclude the discussion, or come to any clear cut decision. We are about to restart the discussions with Collins regarding format of their word list - layout, typography, definitions, separation of the2-9 letter words from the 10-15 letter Jackie McLeod words, and so on. ABSP Publicity Officer We are also about to restart our discussions regarding the interchangeability of words ending in -ISE and -IZE, and their inflections. We are still waiting - with bated breath - for news of the new American words. As yet, there is no definite news. National Scrabble Championships 2005 At a meeting between myself and the ABSP National Championships sub-committee, the Darryl Francis following changes were agreed for 2005. At the Regional stage next year, there will only be 1 division, as opposed to 3 this year, National Scrabble Week 2004 but those players also playing in the National Scrabble Club Tournament (NSCT) will be The second National Scrabble Week took place from 13-21 November, opening with the prevented by the tournament programme from playing their teammates. premier showing of “Lost for Words” at the Sheffield International Documentary Festival, There will be 60 qualifiers for the semi-final next year + NSC Champion, with a and concluding with the Grand Final of the National Scrabble Championship in London. minimum of 6 per Regional, the extra 24 places allocated on a formula calculated by Media coverage during the week included a section in an article on spelling in The taking into account the overall average rating of the players at each regional . Qualifiers Guardian, a Beachcomber article in the Daily Express, and live interviews on BBC Radio 2 who drop out from the semi-final will not be replaced. (the Dermot O’Leary Show) - and Radio 5 Live (Richard Bacon). The country will be split up into 6 regions and players will only be allowed to play in Throughout the week clubs all around the UK organised special events to gain publicity their local region. The only reason to allow players to play in another regional will be if and new members for their clubs. In conjunction with Asda stores, many of these also had they live closer to the venue of that Regional than their own. the admirable aim of fundraising for Children in Need. From around 35 clubs originally Any non-domiciles should play in the highest rated regional - the South East. expressing interest in this, unfortunately quite a few dropped out either due to difficulties In the NSCT the winners of each Regional will qualify for the NSCT Final. The extra 2 at their local Asda, or because they did not have enough club members available to run it. places will be allocated to the 2 Regionals with the highest average rating as long as However, around 20 events went ahead at Asda, and other clubs held theirs in book shops, there are least 10 teams at those Regionals. libraries, club premises etc with information displays, challenge games, word quizzes for adults and children, a celebrity picture quiz, raffles etc. A total of around £2,000 was I was happy with the way that both tournaments panned out last year. Personally, I think raised for Children in Need - an excellent result for a very worthy cause. the new format worked well. Most people seemed to find it an acceptable compromise given budget constraints. The attendance at the NSC Final, around 80, was about what More importantly, many clubs achieved publicity in local papers and there was at least one I expected. I was a little disappointed with the publicity gained from the NSC. local radio interview; potential new members came along to club open evenings, and there seems to have been particular interest from young people too, which is always a good Philip Nelkon thing. Thanks and congratulations to all the club members who worked so hard to help Mattel Representative make NSW 2004 a success.

2 3 t f 6 e SSCCRRAABBBBLLEE EEVVEENNTTSS RREESSUULLTTSS && RREEPPOORRTTSS members,

Organisers are encouraged to send a list of prize winners and a tournament report to the TLW editor as soon as possible after the event. Result and Comment and Comment Result Winter Matchplay ~ Milton Keynes by 30% for 2005-06 is realistic. by 15.8% increase 10.3% increase benchmark improvement on A good which to base objectives for 2005/0 25.69% increase who 200 rated players With nearly to improv are not members a target we can build on that with the likes o Chambers, Collins, The Times all of whom have Scrabble connections. 25% achievement 2004 was a start and it is hoped tha Achieved 27th-28th November Report from Mike Willis At about 1130 on the Saturday I got a worrying series of calls about stationary traffic on the M1 Northbound as a result of a serious accident blocking all carriageways. Since several 724 910 Status provisionally provisionally

fully rated rated fully Scrabblers were coming from the London direction I hoped it would not turn into an epic 22,230 End of 2004 Rated Games Games Rated

rated >15 games rated >15 games (I had to endure a four hour wait on the A12 last year, not a whole lot of fun with fed-up (Jan 2005 figure) 122 Significant Significant sponsorhip for the 2004 Masters and BMSC for the first time, but no long term deal. £20 Implemented fee for Committee attendance plus mtg editor fee. TLW children on board!). As it turned out, all the callers managed to arrive on time - there were only two latecomers whose clocks had to be started (out of loyalty to fellow Tournament Organisers, I will not give their names, suffice to say that I’m sure that late entrants at events

in the Swindon or Ryde areas will be as sympathetically treated). As it happened both players recorded wins. It was a very easy event to TD, what problems there were were minor and resolved with good humour. There were some latecomers at the start of some rounds, again this did not cause any hold-up as their clocks were started in accordance with the rules and without disrupting the players around. One of the first words challenged was UNIDEAL, quite topical at the moment.Pamela Brown recorded a 212 spread win in the lowest division (G) against the then leader, Margaret Emmott. Margaret then went on to record the biggest spread of the tournament of 294 against her next opponent including the word TOADISH.Most imaginative non- word: SNOGGLED* (whatever it means it sounds rather interesting) Longest word challenged: NOVERINTS ABSP COMMITTEE Word best describing Mr Holden: STEWIEST Highest word score in A: 194 for UnHOOKED (Stewart H) IMPROVEMENT OBJECTIVES For the two year period 2003-2004 Highest word score in G: 149 for BANDINGS (Ann Partridge)

INCREASE :- MEMBERSHIP INCREASED ACTIVITY SPONSORSHIP COMMITTEE REWARD Most words challenged at once: 4 FOPS/BADE/POH/SHEITAN

❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ 30% INCREASE IN MEMBERSHIP NUMBER OF RATED GAMES IN INCREASE NUMBER OF RATED PLAYERS IN INCREASE MAJOR or 5 years) TERM (3 years A LONG ESTABLISH THE BMSC FOR SPONSORSHIP OF REWARD FOR AN ELEMENT INTRODUCE KEY-ROLES AND ASSOCIATED SERVICE COMMITTEE

Most played non-word: UGLI* Most surprising non-word: UNTIMED* Best faux-ami: FREMD (Scots for ‘enemy’) Most amusing incident: The younger brother of the Computer Operator missed out his 576 825 Status player reference on the scoresheet. provisionally provisionally fully rated rated fully 19,200 End of 2002 games Rated Thanks due to all the runners (Jenny and Kate Edwards, Damola Awowade and Mike rated >15 games rated >15 games 139 (Feb 2003 figure) (Feb 2003 figure) No serious sponsorship for BMSC to Milage/Travel plus meetings for Levy Rating rating Officer The Committee will be agreeing new Objectives for 2005-2006 at the next meeting in March. My thanks to all Tournament Organisers, and other members who have helped us acbieve a healthy growth of the ABSP. Allan Simmons (Chairman) Tournament Organisers, and other members who have helped us acbieve a healthy growth of the ABSP. Allan Simmons (Chairman) Smith), Graeme for his unsung behind-the-scenes efforts, Pete Edwards and Shin for

4 5 adjudicating and controlling the three outlying Round-Robin rooms and to the ABSP for advertising and supporting the event. We had a good number of sponsors this year, the Stoke Rochford main one being the Holiday Inn who generously provided vouchers for the following year’s 11th-12th December (12 games) event. As an example,one couple saved in the region of £140 on this year’s entrance Report by Christina French fee).Spears Games donated six Deluxe Travel Scrabble sets. Stewart Holden provided They came, they saw, they conquered. Well some of them anyway. some Pocket Samtimers and Allan Simmons some 2005Challenge-a-Day Calendars at cost Two of them came to get engaged (which was price. nice) after meeting at Stoke Rochford the Allan’s Scrabble Calendars sold out extremely quickly. Stewart brought a huge box of previous year. Congratulations to Sarah Wilks Pocket Samtimers and new-style Protiles which appeared to be selling like hot-cakes! I and Greg Kelly. Greg had quite a weekend, expect many will have found their way into Christmas Stockings... celebrating his birthday, his engagement and Food and accommodation were excellent this year and my concerns about having a buffet second place in his division. Other Scrabble instead of the usual table service for Saturday dinner proved unfounded. In the playing players were also contributing to an enjoyable area, nothing was too much trouble for the porter who was assigned to us. The Hotel weekend... Mike O’Rourke set a crossword Manager told me that he had especially rostered extra staff to turn around rooms so that the puzzle, well sort of, it was a blank crossword majority were booked in early. grid, and the winner David Meadows won a The main difficulty for late-comers and non-residents was parking. This appears to get nice bottle of wine. Carol Smith gave us one of trickier every year but it is nowhere near as bad as many other cities of 250,000 people. her special cakes, a Christmas log. Jackie The hotel was fully booked on the Saturday night and the carpark is not big enough for the Mcleod contributed by bringing along her 300 guests - it can never be because of council regulations and practicalities in a prime copy of Josh Whitehead’s documentary Lost central shopping area at Christmas-time. For Words which many watched with interest Sarah Wilks and Greg Kelly celebrate their on the Sunday after lunch. Stewart Holden As a local, I know the best places to go (and avoid) but I appreciate it’s hard for outsiders. engagement which they had announced at popped in on the Saturday night with some the opening of the event. The only advice I can give in future is to arrive as early as possible. Scrabble items for sale. The only thing that went wrong from my point of view was the mike dying on me during We had The Lovely Ladies From Malta over (two of them going on to be prize winners) and the prize-giving! also Kerry Constant from Ireland, all of whom Dave and myself enjoyed a Christmas dinner Congratulations to Pete Finley for being only the second person to retain the Winter with on the Friday evening. Kerry proved to be the Champion Balloon Blower. The prizes Matchplay Plate since Mark Nyman in 1991 and 1992 and all the other prizewinners. in the crackers were interesting, until Christine Strawbridge dropped her Fortune Fish in her The traditional date of the last weekend in November has again been reserved at the soup so we never got to see what kind of woman she really is! Ellen Singer from The States Holiday Inn MK for this year - I am waiting to hear from Spears on the proposed WSC in played in her first UK tournament and I do hope to see her again at Stoke this year. Lovely London which may yet clash so it is not confirmed yet. to see Anand over from the Netherlands again too. Meanwhile, back at the tournament, all was going well. Graeme Thomas found a lonely £10 Winter Matchplay A Winter Matchplay B Winter Matchplay C note on the floor and after much grilling by the director it was returned to its rightful owner. Pete Finley 9 590 Alan Childs 10 665 Marjorie Smith 9 524 Femi Awowade 9 526 Lynne Murphy 8 549 Gavin Holmes 7 503 Elie Dangoor 9 509 Doj Graham 8 298 Andrew Hart 7 186

Winter Matchplay D Winter Matchplay E Janet Adams 7 447 Ben Tarlow 8 329 Marion Kirk 7 437 Jake Berliner 8 100 Maureen Reynolds 7 227 Rosalind Wilson 7 270

Winter Matchplay F Winter Matchplay G Stany Arnold 10 181 Ginny Dixon 8 239 Ted Lewis 8 505 Anne Partridge 7 353 Sue Ison 8 338 Dorn Osborne 7 320 Competitors who didn’t stay up late to watch Lost For Words or had forgotten to set their VCRs take the opportunity to see what they missed

6 7 The only let-down for the organiser and winners was that the trophies were not ready in time for the tournament. However, our very accommodating trophy suppliers are going to West Berkshire ~ Purley on Thames engrave the names of the winners on the plaques to make up for it, which will make them 15th January 2005 (6games) all that more special. I hope to have despatched these to the winners by the end of January. Report from Ian Burn It was just as well the Tournament Goody Bags were full of prezzies for the winners (the The Barn in Purley on Thames - a fine 18th century building - was again the venue for the INTI wine Elie pointed out was appropriate - a good Scrabble word). 5th West Berks Scrabble Tournament. The day started with most of the 96 participants To start off the prize giving, Graham Bonham was presented with the ABSP’s Most being at the venue in good time, and those who were late had notified the organiser of their Improved Player Award for 2004. It must be nice to receive this award even before the delay, so thank you for that from an organisational perspective. year’s end! Many thanks to Harper Collins for the superb books they donated towards the In the A division, Philip Nelkon took the lead after the second round, having lain in second prizes and to Mattel for the Travel Scrabble. place after the first and never relinquished it, taking the title with an unblemished record Well done to Elie for his second first place win at Stoke and to everybody else who won of 6 wins out of 6. Looking back through the records, it is interesting to note that the top prizes. 5 in the division were all placed in the top 8 of the 2004 competition. That’s consistency! In the B division, it was a similar story with Graham Bonham taking the lead after the third round. Despite losing his final game, he kept the losing margin down to 8 points and won the division by 16 points of spread, ironically with his sixth round conqueror in second place. In the C division, it was another 100% record, this time for Mark Murray, although he did not take the lead in the division until after round 5.

West Berks A West Berks B West Berks C Philip Nelkon 6 655 Graham Bonham 5 326 Mark Murray 6 431 Graham Harding 5 269 Evelyn Wallace 5 310 Martin Taylor 5 750 George Gruner 5 196 Diana Beasley 5 243 Margaret Seabrook 5 37 Austin Shin 4 369 Joy Lloyd 5 156 Ted Lewis 4 444 Elie Dangoor receives the A division prize from Christina. Divisional winners Josef Thompson (C), and Christine Strawbridge (D) The trophies were presented by Ms June Law, representing the local Sue Ryder Home. Atrophy was given to the player from one of the three Berkshire clubs who performed best Stoke Rochford A Stoke Rochford B in the tournament, irrespective of division. The winner of this trophy was Graham Harding, Elie Dangoor 10 943 Steve Balment 11 898 a member of the East Berks club. Both this trophy and the trophy for the overall winner of Steve Perry 8 339 Mark Lane 8.5 555 the tournament are perpetual trophies kindly sponsored by Fujitsu Services. George Gruner 8 272 Maurice Brown 8 382 Proceeds from all aspects of the tournament enabled the Club to make a donation of Wayne Kelly 8 -27 Phil Kelly 7.5 12 £610.10 to the Sue Ryder Home. Stoke Rochford C Stoke Rochford D Lang Toun vs Glasgow Josef Thompson 10 886 Christine Strawbridge 9 976 Greg Kelly 8 438 Barbara Barker 9 245 Lang Toun 18 wins Glasgow 18 wins Anand Buddhdev 8 353 Jim Wilkie 8 522 Caroline Atkins 4 Moya Dewar 3 Marlene Skinner 7.5 -194 Ginny Dixon 8 305 Janice Bease 2 Mary Jones 1 Many thanks to our indefatigable Tournament Team Runners, Mike Smith and Andrew Marion Keatings 5 Ross Mackenzie 4 Wallace. I really do not know what we would do without them - most probably cry! We Carol Malkin 3 Raymond Tate 5 Anne Ramsay 4 Tom Wilson 2 also had the pleasure of Carol Wilkie helping out on the Saturday. Anne Steward 4 Ricky Zinger 3 A request was made for us to supply more games to entrants, especially those that come from overseas. We had a straw pole vote on this and it seems like a good idea so on the Lang Toun and Glasgow fought out an honourable draw in a rated interclub match on Stoke Rochford entry form for May (enclosed with this issue) you will also a new pre-event Saturday January 15th. There were six rounds, each player played each member of the for the Friday night and Saturday morning. Thanks to everyone who came and enjoyed other team once. Prizewinners: Raymond Tate (highest wins and spread, 5 wins +339), themselves. Anne Ramsay (highest game score, 506), Caroline Atkins (highest move score, 99 for UNSEWED) and Ross Mackenzie (most bonuses, 12).

8 9 Ratings Report 2004 EEnndd--ooff--YYeeaarr RRaattiinnggss Ratings at Most prolific players (GM) Grand Master (Exp) Expert 31-12-2004 In 2004 there were 22,230 ABSP-rated games. 988 players played at least 1 ABSP-rated ABSP membership number for members at 31-12-2004 At least 30 games game. is shown before name and at least The average per player was 45 games. Players with 200 or more ABSP-rated games in 1 since 31-12-2002 2004 were: 203 01249 Adam Logan 176 00162 Alec Webb (Exp) 202 00057 Mark Nyman (GM) 175 Lee Jones 199 00745 Harshan 175 Brendan McDonnell 225 Amy Byrne 208 Nuala O’Rourke Lamabadusuriya (Exp) 175 00038 Jackie McLeod (Exp) 219 David Shenkin 204 Margaret Pritchett 197 00751 Paul Allan (GM) 174 00224 Gary Polhill (Exp) 163 01221 Jojo Delia 216 Mike O’Rourke 203 Marlene Skinner 197 Brett Smitheram (GM) 174 00814 Jared Robinson 163 01129 Lee Hartley 215 Steve Perry 202 Moira Conway 196 00015 Phil Appleby (GM) 174 00049 Bob Violett (Exp) 163 01006 Ross Mackenzie 211 Wayne Kelly 200 Philippa Morris 196 00497 Andrew Davis (GM) 174 00292 Wilma Warwick 163 01170 Paloma Raychbart 209 Robert Richland 195 00280 Andrew Perry (GM) 173 00202 Penny Downer (Exp) 163 00008 Graeme Thomas 193 Shanker Menon 173 00530 George Gruner 163 00116 Martin Thompson 192 00621 Andrew Cook (GM) Most improved players 173 00773 Chris Vicary 162 Timothy Lawrence 192 00147 Helen Gipson (GM) 161 Ed Garrett-Jones Here are the players whose rating improved by 15 points or more in 2004. To appear in 172 Catherine Costello 192 00001 Clive Spate (GM) 161 00055 Helen Grayson (Exp) this list, a player must: 172 00888 Chris Keeley 191 00652 Nick Ball 171 00103 Danny Bekhor 161 00199 Graham Harding 1) be an ABSP Member and 190 00158 Ed Martin 171 00025 Richard Evans (Exp) 161 00793 Joanne Hiley 2) have an end-2003 rating based on at least 30 games and 189 00002 Pete Finley (GM) 170 00343 Amy Byrne 161 Mark Hollingsworth 3) have played at least 30 rated games in 2004 189 00072 John Grayson (GM) 170 00006 Darryl Francis (Exp) 161 John Howell 188 00058 Russell Byers (GM) 170 00093 Ruth MacInerney 160 David Brook Rtg Imp Club or *Location* 186 00880 Femi Awowade (Exp) 170 00984 Roy Miller 160 00081 Joyce Cansfield (Exp) 186 00060 Terry Kirk (GM) 160 00069 Moira Conway 133 +42 Graham Bonham Aylesbury 170 Sheila Spate 185 00777 Adam Philpotts 169 01358 Paul Chadwick 160 00956 David Delicata 133 +25 Joy Fox Brighton&Hove 184 00764 Lewis Mackay 169 00012 Ruth Morgan-Thomas 160 00836 Chris Fenwick 124 +21 Ron Bucknell Havering 183 01000 Stewart Holden (Exp) 160 00039 Ken Heaton 113 +21 Sheila Smith Newcastle 183 Sam Kantimathi 169 Karen Richards 160 Margaret Rogers 132 +18 Andrew Hart Romford 183 00007 Allan Simmons (GM) 168 00079 Chris Finlay 160 00123 Noel Turner (Exp) 142 +17 Rhoda Gray Bon Accord 183 00021 Evan Simpson (GM) 168 00165 Cecil Muscat 160 00229 Graham Wakefield 182 00005 Brian Sugar (GM) 159 Chris Davison 88 +17 Norah Thompson Mapperley 168 00172 Daniel Simonis 181 00478 Elie Dangoor (Exp) 159 00573 Gary Fox 167 +16 Neil Green Newport(S Wales) 168 00226 Alan Sinclair 181 00101 Robert Richland (Exp) 168 Waiyapot 159 01295 Shane O’Neill 142 +16 Jim Lyes Brighton&Hove 180 00014 Di Dennis (GM) Suttawassuntorn 159 00966 David White 105 +16 Margaret Firmston Guildford 180 00220 Karl Khoshnaw (Exp) 167 01220 Theresa Camilleri 159 Ricky Zinger 190 +15 Ed Martin *West Kensington* 180 Gary Oliver 167 01191 Neil Green 158 01228 Mark Lane 158 +15 Mark Lane Sheffield Psalter 180 00338 David Webb (GM) 166 01016 John Ashmore 158 00268 Donna Stanton 158 00719 Kate Surtees 121 +15 Russell Smith Aireborough Graham Bonham with the ABSP 180 00041 Gareth Williams 166 00241 Bob Berry (GM) 158 01032 Kevin Synnott 118 +15 Paula Docherty Fulwood Shield for Most Improved Player 166 Alan Georgeson 179 00368 Chris Hawkins 166 00059 Simon Gillam (Exp) 157 Paul Bassett 179 Omar_Malleh Jah 165 Jane Gibson 157 Alan Buckley Congratulations to Most Improved Player Graham Bonham. His 42 point improvement is 178 00233 Martin Fowkes (Exp) 165 Chris Quartermaine 157 00105 Elisabeth Jardine the highest ever, surpassing the 40 by Ray Wells in 1991. 178 00482 Neil Scott (Exp) 165 01268 Abraham Sosseh 157 Donald MacLeod Sarah Wilks(Grantham) and Richard Pajak(Bury) deserve mentions. They aren’t in the list 177 01355 Craig Beevers 165 00017 Mike Willis (Exp) 157 00672 Christine McKenzie 157 00154 Mike O’Rourke because their end-2003 rating was based on fewer than 30 games. 177 00045 Barry Grossman 164 00734 Nick Deller 177 00004 Philip Nelkon (GM) 157 00873 Matthew Pinner Sarah played 144 games in 2004 and improved her rating by 27 to 132. 164 Billy Dott 176 Gerry Carter 157 Malcolm Quirie Richard played 42 games in 2004 and improved his rating by 18 to 114. 164 00463 Helen Harding 176 00823 Wayne Kelly 164 Dave Nunn 156 00449 Alan Childs 176 00281 Steve Perry 164 00479 Andrew Roughton 156 00084 Pauline Johnson John Grayson 176 00846 Austin Shin (Exp) 156 00553 Brian Jones ABSP Ratings Officer 176 00088 Sandie Simonis (Exp) 164 00213 Neil Rowley 156 Georgina Lawson

10 11 156 00837 Peter Liggett 150 00035 Lois McLeod 144 Tim Hebbes 139 00547 Tess McCarthy 133 00698 Malcolm Roberts 128 00475 Jill Fisher 156 00299 Les Nyman 150 Eileen Meghen 144 Debbie Holloway 139 01270 Len Moir 132 Sheila (Perth) 128 Paul Heasman 156 00235 Martin Reed 150 00760 Sanmi Odelana 144 Wendy Lindridge 139 Annette Tinning Anderson 128 00032 Ron Hendra 155 00252 Steve Balment 150 Carole Rison 144 00804 Mary Oram 139 Brian Watson 132 00776 Peter Hall 128 00886 Ruth Marsden 155 Ralph Gibbs 150 00272 Ivan Swallow 144 00215 Jean Rappitt 138 Alasdair Dowling 132 01125 Andrew Hart 128 00626 Martha Mitchell 155 00242 Sheila Green 149 00914 Vincent Boyle 144 00996 Kenneth Ross 138 00163 Yvonne Eade 132 00715 Barbara Hill 128 Julie Nelkon 155 00121 Debbie Heaton 149 00835 Maurice Brown 144 00632 Carol (Norwich) 138 Patricia Fenn 132 00401 Sharon Landau 128 00960 Mary Siggers 155 01164 Karl Kwiatkowski 149 00087 Peter Dean Smith 138 01203 Greg Kelly 132 01292 Bryn Packer 128 Paul Steadman 155 00986 Robert Pells 149 00329 Heather Frankland 144 00099 Josef Thompson 138 00656 Huw Morgan 132 Jo Ramjane 128 00246 Wendy Tiley 155 00480 Anne Ramsay 149 00086 Frankie Mairey 143 00037 Liz Allen 138 00932 Jill Parker 132 Evan Terrett 128 Sheila Wall 155 01123 Chrystal Rose 149 00422 Carol Stanley 143 01120 Anand Buddhdev 138 00029 Marlene Skinner 132 01206 Sarah Wilks 128 00864 Margaret White 155 00631 Alison Sadler 148 01010 Tolani Ayo-Awojobi 143 00469 Tony Davis 138 00546 Joyce Squire 131 Eryl Barker 127 00110 Liz Barber 155 Angela Swain 148 John Balloch 143 Marta Dunsire 138 01320 Rita Todd 131 00257 Syd Berger 127 00924 Linda Barratt 155 00657 Frances Ure 148 00254 Ian Burn 143 David Ellis 137 00157 Eileen (LSL) Anderson 131 00107 Joan Caws 127 Harry Beckett 143 00863 Kay Powick 155 Karen Willis 148 01243 Doj Graham 137 00904 George Newman 131 01217 Carolyn Emery 127 Stella Brown 143 00624 Lesley Watson 154 00999 Kay McColgan 148 00161 Margaret Pritchett 137 00729 Kathy Swan 131 Pam Fairless 127 Jean Carter 143 Mandy Weatherill 153 00534 Caroline Atkins 148 Alastair Richards 137 01057 Mike Whiteoak 131 00641 Norma Galley 127 Jean Crowder 142 00228 Adrienne Berger 153 00789 Alan Bailey 148 00790 Margaret Staunton 136 00511 Samantha Beckwith 131 01282 Barbara Goodban 127 Jean Dymock 142 00066 Sue Bowman 153 00024 Angela Evans 148 00589 Anne Steward 136 Joe Caruana 131 01115 Nick Jenkins 127 00320 Fay Madeley 142 Jean Bridge 153 00465 Christina French 148 00489 Tom Wilson 136 00223 June Edwards 131 01110 Pamela Kikumu 127 00616 Gertie Roberts 142 00717 Graham Buckingham 153 00331 Davina Galloway 147 Oluyemi Adesiyan 136 01035 Andy Gray 131 01053 Stephen Wintle 127 00248 Jean (Cardiff) 142 00840 Rhoda Gray Williams 153 Thomas Mensah 147 00003 Laura Finley 136 01067 Gavin Holmes 130 01179 Janet Adams 142 00523 Kate Leckie 127 Margaret Williams 153 00408 Nuala O’Rourke 147 00537 Carol Malkin 136 Helen Jones 130 00419 Michael Baxendale 142 00875 Jim Lyes 126 00977 Gail Allen 153 00476 David Shenkin 147 Fran Thompson 136 00802 Patricia Pay 130 00557 Janice Bease 142 00707 Gwynfor Owen 126 01158 Wasinee Beech 146 00051 Cathy Anderson 130 Janet Braund 153 Amy Willcox 142 01097 Ronnie Reid 136 01287 Stuart Solomons 126 00735 Hilary Birdsall 146 00688 Lorraine Gordon 130 00138 Rita Brookes 152 00574 Simon Carter 142 Paul (Australia) 136 00876 Evelyn Wallace 126 01182 David Carrod 146 01044 Paul Howard 130 01005 Verity Cross 152 Alan Catherall Richards 136 00775 Pat Wheeler 126 Eileen Douglas 146 00507 Kathryn Le Grove 130 01025 Marion Kirk 152 00124 Ivy Dixon-Baird 142 Lesley Trotter 135 00856 Minu Anderson 126 00347 Kathleen Higgins 146 00150 David Longley 130 00690 Maureen Reynolds 152 Iain Harley 142 00845 Judy Wearn 135 00603 Linda Bradford 126 Medina Hull 146 Alec Robertson 130 00634 Edith Smith 152 00488 Marion Keatings 141 00399 Louise Brundell 135 00565 Ann Coleman 126 01007 Margaret Irons 146 00470 Norman Smith 130 00582 Angela Spilsbury 152 00609 Bob Lynn 141 00732 Wanda De Poitiers 135 00668 Ceridwen Davies 126 01050 Yvonne McKeon 146 00870 Jean Swallow 129 00512 Etta Alexander 152 00267 Graham Maker 141 00933 Ann Golding 135 01172 Alastair Ives 126 Marc Meakin 146 Pam Titheradge 129 01301 Richard Blakeway 152 01019 Lynne Murphy 141 00339 Peter Hunt 135 00077 Joy Lloyd 126 Gerry Pearce 129 00166 Beryl Brown 152 00020 Janet Phillips 145 00635 Philip Aldous 141 00335 Robert Johnston 134 00330 Viv Beckmann 126 00085 Derrick Thorne 129 Ann Davidson 152 00555 Raymond Tate 145 00738 Margaret Armstrong 141 Keith King 134 Chris Downer 126 00606 Teena Walls 129 00896 Chris Dossett 152 00885 Malcolm Wearn 145 Martin Bloomberg 141 01012 Helen Latchem 134 01192 Pat Heffernan 126 00356 Pamela Windsor 129 00442 Agnes Gunn 152 00094 Rachelle Winer 145 00369 Brian Bull 141 Brenda Margereson 134 Nola Marrow 125 Melanie Beaumont 129 00298 Mavis Harding 151 Tony Bearn 145 00395 Pat Colling 141 00829 Kim Phipps 134 00938 Helen Polhill 125 Pat Broderick 129 00341 Mike Holland 151 Eddy Breed 145 00755 Carmen Dolan 141 00587 Maria Thomson 134 Barbara Shammas 125 00543 Winnie Buik 151 00838 Theresa Cole 145 00092 Priscilla Encarnacion 140 00080 Mary Allen 134 00291 Sylvia Swaney 129 00263 Sheila Jolliffe 125 00915 Shirley Chidwick 151 00713 Trish Johnson 145 00544 Marjory Flight 140 00943 Carol Arthurton 134 00136 Jan Turner 129 01066 Barbara Morris 125 01088 Malcolm (Luton) 151 00135 David Meadows 145 00967 Gerard Fox 140 00096 Diana Beasley 134 Richard Woodward 129 00443 Ann Pitblado Graham 151 00016 Maureen Rayson 145 Terry Jones 140 01092 Heather Burnet 133 Aaron Bell 129 Susan Skirving 125 00663 Linda Hillard 151 00810 Linda Vickers 145 00997 Phil Kelly 140 00231 Edelle Crane 133 01210 Graham Bonham 129 00036 Dorothy Taylor 125 00858 May Macdonald 150 00978 Andy Becher 145 Martin Leverton 140 James Crooks 133 00822 Jill Bright 129 00637 Val Wright 125 00204 Michael Partner 150 00089 Margaret Bright 145 Helen Mitchell 140 Alan Guy 133 00238 Margaret Burdon 129 Margaret Yeadon 125 Isla Wilkie 150 00852 Maureen 145 01102 Paul (Sale) Richards 140 00120 Kate McNulty 133 Garry Clark 128 00922 Barbara Allen 125 01175 Rosalind Wilson Chamberlain 145 00636 David Williams 140 00028 Lorna Rapley 133 Barbara Dein 128 00427 Peter Ashurst 124 00849 John Ball 150 Loz Crouch 144 01197 Christian Brown 140 00152 Marjorie Smith 133 01265 Joy Fox 128 00518 Eileen Basham 124 Noel Barnes 150 00406 Moya Dewar 144 Moby Cook 140 00919 Peter Thomas 133 Maureen Greening- 128 Linda Bird 124 00982 Ron Bucknell 150 01051 Elizabeth Hull 144 01211 Ian Coventry 139 01145 Peter Darby Steer 128 00767 Kathy Bullen 124 00903 Heather Cruickshank 150 00655 Mary Jones 144 00920 Eleanor Dobson 139 00923 Teresa Hill 133 00608 Sandra Hoffland 128 Val Couzens 124 00402 Sally Fiszman 150 00100 David Lawton 144 01242 John Garcia 139 Sheila Hinett 133 00798 Peter Lindeck 128 00964 Phyllis Fernandez 124 01281 Simon Francis

12 13 124 00570 Jean Gallacher 119 Pat Friend 114 John Brown 111 Isobel Smith 105 00384 Mabel Choularton 100 Paul Harding 124 00381 Michael Harley 119 01225 Lena Glass 114 Gwyneth Cox 111 Val Stewart 105 01027 Margaret Firmston 100 Magda Norris 124 01257 Mary Hopwood 119 Doug Hill 114 01359 Philippa Crosland- 110 01259 Sheila (Romford) 105 Stephen Lally 100 01119 Anne Partridge 124 00625 John Mitchell 119 Geoff Howe Taylor Anderson 105 01080 Margaret Mitchell 100 00578 Susan Richardson 124 Miri Purse 119 00724 Stuart May 114 June Faulkner 110 Margaret Bigg 105 00976 Adrian Noller 100 Ian Smith 124 David Reading 119 Angela Mort 114 Marjorie Gardner 110 Sheila Booth-Millard 105 Fuad Shammas 100 Winifred Smith 124 Brenda Rodwell 119 00452 Peter Sime 114 Kathy Gibbons 110 00894 Owen Clarke 105 01339 Carole Wheatley 100 00917 Nicola Staunton 124 00995 Carol Sienkiewicz 119 Sonia Temple 114 01331 Carol Grant 110 Marlene Diskin 104 00877 Shirley Cave 100 01317 Marjorie Struggles 124 Janet Southworth 119 00645 June Wilson 114 Roma Hollingworth 110 Eve Dwyer 104 Eve Conlon 100 Sarah Taylor 124 Gill (Taunton) 119 Rosemary Wood 114 01146 Leonora Hutton 110 Wilf Gibbons 104 Rona Falconer 100 00947 Jessie Tollick Thompson 118 Elizabeth Allen 114 01113 Christabel Jackson 110 00934 Joyce Jarvis 104 Margaret Mills 100 Geoff Waters 123 00898 Alistair Baker 118 01308 Mary Brown 114 Barbara Kent 110 01136 Ted Lewis 104 01189 Martin Taylor 99 Douglas Emmott 123 Nicholas Baker 118 00106 Ian Caws 114 00806 Miriam Moss 110 00970 Sheila Miller 103 Madelaine Baker 99 Jean Fothergill 123 00899 Jake Berliner 118 00722 June Clark 114 00184 Celia Osborn 110 01215 Mary Morgan 103 Beverley Burgess 99 01261 Jo Holland 123 Jennifer Clifford 118 01340 Paula Docherty 114 00782 Richard Pajak 110 01231 David Steel 103 00725 Paul Cartman 99 00778 Gwen Linfoot 123 00539 Lynn Giles 118 Brenda Northcott 114 Olivia Patton 110 Sheila Szzvanowski 103 00941 Audrey Harvey 99 Mollie Moran 123 01312 Marjorie Gillott 118 00477 Malcolm Shaw 114 01013 Joan Rees 110 Julie Tate 103 Jenny Jaques 99 Mark Murray 123 00975 Jill Harrison 118 01343 Doris Street 114 Gwen Roberts 110 01271 Claudia Wiseman 103 00357 Jean Shaw 99 01009 Jenny Sakamoto 123 Jacquie Johnstone 118 00052 Martin Summers 114 Joanna Skirving 110 Judy Young 103 00485 Ann Toft 99 00692 Margaret Seabrook 123 00236 Hazel Parker 118 Jo Tebbutt 113 00633 Jean Bakewell 109 00474 Eileen Bradshaw 103 Jack Waley-Cohen 99 01099 Heather Stevens 123 01003 Sheena Wilson 113 Jean Buckley 118 01149 Jim Wilkie 109 00533 Barbara Grant 103 Jacqui White 99 Alice Tozeland 122 Sue Ball 113 00513 Florence Davies 117 Melanie Aked 109 01077 Marian Hamer 103 00671 Chris Wide 98 01038 Jacquie Aldous 122 Linda Beard 113 Joan Ellis 117 Kate Boutinot 109 01199 Richard Hitchcock 102 00827 Ann Clark 98 Maureen Barlow 122 00572 Val Hoskings 113 00640 Daphne Fletcher 117 00327 Jessie Brown 109 00638 Joan Lawrence 102 00928 Iris Cornish 98 Alex Beckmann 122 00385 Ken Quarshie 113 00128 Vera Flood 109 Rosalyn Lishak 102 Rona Dryden 98 00985 Carmen Borg 122 00826 Elizabeth Terry 117 Martin Byrne 113 Margaret Herbert 109 Helen Sandler 102 01034 Elsie Edwards 98 00410 Myra Copleston 122 01279 Ben Wilson 117 Lorna Franks 113 00374 Joy Hodge 109 Shirley Scoberg 102 Olive Holroyd 98 Les Costin 121 Maureen Austin 117 00753 Janet Hamilton 113 June Lowrie 109 01071 Barbara Solomon 102 01299 Rosemarie Howis 98 01064 June Johnstone 121 01049 Ken Bird 117 Sheila Jeffery 113 00211 Philippa Morris 109 01273 Peter Winnick 102 01183 Priscilla Munday 98 Sandy McLeod 121 00305 Doreen Blake 117 00736 Molly Lane 113 01089 Vivienne Newman 108 00771 Sylvia Baldock 102 Esme Norris 98 00193 Christine Nicholson 121 Georgina Cook 117 Janet Milford 113 Joy Reason 108 Beryl Browner 102 00569 Connie Riach 98 Anne Richards 121 00156 Dorothy Dean 117 Jean Owen 113 00851 Sheila Smith 108 00526 Keith Churcher 102 00083 Pat Rockley 98 Christine Spicer 121 Marie English 117 Joan Price 113 Monica Stockwell 108 00415 Marjorie Garrett 102 Josie Rogers 98 Sonja Wyld 121 00921 Shirley Heal 117 Helen Rees 112 01063 Irene Atkinson 108 00132 Lorna Llewellyn 102 Amy Vye 97 01263 Barbara Barker 121 00142 Jane Lowndes 117 01169 Yvonne Templeton 112 Don Beavis 108 Paul Moorefield 101 00726 Christine Cartman 97 Alan Everitt 121 Mary Shaw 117 Maureen Underdown 112 01207 Hannah Corbett 107 Joy Hewgill 101 Marie Davie 97 Gerry Gleeson 121 Stan Skinner 116 00527 Dorothy Churcher 112 Helen Cowie 107 01311 Isabelle McLean 101 Peter Edwards 97 Fay Goble 121 01131 Russell Smith 116 Rhian Lewis 112 00030 Ruby Flood 107 Doreen Morris 101 00980 Margaret Greenyer 97 Yoke Shin 121 Rose Spencer 116 Norman Partridge 112 00414 Jill Jones 107 Sheila Tutt 101 00799 Cindy Hollyer 97 Beryl Trace 121 01294 Christine Strawbridge 116 00972 Denise Saxton 112 00752 Peter Kelly 106 00761 Mary Adams 101 01103 Hilda Hudspeth 97 00935 Ian Whyte 121 00993 Cyndy Walker-Firth 116 Willie Scott 112 June Lindridge 106 01002 Margaret Boyd 101 00684 Mary Keevy 97 Su Williams 120 Bobbie Bennett 116 Peter Slack 112 01100 Stuart Ross 106 Sue Bullock 101 Margaret Lowrie 96 01081 Anna Blakey 120 00682 Janet Bonham 116 00190 Edith Tempest 112 Kathleen Ward 106 00758 Kathy Carson 101 Margaret Macdonald 96 00927 Audrey Medhurst 120 01020 Derek Bower 116 00844 Jan Vokes-Taylor 111 Eileen (Reading) 120 00992 Geoff Cooper 116 00436 Irene Woolley Anderson 106 Tricia Cooper 101 Patrice McCarry 96 00946 Sheila Reeve 120 00405 Peter Ernest 115 Anne Backley 111 Lyn Brookes 106 Barbara Etheridge 101 Beryl Shoesmith 96 01118 Remie Salazar 120 Joyce Gershon 115 David French 111 Irene Catherall 106 01181 Sue Ison 101 01341 Pamela Sparkes 96 Betty Simmonds 120 00868 Christine Gillespie 115 01238 Juliet Green 111 Marjorie Hislop 106 01112 Peter Johnson 101 01171 Susan Thorne 96 Hazel Smith 120 00737 Margaret Harkness 115 00759 John Harrison 111 00486 Marjorie Lefley 106 00791 Rosemary Jordan 100 01056 Helen Aley 96 00818 Rose Wall 120 00911 Marie Perry 115 01054 Barbara Lukey 111 00833 Judy Monger 106 Ann McDonnell 100 Pat Burgess 96 01226 Elisabeth Williams 119 00709 Betty Benton 115 Helen Morris 111 Dennis Nelson 106 00954 Dorothy Pearson 100 01015 Reg Dendy 95 01235 Rita Barton 119 00854 Joseph Doku 115 00169 Sue Thompson 111 01365 Christina Pace 106 Jane Weston 100 00683 Mavis Ernest 95 Peter Beales 119 Ann Fiddler 114 01142 Doreen Acton 111 01159 Vivienne Plewes 105 00951 Bill Anderson 100 Joan Everitt 95 01306 Margaret Emmott 119 00948 Eileen Foster 114 00743 Nora Bain 111 00451 Vera Sime 105 00953 Peter Bailey 100 Angela Garrard 95 Joan Johns

14 15 95 01185 Lyndon Johnson 90 01001 Jean Greenland 81 Reg Wiseman 95 01134 Dorothy Kemlicz 90 Lionel Howard 80 00541 Pamela Brown Part XXVI 95 01218 Terry Masterson 90 Kitty Reid 80 01309 Brenda Burdett 95 Peggy Moore 89 Mike Adsetts 80 01229 Eileen Hunter 95 Alice Nadin 89 01289 Kerry Constant 80 00830 Sheila Stanton 95 01030 Derek Neath 89 01200 Caroline Elliott 80 Bobby Wright 95 01237 Dorn Osborne 89 Joan Hughes 79 01324 Margaret Jaggs 95 01174 Peter Trembath 89 01165 Mandy Isaac 79 01028 Peggy Lavender Compiled by David Sutton 95 Jean-Iris Williams 89 Audrey Jackson 79 Peter Munt 94 01168 Brian Beaumont 89 00153 Mary Lindsay 78 01143 Letty Burrell (Puzzle solutions on inside back cover) EDGEWAYS 94 Ruth Binding 89 01267 Margot Montgomery 78 01234 Jean Ross 94 00889 Richard Brookes 88 01104 Hazel Brannan 78 Jane Thomas 94 Prue Buckingham 88 Doreen Coleman 78 01288 Millie Ward In celebration of one hundred editions of The Last Word 94 00563 Fred Burford 88 Steve Davie 77 Ena Harding 94 01248 Margaret Coleman 88 00783 Barrie Hall 77 Helen Jankowski here are some words related to the concept of 100. 94 Cecilia Cotton 88 Baldip Kaur 77 Vanw Lloyd Not surprisingly, many currencies find it convenient to work in hundreds. For example, 94 01262 Ginny Dixon 88 01176 Gordon Lamb 76 Teresa Haycock there are 100 CENTIMES to the French FRANC. There are 100 PFENNIGE (or PFENNIGS) 94 Jan Gibson 88 Barbara Pinto 76 01247 Edna Lindeck to the German MARK. There are 100 COPECKS (or KOPECKS) to the Russian ROUBLE. 94 Rose Lawson 88 00253 Peter Shuttlewood 76 Margaret Regan 94 01285 Susan Paton 88 00031 Norah Thompson 76 Pat Sinclair There are 100 PAISAS to the Indian RUPEE (or in Nepal 100 PICE). There are 100 NGWEE 94 00119 Mary Ralfs 87 Dorothy Black 75 Elizabeth Mustard to the Nigerian KWACHA. There are 100 QINDARS (or QINDARKA) to the Albanian LEK. 94 00564 Jean Stevens 87 01137 Beroze Mody 75 01086 Margaret Webb (QINDAR can also be spelt QUINTAR or QINTAR). And there are 100 STOTINKI (singular 94 00376 Claire Violett 86 01233 Joan Garlick 74 Norma Clunas STOTINKA) to the Bulgarian LEV. 93 01144 Chris Chapman 86 Iris Grover 74 00314 Dorothy Henry For other units, we have for example a CENTAL, a weight of one hundred pounds 93 Joyce Frost 86 01251 Jill Russell 73 Jessie Chisholm 93 01148 Renee Gilbert 85 00290 May Gray 72 Sheila Marshall avoirdupois. We have a CENTARE (or CENTIARE), which is the hundredth part of an ARE, 93 01052 Barbara Haggett 85 01260 Zoe Marlowe 72 Nancy Yorkston or one square metre; a HECTARE, by contrast, is 100 ARES, or 10000 square metres. 93 01073 Jenny Harris 85 Olive Matthew 71 00131 Marcia Davies As far as straight counting goes, the Hindu have a special word LAKH for one hundred 93 Patricia Holmes 85 01141 Michael Murray 71 Betty Meazey thousand, and another special word CRORE for a one hundred LAKHS, or ten million. And 93 Anne Lawton 85 00871 Fergus Williams 71 Margaret Scott let us not forget our own GOOGOL, which is 1 followed by 100 zeroes. 93 01219 Jean Masterson 84 00908 Ted Anderson 71 01205 Patrick Teague 93 Winifred Stitt 84 Chris Baker 71 Alec West Then there are the territorial divisions. In ancient Wales, a CANTRED (or CANTREF) was 93 Richard Tempest 84 00517 Peter Basham 70 01069 Olive Smith a district comprising 100 villages, from the Welsh cant, hundred + tref, town. In England, 93 01314 Evelyn Wansbrough 84 Florence Connell 70 Carl Szzvanowski of course, we have the HUNDRED, an old division of a county supposed to contain a 93 01076 Marianne Ward 84 Mary Craddock 69 01334 Catherine McMillan hundred families; someone who lived in a HUNDRED was called a HUNDREDER or 93 Christine Watkins 84 01188 Evelyn Mankelow 67 00998 Jean Hendrick HUNDREDOR. Incidentally, the equivalent of a HUNDRED in the northern counties was 93 01258 Anne Wilkins 84 00828 Moira Metcalf 66 01284 Margaret Hallin a WAPENTAKE. 92 Judy Beales 84 Maria Raffaelli 65 Helen Tegg 92 01039 Dorothy Edwards 84 Doreen Searles 64 01290 Mary Kennedy The Italians have given us five special words for centuries, used particularly in the context 92 01305 Jason Goddard 83 01275 Jo Calvert-Mindell 62 01253 Philip Turner of Italian art. These are DUECENTO, TRECENTO, QUATTROCENTO, CINQUECENTO 92 Agnes Gray 83 Frank Goodier 59 01252 Ruth Turner and SEICENTO, corresponding to our 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. The words 92 John Macdonald 83 Winnie Haston 59 Barbara Yeaman literally mean two hundred, three hundred etc. I don’t know why they start the numbering 92 01114 Barbara McLaren 83 Eileen Johnson 53 00949 Barbara Horlock from year 1000, but at least their twelfth century is the century where the years start with 92 01304 Linda Moir 83 Doris Mackay 92 Les Searle 83 00583 Joan Murphy twelve, which seems more logical than our way. 92 01280 Moreen Shillitoe 83 Nicholas Robertson Finally a few classical words. The CENTUM languages is the group of Indo-European 91 01008 Yvonne Goodridge 83 Helen Thompson languages in which an original palatal consonant appears as a guttural sound, as in 91 Jean Jacobs 82 Monica Urquhart centum, the Latin word for 100, in contrast to the SATEM languages in which an original 91 Sheila Johnston 81 Elsie Brown palatal consonant developed as a sibilant. In ancient Rome, a CENTUMVIR (pl. 91 00900 Amabel Winter 81 Joyce Caruth 90 00359 Vera Allen 81 Moira Mackintosh CENTUMVIRI) was one of a court of one hundred judges (a CENTUMVIRATE) chosen to 90 Bernard Bruno 81 01068 Lionel Millmore try civil suits. And finally, a HECATOMB is a great public sacrifice, originally of exactly one 90 01298 Helga Farrow 81 Carol Russell hundred animals, from Greek hekaton, hundred, + bous, ox.

16 17 Author! Author! ZEMINDAR Kim teases the old lady of the serai by repeating a bazaar rumour that the hill rajahs of her country sell the comeliest of their womenfolk to zemindars. A Whatever you may think of zemindar was a tax-farmer, responsible for collecting the revenues from the actual Kipling’s politics, he was a writer cultivators, and as such not a popular figure. Another form is ZAMINDAR, and the of great craft and power, and system of land-tenure involving zemindars is ZEMINDARI or ZEMINDARY (or nowhere more so to my mind ZAMINDARI/ZAMINDARY). I had long planned that if ever anyone chanced to put than in ‘Kim’, his wonderful down ZEMINDAR against me, I was going to hook an -I or -Y on to it with a great air novel of life in India at the of ‘You needn’t think you can intimidate me with your fancy words’. Needless to say, time of the Raj, seen from the the one time it actually happened I had neither an I nor a Y on my rack, nor got one underside. This also happens for the rest of the game. to be crammed with words SHRADDHA The old lady says she is going to a holy place to make shraddha for the of Indian life of considerable father of my children. SHRADDHA (or SRADDHA) is an offering to the manes of an interest to the Scrabble player, ancestor. and a selection of these are presented below. ZENANA a passing Englishman chaffs the old lady suggesting that her behaviour would Rudyard Kipling not be approved off in the zenanas. A ZENANA is the part of a house where a BHISTI an Indian water-carrier (like Gunga Din in Kipling’s poem). Also BHISTIE, high-caste Urdu woman is secluded. BHISTEE, BHEESTY, BHEESTIE. PULTON an Indian infantry regiment. Also CHELA Kim styles himself the Lama’s chela: a chela is a novice in Buddhism, the PULTAN, PULTUN or PULTOON. disciple of a religious teacher. In this sense, the plural is CHELAS. There is an PUNKAH A kind of palm leaf fan. Also unrelated word CHELA from the Latin, meaning the claw of an arthropod, which has PUNKA. plural CHELAE. TONGA ‘The incessant twanging of the tonga- KOSS ‘Three koss to the westward runs the great road to Calcutta’. A KOSS (or COSS) horns’ - a TONGA is a light two-wheeled was a measure of about 1 3/4 miles. vehicle. SIRKAR the state or government; the authorities. Also SIRCAR. JAMPAN A sedan chair. Its bearer is a JAMPANI JAGHIR ‘I also have my jaghir from the hands of the state’, says a retired old soldier. A or JAMPANEE. JAGHIR (also spelt JAGHIRE or JAGIR) was the government revenues from a tract of JATAKA The lama uses the injunction ‘Listen to land, granted to such as retired military men. Its holder was called a JAGHIRDAR. the jataka!’. A JATAKA is a nativity story, in BUNNIA Coming and going on the Great Road were ‘bankers and tinkers, barbers and particular the birth-story of Buddha. bunnias, pilgrims and potters’. A BUNNIA (or BUNIA) is a Hindu merchant. LATHI This is a stout stick used in India as a SERAI Kim and the Lama join a serai (in full caravanserai), a company travelling together weapon: Kipling describes it as ‘a five-foot for security. This is also referred to by the Arabic term KAFILA (also CAFFILA or male bamboo ringed with bands of CAFILA). polished iron’

Meet My Twin Spot The Phoney! Many common seven-letter words have exactly one somewhat less common anagram. A surprising number of common adjectives in OSWI can take the suffix -ISH. But by no Being aware of such alternatives can help you in those all-too-frequent situations where means all of them can. Which of the following look to you definitely phoneyish? Or do finding a bonus is one thing, but finding a bonus that fits is quite another. Practise by I mean phoneyish*? finding the common anagrams of these less common sevens.. SPANDEX SOYMILK PERLITE FELTIER PLOATED WEAKISH TALLISH STRONGISH SHORTISH DEARISH MORENDO DOGBANE AMILDAR DESMANS SARSDEN CHEAPISH GOODISH BADDISH BALDISH FEEBLISH OCELOTS SPHENIC BELGARD PHASMID SYNTAGM BLUNTISH HARDISH MAUVEISH PURPLISH ORANGEISH TUBULIN REBOZOS MONOECY MEGILPS STRUMAE CROSSISH HAPPYISH BRIGHTISH DIMMISH KINDISH

18 19 The Five-Minute Anagram Challenge Anagrid: 1abcdef gh ijklmno Below are four sets of anagrams, presented in ascending order of difficulty based partly on the likely familiarity of the words and partly on the nature of their ‘pattern’. Each 2 anagram has a unique solution. It is suggested that full marks in set A corresponds to an Y ABSP rating of around 125; in set B to 150; in set C to 175; and in set D to 200, though 3 of course people differ in their vocabularies and anagramming skills so any such categorisation can only be loose and intuitive. Give yourself five minutes for the chosen 4 set. Of course, by all means try the harder sets, but don’t be discouraged if the going gets tough! 5 A. MUDREAR RELAMED HOOTLED CUTLEET CHINEMA 6 YARRBIL TCHARCS BAUERUS POTSKED BOLTENS B. INFARER NIPTATE CLARTYS LOWDECK WILYRED 7

GURREYS GLOSPED ONFARER GALGONE APRONES 8 C. PARFLES BONGIES DAYSEVE LEMSTYR DRICKER 9 GODDLES YARDISM BIRLIES BOGBIES PANTOES 10 D. IOSSSTT HORAGES NICKIES WETDISH KARROES BUMDIET REDSWIM UPCHOISE KEYSPEAK ACCCEIIPV 11

12 Deer Oh Deer How well do you know your Cervidae? Here are the names of twelve members of the 13 deer family, some common, some less so. How many can you complete? 14 P**U M**T**C W*P**I CH***L S**BH** **KA B*R*****HA C***B*U 15 M***E **K WH***T**L C*R***OU Horizontal Clues: Vertical Clues: Curio Corner 1. DECEPLY - GROOBS a. DILUTEYE 2. - b. GRYNICS There are five rather curious words in OSWI which are Latin past tenses used in the 3. GAYLENS - KOIMOON c. VOTEPORRH context of works of art or craft, and which need some care because they are indeclinable 4. - d. GELIATE i.e. take no -S hook. They are: 5. SCITIND - LENKOLD e. OKERILY EXCUDIT (he or she) struck, hammered, forged or printed (this). 6. - f. DEJECTE 7. NEIGHSYND - OCRAT g. UNIORGASM FECIT (he or she) made (this). INVENIT (he or she) discovered (this). 8. - h. - PINXIT (he or she) painted (this). SCULPSIT (he or she) sculpted (this). 9. VULVY - ASSAILENS i. BAKERCOGS Various other Latin pasts in -IT are also included in the Scrabble lexicon, e.g. ASSUMPSIT, 10. - j. VIGNAZI ELEGIT, DIXIT, OBIIT, FLORUIT, but with the exception of OBIIT (died) these have been 11. RUTTLER - VISQUIT k. ZHOMIAR adopted as nouns and so can take an -S hook. FLORUIT (flourished) can even be fully 12. - l. LAITINI declined as a verb in its own right meaning ‘to be alive at a given time’, hence FLORUITS, 13. MISROID - ISCECIL m. STEAMPOOL FLORUITED and FLORUITING. Cicero must be turning in his grave. 14. - n. TEEMESS 15. RUSTST - GAALEST o. ISODROME

20 21 Multipack Monsters Fancy Fours We continue our quest to identify tricky sets of variations with the Scots word SKREIGH, There are 5155 4-letter words in OSWI: most of us probably learn a good majority of them meaning to shriek or screech: ‘SKREIGH of day’ is cock-crow or daybreak. This has variants early on in our Scrabble careers but then never quite get round to finishing the job, with as follows: the result that we occasionally miss that nice little play down from the double-letter spot on a triple row, or fail to find a vital outplay. Check your own four-letter power with the SKREIGH, SKRIEGH following test, which features some of the less common fours. For each one, first solve the SKRIECH anagram, then match it to the correct definition. SKREEGH 1. helb ____ a. a small reef island in the Pacific. SCREICH, SCRIECH 2. bodo ____ b. a waxy, edible secretion produced on the leaves of certain SCREIGH plant louse larvae. SCRAICH, SCRAIGH 3. doed ____ c. a bird, the wryneck 4. pygm ____ d. an interjection representing a sobbing sound. Additionally there is SCRAUCH or SCRAUGH, which I understand to be similar but more 5. hoph ____ e. an oaf of a squawk than a screech: I’m sure your friendly neighbourhood Scot will be happy to demonstrate the difference. For good measure let us throw in English dialect SCREAK, 6. hork ____ f. a kind of seaweed which means to creak, and various obsolete English forms of SHRIEK, to wit: SHREEK, 7. thow ____ g. a troop SHREIK, SHRIECH, SHRITCH, SCRIKE and SCRITCH. 8. hupo ____ h. a small troublesome Brazilian biting fly. 9. pilk ____ i. to scallop, notch Remember that all the above are verbs, so master that lot and you’ve added 72 words to your repertoire. In addition, SCREAK takes a Y, giving SCREAKY, SCREAKIER, 10. perl ____ j. (Spenser) hot SCREAKIEST. 11. uban ____ k. a dry watercourse 12. limu ____ l. satirists, critics Note that SKREICH* and SCRIEGH* are NOT valid variants. Inevitably, these are the only 13. imom ____ m. a backless slipper two that I personally am guaranteed to remember. 14. umpi ____ n. a unit of weight in some Middle Eastern countries 15. otum ____ o. an expression of disgust You Can Put An ‘S’ On That ?! 16. trol ____ p. a style of Caribbean dance music. 17. murt ____ q. an artificial rubber 18. poyo ____ r. a perennial, creeping grass of India Continuing our series on words that we don’t 19. nuxy ____ s. a kind of yam normally think of as being pluralisable, but which can 20. kuzo ____ t. a thorny Indian tree nonetheless take an -S. Here are some beginning with D - H: Words In The Wild DEAD DEER DEFUNCT DEMURE DESPITE Being a new feature in which we track down some of the rarer animals DISMAL DIVERSE DRASTIC DRY DUG in the OSWI menagerie to observe them in their native habitats. EDIBLE EAGER ELEVATED ENOUGH ENTIRE In ‘King Lear’, Act 4, Scene 6, Edgar in disguise invites Goneril’s ERRATA FED FICKLE FLEW FOND steward to ‘try whether your costard or my ballow be the harder’. FRAIL GAUNT GIVEN GLAD GRADUAL BALLOW is an old word for a cudgel, and a useful front hook for GREW HARD HIGHER HOMINES HOTTER ALLOW. (There are eight other somewhat commoner front hooks for ALLOW: can you list them?) For ERRATAS we are indebted to our American friends, who are never ones to shrink COSTARD is a large ribbed apple, though here it is used as jocular slang for from pluralising a Latin word just because it’s already plural, and in this case I think the head. The word derives from Latin costa, rib (cf. COSTAL and COSTATE) and has no they have a point: ERRATAS meaning ‘sets of ERRATA’ seems fair enough. connection with the CUSTARD apple, so called for its sweet yellow pulp. COSTARD is a not totally obvious back hook for COSTAR.

22 23 Cryptogram THE FIRST TO LAST WORDS A Centenary Celebration Feature 123415 678759105 This is a special eight-page feature to commemorate 100 issues of the ABSP 11 12 13 14 15 16 7 1 Magazine. The Committee would especially like toank th Pete Finley and Andy Davis for their contributions to this piece. Pete has taken time out to review 7 171214171018 19171420201018 of the early magazines and Andy has collated suggestions for the top 25 S moments of all time. I’ve included a brief tour of issues 24 to, capturing 99 3 211 3 181410 201019 3 various highlights and landmarks, plus a chart depicting Committee teams ov the years. 5 9 8 1010195 8 1414213108 If you’re a long-established member then you might enjoy the trip down me lane. If you’re a newer member then it will give you an insight into how the 10 18 5 22 5 11 17 14 ABSP has developed over the last 18 years. Enjoy! Allan Simmons , ABSP Chairman

159218123222314111017

24 17 3 25 5 THE ABSP NEWSLETTER – THE EARLY YEARS By Pete Finley

237 201175 17103119 1018 The early APSP newsletters (note the P) were a far cry from the professionally produced 48 booklets to which we have become accustomed in recent years. The first 23 issues were me 26 23 11 14 5 8 17 10 3 typewritten and duplicated sheets and issue 23 was actually the first to bear a number. Clive wrote at the time, “The number is a rough estimate.” It was an accurate estimate. 201151417315141320105 The first four issues comprised only two sides of A4, though there were often separatenclosures e such as entry forms, rating lists or AGM minutes. By late 1989 the newsletter had expanded 1 10208155 205 around ten sides of A4 though there were occasional shorter or longer issues. The size pea fourteen sides before the first booklet format newsletter, number 24, was produced in July 1992. 158753202331591732110 The first three issues were produced by Viraf Mehta, who was Chairman at the time. Openin very first issue, in March/April 1988, Viraf wrote “ The main purpose of this Newsletter is to g 10 22 16 17 1 10 10 19 3 you an account ofwhat the present APSP committee have been doing on behalf of the Assoc since its inception. It is also intended to provide you with an outline of our intended activities months to come.” Viraf went on to detail achievements such as the development of the APSP 5 23 5 21 10 22 10 18 1 5 21 10 8 5 playing rules, tournament criteria, the rating system and the organisation of the first APSP tournament at Durham. (The previous year’s BMSC having been organised by Philip Nelkon the APSP was officially formed.) Viraf went on toport re on publicity activity and announce the dates of the BMSC and AGM. The first rating list, based on the 1987 BMSC, was also includ with this issue, though only members’ ratings were published in those days. The second issue saw the first attempt tove mo the newsletter beyond an informative role, with Viraf including a feature giving leading players’ opinions on the right plays for a selection of opening racks. The third issue included news of US player Robert Felt’s fourth place at the BMSC andforts the e of Phil Appleby, Allan Simmons, Brian Sugar and Mark Nyman in the US Championship. A significant enclosure was an order form for the first OSW, a major step forward. Clive Spate took over production of the newsletter from issue 4, Viraf havingned retur to India. This issue included the following prophetic quote from Clive– “The full rating list for both members a non-members now comprises almost 250 names and the time must be approaching whereb ratings can be used to operate divisions withina tournament from the start of the tournament rat 24 than base divisions on the results of the first few games.” Clive also noted that Graeme Tho also developing a Swiss-pairing computer program which would be ready for Durham 1989. Th 1996> Issue 46: the magazine is still called ‘Newsletter’ and is going through a slim phase.....Issue first competition in an APSP newsletter was also included in this issue. 47: BMSC 10th anniversary event; Spate still TRPn 199 o .....Issue 48: TRP now Saldanha on 196 more and more event reports filling the pages; Andrew Fisher encourages a switch to SOW Clive continued to expand the scope of the newsletter, introducing more detailed tournamen tournaments.....Issue 49: Phil Appleby takes over as editor; David Acton arrives on the scene reports, endgame puzzles, readers’ letters and more. Issue 6 saw the start of a lengthy deba 196 but TRP still Saldanha on 198.....Issue 50: a number of members start to communicate onli whether ties should be split or not when players finished on the same number of wins, and if via email.....Issue 51: Washington announced for 1997 WSC; more Endgames and Strategy what method should be used. At the time it was a hotly disputed subject, but, as we all know starting to appear. are now routinely split and spread has become accepted asandard the st method. The same issue s the first annotated game included in the newsletter. 1997> Issue 52: electronic timers appear on the scene; TRPaldanha is S 205; computer simulation starts to be discussed; Nick Deller’s first of a series of entertaining word list articles.....Issue 53: Looking through these early issues, key moments stand out. Issues 10 and 11 announced th Lexpert comes on the scene.....Issue 54: TRP still Saldanha 205.....Issue 55: review of ratings publication of Graeme Thomas’s seven and eight letter anagram booklets,helped which advance system initiated; Nigel Richards comes on the scene in New Zealand winning all 14 games at word knowledge considerably. Issue 12 announced the first sponsored tournament- at the soon-to- event.....Issue 56: Speed Scrabble session at BMSC; Mark Nyman TRP on.....Issue 198 57: Joel be notorious Burstin Hotel in Folkestone. Issues 14 and 15 announced the launch of OSW2 Sherman wins WSC in Washington; Andy Cook wins NSC; Premier ‘-upcount’ timers launched to staging of the first WSC. Issue 16 saw Mike Goldman start the complaints that would eventually bring affordable electronic clocks to players; SOWPODS debate raises its head again. result in legal action and cost the APSP in the region of £15,000. 1998> Issue 58: shock news– NSC is cancelled in 1998; Phil Appleby becomes TRP on 201; n In 1992 the first APSP Handbook was published, the newsletter moved to a magazine forma of Mike Goldman’s death.....Issue 59: Paul Golder steps in to rescue NSC;the Saldanha TRP on new era began. … .. 199; Committee Corner introduced.....Issue 60: APSP questionnaire addresses key issues such A LIGHTNING TOUR OF SUBSEQUENT ISSUES ‘weighted rating system’, changing the name of the association to lose ‘Premier’; suggestion by Allan Simmons included UK Scrabble Federation, as well heas swopt of Premier to British; round turntable Scrabble boards from USA and Far East start to appear.....Issue 61: membership around 550; Following from Pete’s piece on the early issues above, here are some of the highlights and Chambers announce they are looking at the prospect of a combined wordbook (OSW & OS milestones from all the booklet-style publications from issue 24 to the present day. The-rated top .....Issue 62: Helen Gipson wins BMSC; new rolling weighted rating system to be implemented player (TRP) and membership figurest the a time are mentioned throughout……… .. Appleby TRP on 198.....Issue 63: 50th anniversary of Scrabble celebrated with gigantic game played at Wembley Stadium; SOWPODS Conversion Kit published; a very young prodigy, A 1992> Issue 24: APSP ratings accuracy debated; Mark Nyman plays Scrabble in Thailand; P Shin, appears on the scene. Nelkon wins the NSC for the 4th time.....Issue 25: over 300 members; TRP is 195 Gareth Willia 1999> Issue 64: APSP becomes the ABSP; Paul Golder takes over the reins as editor; new t .....Issue 26: AGM - membership fee remains at £5.....Issue 27: David Webb enters the scene at contributors established to give the magazine a more stable structure and content; Andrew Aylesbury, TRP still Gareth now 197. now TRP on 202.....Issue 65: 1999 WSC to ben i Melbourne; a title for the Newsletter is sought 1993> Issue 28: The 2nd WSC to be in New York; Russell Byers is TRP on 202; first Exeter .....Issue 66: THE LAST WORD gets its title; Andy Davis becomes TRP on 205 after his Maste weekend with 19 games.....Issue 29: Philip Nelkon joinsJW Spear; Phil Appleby wins the 2nd victory .....Issue 67: Evan Simpson wins NSC; Japanese Scrabble gets a mention.....Issue 68: matchplay Masters.....Issue 30: membership now at 370; Folkestone Defence Fund (FDF) laun Andrew Perry is BMSC champion (separate SOWPODS division as the move to double dicti to fund court case re Mike Goldman; Clive Spate is TRP on.....Issue 194 31: Allan Saldanha wins picks up); TRP Acton/Appleby on 197; OSW4 new words reviewed.....Issue 69: Joel Wapnick NSC and becomes TRP on 194;early discussion re replacing Premier in APSP.....Issue 32: Nyman wins WSC in Melbourne; Steve Davis interviewed; TRP Brett Smitheram ties with Nyman o n wins WSC in New York.....Issue 33: Membership now £7.50; TRP still Saldanha on 195. 2000> Issue 70: Paul Allan takes over as editor; first SOWPODS-only event starts the year of 1994> Issue 34: Expert and GrandMaster titles under consideration; some players raising change; TRP now David Webb on 200.....Issue 71: TRP Smitheram 199.....Issue 72: The Way possibility of dual dictionary (SOWPODS); Andrew Fisher is TRP on .....Issue201 35: the great Forward strategy launched re move to SOWPODS.....Issue 73: publication of OSW International April Fools’ Issue– members were encouraged to swop rating points for money-off vouchers. The announced by Chambers; TLW going through a lean period.....Issue 74: Pete Finley takes over address to write to was Dept APR/LF-001, 2 Strange St, Tale, Portsmouth– amazingl y two letters from Graeme Thomas as chairman; Stewart Holden’s EDGEWAYS feature kicks.....Issue off 75: got through to Terry Hollington in response! 75% of members now own a .....Issueclock 36: David Acton becomes the first BMSC champion using OSWi; TRP Webb/Smitheram on 200. offensive words are banned in North America in latest OSPD; membership now at 426; Fish 2001> Issue 76: Christina French takes over as TLW editor; noticeable improvements re grap TRP on 197.....Issue 37: about 900 words axed when OSW3 is published; membership at 450; and pictures.....Issue 77: World Dictionary new words start to appear in word lists.....Issue 78: Clive Spate TRP on 196.....Issue 38: Hartley Moorhouse becomes editor; Nyman comes 5th at Membership 540; ABSP website nched;lau TRP Webb on 200; the first BEST knockout event North American Open in Los Angeles; TRP Fisher/Spate on.....Issue 196 39: TRP is Spate on 19 7 launched.....Issue 79: John Grayson takes over as new Ratings Officer.....Issue 80: TRP Webb 1995> Issue 40: court date set for Goldman case; Andrew Fisher takes over as Ratings Officer jumps to 207.....Issue 81: Terry Hollington dies (APSP’s rating system founder); Word Freak now allowed in OSW3.....Issue 41: standard yellow cover which has stayed with the magazine published andattracts media interest to tournament Scrabble. since; Mark Nyman is TRP on 198; John Grayson writes on possible penalties for incorrect 2002> Issue 82: Across The Board strategy feature reintroduced by Phil Appleby.....Issue 83: challenges.....Issue 42: Goldman– the verdict and relaunch of the FDF to pay APSP costs; BMSC moves from Nottingham Uni to Moat House; Brian Cappelletto wins Las Vegas WSC Grandmaster and Expert titles initiated; TRP is Nyman on.....Issue 200 43: TRP is Spate 199; .....Issue 84: American Robert Felt tops UK ratings at 204 ahead of Andy Davis on 202; all UK membership reaches 500 landmark.....Issue 44: membership fee revised to £10; Alan Saldanha events now playing to OSWi; Terry Hollington memorial trophy introduced for young/newer wins BMSC convincingly.....Issue 45: David Boys is new World Champion in London 1995. players’ achievements; Austin Shin becomes the youngest ever division winner at 12 years months.....Issue 85: Allan Simmons takes over as new Chairman; Alec Webb takes over as e ❒ The birth of ONWORDS magazine - 1979 further improvements to quality, especially graphics and photos; Christina French’s Xtras fe Onwords started off as a Postal Scrabble Clubazine mag but in 1985 or thereabouts separated it initiated : membership now at 600; TRP is Fisher on 204;mbership me fee increased .....Issue 86 from the PSC to become the independent Scrabble enthusiasts' magazine, developing into from £10 to £15 to remedy losses and invest in growth : Gyles Brandreth agrees to be .....Issue 87 see today. ABSP honorary President; TRP is Nyman on 205. [Oddly enough, it was Allan who sentimentally included this one, though I don't disagree tha 2003> Issue 88: NSC becomes a joint ABSP/Mattel organised event; Protiles, SamTimers, a deserves a mention in the top –25 Andy] round boards become more common at tournaments; Committee news now available on w ❒ Computer Scrabble - 1983 .....Issue 89: Kuala Lumpur announced for 2003 World Championships; Ray Tate takes over editor of Edgeways; Masters qualification cutoff now end of March eachr .....Issue yea 90: ABSP Remember the ZX Sinclair Spectrum? Then you may remember one of the first computeriz Committee objectives established for 2003-2004; TRP now David Acton on 204.....Issue 91: a Scrabble opponents (by PSION software) that preceded Maven,-Gold's US Scrabble and the like. bumper 60 pages; Committee proposal to revise membership fee structures to encourage g Sure, it had a limited vocabulary, took about 2 minutes to play its moves, and had no concep Membership at 620; Paul Allan now TRP on 205.....Issue 92; Brett wins BMSC title; National rack balancing (except to save an S or blank if playing one only scored a point or two extra Scrabble Week launched; ABSP logowear launched; review panel set up to assist Ubisoft i could sure teach a novice a thing or two about maximizing scoresarallel by p plays. I remember Scrabble 2004 product.....Issue 93: a Thai wins the KL WSC; inaugural WESPA meeting in KL being soundly beaten by it with great regularity in my youth- AD TRP is Acton on 204. ❒ The UK Guild of Wordmasters Event - 1986 2004> Issue 94: Harshan Lamabadusuriya wins NSC; shock news that Mattel are switching Chambers to Collins; ABSP Dictionary Committee established to address.....Issue this 95: the Organised by Tom Finlay, the event offered £250 worth of cash prizes in defiance of the wis dictionary switch generates much correspondence; significant Chambers sponsorship for Masters JW Spear at the time. and BMSC announced.....Issue 96: Fisher & Webb’s How to Win at Scrabble is published and Tom was subsequently taken to court by JWS and an injunction was obtained against his reviewed; TRP Appleby on 203.....Issue 97: membership at 650 and rising; Collins to make involvement in the UK Scrabble scene. Although Tom lost that battle, the players won a diff presentation at AGM; 2nd National Scrabble Week launched.....Issue 98: Committee service one. A plethora of bad publicity for JWS, and representations to the company from players’ reward (meeting attendance fee) introduced along with TLW editorial fee; Nyman TRP on 2 representatives led to the next special moment in this article, and the eventual demise-score of hi Smitheram wins second BMSC in a row.....Issue 99: membership reaches all time high of 720; Scrabble. Adam Logan wins the 2004 BEST event in nala fi vs Mark Nyman and becomes TRP on 203. ❒ The formation of the ABSP - 1987 2005> Issue 100: Alec Webb steps down as editor and a new team take- overyou can read all the The meeting that led to the formation of the ABSP, or APSP as it was then, took placeat in of th other news in this issue! Spears Secretary Nick Stone. Nick, Leonard Hodge, Philip Nelkon, Viraf Mehta and Pete F discussed a draft constitution prepared by Nick. Though it was some months before change TOP 25 SCRABBLE MOMENTS agreed and agreements finally signed in September that hisyear, was t the moment when the ABS really began. Compiled by Andy Davis ❒ The first major Matchplay tournament – BMSC 1987 with contributions from Pete Finley, Allan Simmons, Stewart Holden, Terry Kirk and Phil Appleby Terry Kirk recalls– "As a relatively new tournament player, I'd spent-3 years2 playing high-score tournaments where it was easy to be intimidated when playing experienced players who made it You may be familiar with those TV programs, usually on channel 4, featuring top 10/50/100 plain when you made what they considered to be the wrong move. The switch to Matchplay gave movies, Christmas songs, etc. You name it, there's been a corresponding 'top 10' program the opportunity to play whatever move you liked without fear of opprobrium from across the Except for Scrabble, that is. In order to redress the balance a little, I've compiled a list of board." events/occurrences/moments that have become part of Scrabble legend, that Scrabble pla ❒ The creation of the APSP rating system by Terry Hollington - 1988 talk about years after they have happened, or that have contributed hugelyompetitive to c Scrabble Terry used the data from the first BMSC in 1987 to start the system. as we know it today. Rather than trying to list the 'moments' in order of merit as is usual wit polls, I've listed them in approximate date order. I'll leave it to you to decide which should b Prior to the ratings system and matchplay, divisional allocations tended to be by average sc number one Scrabble 'moment'all of time. submitted by the players themselves or by reference to highscore performances. There was no w of truly measuring who were the best players. The simple fact of seeing one's rating rising o ❒ Alfred Butts invents Scrabble - 1938 is a huge incentive in itself to try to improve one's game. Unemployed architect invents word game to try to make a buck in depression-era USA. The rest, a ❒ Publication of OSW - 1989 they say, is history. ❒ TK – "Thank goodnessor f the end of the days when it was Gyles Brandreth’s advert in the The Times, announcing the first NSC - 1971 important to know the track record of the word judge at a tournament before Whatever one thinks of Gyles, his politics, or even the questionable format that the NSC had playing a risky word. Having ANGARIES for 131 points disallowed still many years, this was without doubt a key moment in the history of Scrabble in the UK. rankles nearly 20 years later!" ❒ The first World Scrabble Championship - 1991 ❒ Helen Gipson becomes first female BMSC champ - 1998 Despite the dubious format and selection procedures, this was a quantum leap forward for A hugely popular champion, Helen beats off the competition, including defending champion An competitive Scrabble. It opened many people’s eyes to the global popularity of the game. B Davis, to become the first female winner of the BMSC with 14 wins, 2 ahead of the pack. Cappelletto’s semi-final crushing of Joe Edley with his GOLDFISH-timer 9 will live long in the ❒ memory. The launch of the ABSP website - 2000 Other things remarkable about the first WSC– the TV programs with Alan Coren and Darryl A top class site and one which should be in the 'Favourites' folder of every online Scrabble playe r Francis [if it wasn't for these, I might never have taken up competitive Scrabble– AD], and, of ❒ Internet Scrabble Club launched - 2001 course, the final itself, featuring possibly the most famous non-word ever– Brian Cappelletto's SMAIL* play, which almost certainly cost him the deciding game and the championship. The day the Scrabbling world became much smaller. An excellently designed interface allows players to lock horns from opposite sides of the world. Since the launch of the ISC, there has been a ❒ Mike Goldman doesn't have enough time to go to the loo - Winter Matchplay 1991 huge influx of new players into tournament scenes in every country. The ISC has also been a Possibly British Scrabble'sdarkest hour. Mr Goldman returned to the playing area following a medium for several 'friendly' transatlantic tournaments. to the rest room to find the next round had started and his opponent had played a bonus. Th ❒ Publication of Word Freak - 2001 subsequent tedious legal battles and hefty lawyers' fees need no reminder. Followingdict, the ve Mike was largely unheard from until his death. American sports writer Stefan Fatsis took a sabbatical from his usual job in order to explore competitive scrabble in the USA and, later, the world. The book charted his transformation from A positive aspect of this affair was that it demonstrated how strong the movement was in ra mild outside interest to self-confessed scrabble obsession as he became more and more like the support and raising funds for the ABSP's costs. personalities about whom he wrote. ❒ The appointment of Philip Nelkon as Leonard Hodge's replacement as The book was responsible for a huge increase in the profile of Scrabble in the US. National Scrabble Clubs Co-ordinator - 1992 ❒ Andrew Fisher v David Webb inaugural BEST final - 2001 This announcement was made to the players at the East Berks tournament, and a huge che response. The feeling of optimism that ran through the room was almost palpable. BEST (British Eliminator Scrabble Tournament) was created by Mark Nyman and Evan nSimps in o 2001 - an ambitiously different format for a Scrabble competition. The final was played in front o ❒ Di Dennis wins the Masters - 1992 an audience, and the two finalists, at the peak of their Scrabble powers, produced a match of This was the first Matchplay Masters tournament following the demise of the old high score remarkable quality. The tie was narrowly won by Andrewsher, Fi 10 games to 9. Masters. Di steamrollered the opposition, winning 12 games out of 12, gaining a tournament ❒ of over 220. Pauline Johnson TOKOLOSHE, BMSC - 2002 ❒ Mark Nyman overcomes huge deficit to win WSC - 1993 Proving that it's not just players from the top echelons who make brilliant plays, Pauline, with a rack of OOOTKEL and a floating SH, finds inspiration from Stewart Holden's ISC handle. In one of the UK's best showings in the WSC, Mark Nyman reached the final against Canad Wapnick. Despite conceding a-0 2 deficit in the best-of-5 final, and a 175-point deficit in the ❒ Clash of the Thai(tans), WSC - 2003 penultimate game, Mark came up with a sequence of smove that has become the stuff of Scrabb With their confident, attacking play combined with solid word knowledge and excellent legend. All together now, "OX, ASTONES, LEERING, KHI". temperament, the Thais swept all before them. In the final, Panupol Sujjayakorn, in his first WS ❒ Final Game of WSC - 1995 defeated fellow Thai Pakorn Nemitrmansukbecome to the youngest world champ to date. Yet another moment from the world stage. In the final moves of the final game,David Boys saw bu Some might see this as a possible shift in the balance of international Scrabble power. chose not to play LADYBUGS against Joel Sherman, playing BEADY instead to block Joel's on ❒ Lost For Words - 2004 possible winning move- PEJORATE as a-timer. 9 A classic example of lateral thinking and thorough risk assessment from a top player. At last, fame and fortune for four well-known Scrabble players (well, perhaps the obligatory 15 minutes of fame). Following in the footsteps of Stefan Fatsis, Channel 4's Josh Whitehead set a ❒ The first ever rated SOWPODS tournament, Phil Appleby's house - 1998 charting the lives of Geoff Cooper, Wayne Kelly, Mark Nyman and Chrystal Rose as they prepa A collection of 7 well-known Scrabble players gathered at an idyllic location in the New Fores for the Easter Matchplay 2004. The result was a program that provideda fascinating insight into the play a few rated games of Scrabble to the combined British and North American word list, Scrabbling lives of all four players. following the bold unilateral decision of the ABSP committee tow allo such games to be rated. O the next couple of years, support for the combined dictionary known as SOWPODS increas ------it became the norm in 2001. So there you have it. 25 seminal moments in the development of Scrabble, admittedly from the perspective of 6 English Scrabble players near the top of the ABSP ratings. I'mhat sure there t will ❒ Nigel Richards' CHLORODYNE play, New Zealand - 1998 be lots of moments we haven't included that are significant to players from the lower reaches o Demonstrating why many believe Nigel Richardsbe to the best player in the world, Nigel took th ratings list, as well as those from overseas. I’m sure the new TLW Editor will be pleased to hea rack CDHLRN?, and spotted what many believe to be the best move ever, through-O---E. O Most other members’ suggestions via Readerstters.’ Le of us would have been pleased to spot something like CHILDREN. Andy Davis e e ler e ot refl ABSP Titles Update ~ January 2005

We have five new Experts to add to the Titles Roll of Honour this year. Nick Ball, George Holden Stewart

WebMaster Gruner, Chris Hawkins, Stewart Holden and Lewis Mackay take the total of UK Experts to 31. All five had a 5-year average of 175+, while George and Nick also had 5 consecutive

ratings of 170+ and Nick and Stewart also had three ratings of 180+ in the 5-year period. CS CS CS French French Hartley Christina Newsletter/ Mag. Editor Moorhouse Moorhouse Viraf Mehta Clive Spate

Thorne.

LH LH PN PN PN Phil Appleby PN PN PA Paul Golder PA PN PN Webb Alec rep(s) RP/LH RP/LH Hodge Hodge JWS/Mattel

R. Perry & L. Philip Nelkon CS

AF PN Paul Allan TH RP/LH VM John Terry Fisher Officer Ratings Andrew Grayson Hollington Hollington New Experts L-R: Nick Ball, George Gruner, Chris Hawkins, Stewart Holden and Lewis Mackay

Lewis was something of a special case as he played only 15 rated games at 181 in 2002

PF TH

PE PE PE AF PE PE AF AF PN AF AF HM (his GSCE examinations year) so did not have a rating registered for that year. However, his John Jackie Mcleod Mcleod Publicity Publicity Harrison ratings for the three years prior to that and the two years after gave him an average of 175+. After consultation with the ABSP Chairman, Allan Simmons, it was agreed that as Lewis was

still at school the student exemption rule could apply to him. (Students are allowed to sit

out any or all of their university years if they wish and still have the years either side of the IB JH AF PN JG JG PF PF TH TH AS AS Finley Pete TH SP Peter Ernest MF MF MF MF Paul John Allan Martin gap counted.) Fowkes Grayson Ian Burn Ian Burn Cartman Simmons Coordinator Tournament Steve Powell Steve Powell PF TH Congratulations to the above and commiserations to Danny Bekhor and Neil Scott, who failed to reach the targets they needed for Expert and Grandmaster respectively.

Yoke Shin, Brian Sugar, Fran Thompson, Derrick There were no new Grandmasters this year, so the total stays at 23, but there are four VB Viv possibilities for next year. Neil Scott has another chance and can do it with a 184. Harshan Secretary Secretary Beckmann Membership Lamabadusuriya didn’t play at all in 2004 but the student exemption rule applies to him too and he can achieve GM status with a 190. Nick Ball, currently in the US, can make an immediate advancement from Expert to GM if he comes back and clocks up a 191. The RT RT RT RT RT RT

Ross fourth contender is Femi Awowade, who needs a 190. This is higher than Femi has ugh the Committee. There have also been numerous others who generously given up th Mackenzie The ABSP Committee Teams through the ages achieved to date, and I normally don’t include possibilities of this type, but Femi has rated

187 or higher three times before, so this has to be within his reach.

Good luck to all of the above. SS AB Gareth

Williams I can see no new Experts in the offing unless one or two players make a dramatic improvement on their best yet. There are a couple of outside possibilities, but I’ll keep them to myself.

sisted with TLW distribution for a decade, plus various auditors: (alphabetical order) As always, please bear in mind that we now count the unweighted rating for all games GT Clive Spate Allan

Graeme Thomas played in the year for titles purposes and players must play at least 30 games in the year to Simmons Pete Finley Pete Finley AB Willis Mike Viraf Mehta Pete Finley Philip Nelkon have a rating registered for that year. If you think I have overlooked your claim for an ABSP title, please let me know. - GT Amy Byrne ED DF VM AS PF AS AS GT PN AS GT AS GT CS AS GT CS AS GT CS GT GT GW GW GW RT Elie Dangoor RT CS GT PF AB MW GB GB AS AS AB AB RM RM VB VB PC PC JM JM JG JG PN PN AW AW SH SH Allan

Gyles Pete Finley Darryl Francis Graeme Thomas President Chairman Secretary Treasurer Simmons Brandreth Clive Spate Philip Nelkon Sheila Spate RussThomas ABSP Titles Registrar

1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Margaret Browne who as Mary Allen, Syd Berger, Margaret Browne, Russell Byers, Gino Corr, David French, Helen Grayson, Ian Gucklhorn, Ken Heaton, Wayn Kelly, Lois Mcleod, Ruth Morgan-Thomas, Vanessa Peters, Many of those mentioned above served on the Committee outside key roles so years for which they get a mention do n and effort devoted to supporting the ABSP thro help with ABSP Committee work over the years and all deserve mentions, not least current member Wayne Kelly as Document Control 25 Mark 2: E Z HIJNR (-78) ZEIN at f2d scores the most and Mark takes the points. There is also WIZEN at c9d and the interesting JINN at b6a. It has a superior leave of EHRZ compared to ZEIN’s HJR, and ditches the awkward J. Few of us would be too happy with the possibility of a play involving DJINN next go from Andy down the A column. Possibly counter-intuitively, it simulates only one point behind ZEIN despite sacrificing 11 points. With a sizeable deficit, No. 18 by PHIL APPLEBY Mark might consider taking a chance and keeping a more bonus-friendly rack. But ZEIN is undoubtedly the safe option. I annotated one of Mark Nyman’s games in the last issue of TLW, but I make no apologies ZEIN f2d 38 68 for including another in the 100th edition. This time it’s from the Final of the National Scrabble Championship against Andy Cook, which took place just a week after Mark Andy 3: EEGKOUT (+40) became a dad. Would fatherhood and a few sleepless nights affect Mark’s Scrabble ability? Lots of possibilities here. The kind of situation where one might not feel one has found the Let’s find out, with guest annotator Ed Martin, who’ll be representing England in the 2005 best play. Probably not a good idea to spend too long on this sort of move - go with your World Scrabble Championship after improving his rating from 175 to 190 over the course instincts. The time might well be better spent later on searching for a bonus or calculating of 2004. a tight endgame. Andy goes for KUE at d11d keeping EGOT. Other possibilities are KEG in the same place and ATOKE at d9d. I quite like KEG as I can’t bear having a G without an N but the leave is vowel-heavy. Simulations show five moves within three points of each Annotated Game: Andy Cook v Mark Nyman, other. NSC Final Game 2, Nov 2004 KUE d11d 23 131 Mark had won the first game to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-5 final, so Andy was looking Mark 3: HJR ANRT (-63) to strike back... Priority here is to score well, get rid of the duplicate R and the awkward J and try and nurture this rack towards a bonus. HEJRA at c13a leaving NRT fits the bill. Nothing else Andy 1: ABNOOP? comes close for me. THANE at a8a scores the most but leaves the horrible JRR. BOP stands out at first glance from this rack. Gets rid of the awkward B and P, offers only HEJRA c13a 32 100 three floaters, scores reasonably and gives a good leave of ?ANO. Always worth checking for other words though. The only fives are ABOON and NAPOO. BOON and NOOP are Andy 4: EGOT EFI (+31) possible leaving ?AP and ?AB respectively, but place vowels next to DLSs. BOP simulates Despite holding a slight lead Andy will not be thinking about defence too much here best by four points ahead of BOON and ABOON. because there are simply too many openings to block. With the bonus lines at 12g and 14g BOP g8a 14 14 as well as the S hook onto BOP, it is better to keep scoring rather than worry too much about what Mark might do. Most of the highest scoring options involve plays parallel to Mark 1: A E L TWZY (-14) ZEIN - OFT, FOE, FEE, FEET, and OF. Andy goes for OF which is quite tight and keeps Top score is LAZY at d9a but no need to burn the Z as WALTY and WETLY from c9a score EEGIT. I might be inclined to play OFT for the extra five points. Although the leave is less only one fewer. WALTY is clearly better as it retains the E. There is the possibility of a high- balanced there are four more Ts in the bag and it restricts the h1 hotspot a little. OFT turns scoring play by Andy at a8a in response, but Mark concentrates on score and rack leave out to simulate best, closely followed by the volatile EGOTIZE at a2a. This is an extremely and ignores it. Very sensible - Andy is by no means certain to be in a position to take aggressive move, placing the E second in a nine timer slot. Should not be attempted by the advantage and the spot may well revert to Mark next go, who holds the Z. If you really can’t faint-hearted or with a reasonable lead like Andy’s! bear to leave the triple open, two defensive options are TWAY and WALY at d9a for five OF g2d 29 160 points fewer. Mark 4: NRT ALVX (-60) WALTY c9a 30 30 VAT scores 9 more than the next highest scoring move, burns the V and keeps the X. No Andy 2: ANO? EGY (-16) contest. As an aside, Maven finds VALKYR at a11a as one of the lowest of its top 10 moves. GONDELAY e4d and YEARLONG e5d are the top scorers here for 94. Nice word, bad move! Mark goes for VAT and reduces the lead to 24. GONdELAY e4d 94 108 VAT h1d 36 136

26 27 Andy 5: EEGIT RS (+24) Andy 7: ABST DNT (+44) Lucky pickup for Andy, and he plays the only bonus. Awkward rack for Andy. BANNS is the highest score by some way. It uses up the S and PRESTIGE i8d 63 223 keeps duplicate Ts but there are few options and with the blank unseen using four tiles is attractive. An interesting alternative is DEBT at h10a. It blocks the WEX(E) opening, for Mark 5: LNRX QW? (-87) which Andy does not have an E, creates another S hook, and leaves the attractive ANST. Mark is 87 behind but has a powerful rack. The choice is between REWaX at a15a for 66 On the other hand it leaves Mark a floating T and scores a whopping 18 points fewer burning the blank, or WEX in the same place for 39 keeping it. There’s also WRaXLE at than BANNS. With the lead, I would be inclined to take the points. d15a for 57, also using the blank. Given the deficit, Mark opts to sacrifice the points and BANNS 6b 31 277 keep the blank in the hope of adding a bonus to his score here. Simulation indicates REWaX is some ten points better than WEX, but the fact that Mark is behind in the game is Mark 7: DLNR? HI (-75) in favour of WEX. Difficult decision. Glad it was Mark’s and not mine! Mark gets a break and can take full advantage of the TWS at a15 whilst retaining his blank. WEX h15a 39 175 HIND is the top score and nothing comes close. Mark now has Andy in his sights score- wise with a very promising leave. His heart was probably pounding as he reached for the Andy 6: ABFOSTU (+48) bag at this point... abcdefg hij klmno D HIND a15a 47 249 1 V 2 ZOA Andy 8: DTT DELP (+28) 3 EFT A poor pickup for Andy and precious few options now to protect his slender lead. 4 GI Playing through the E or S of PRESTIGE (PETTLED, STEDD) opens the board up Score: Andy 223 5 ON unnecessarily. This leaves PUTTED for 11 at a7d leaving DL, DELTA at c2d for 12 leaving Mark 175 6 N DPT or DUPLET for 9 at a7d keeping DT. PUTTED and DUPLET use the most letters and 7 D therefore give the best shot at the blank, as well as hastening the end of the game. 8 EBOP Neither are particularly attractive and Andy picks PUTTED, praying that Mark doesn’t 9 WA L T Y R have a bonus. 10 AE ABFOSTU PUTTED a7d 11 288 KY S 11 Mark 8: LR? EEEG (-39) 12 UT Andy D 13 HEJRA I abcdefg hij klmno 14 G 1 V 15 WE X 2 ZOA 3 EFT Another tricky situation for Andy. Again, with the lead he has he ideally wants to close the 4 GI board down but it is not easy. The WEX(E) hook cannot be blocked without severely Score: Mark 249 ON sacrificing points and rack leave. Accordingly, he opts to keep his score ticking over and 5 Andy 288 his rack bonus-friendly in the hope of moving further ahead. There are more points 6 BANNS available with moves like BOUNS and FAUNS at b6a but Andy chooses to keep the S by 7 P D playing UFO, probably mindful of the possibility of BOP(S) later. 8 UFO E BOP UFO a8a 23 246 9 TWALTYR EEEGLR? TAE Mark 6: LNQR? DI (-71) 10 11 EKYS Mark QI at b14a is the only move that gets rid of the Q and scores well. With only two I’s played DU T Mark won’t like opening up the TWS at a15, but he is behind and has no choice. With 12 scores level, he might have considered QUIN or QUID at a7a, but these score little and he 13 HEJRA I might need that floating U for a bonus. Keeping DLNR?, he desperately needs a vowel 14 QI G pickup. 15 HIND WEX QI b14a 27 202

28 29 Crunch time. Mark has a 39-point deficit, no bonus to play but a promising rack. His next Andy 11: CDIILRS (-77) move could easily decide the game. The choice is essentially between: Andy is sunk. His only hope is to play off a few tiles in such a way as to leave a shot at a * Taking a decent score with a move like GERLE, GREE or GLEE to make WEXE (scoring rack which gives bonuses from both o1d and j1d, the only bonus lanes left on the board. 26, 21 and 21 respectively), keeping E? and possibly an L or R; Even this may not allow him to score enough. No such rack exists with the unseen tiles, * Making an opening with GEL at i14a for 17, keeping EEGR?; and in any case to find such a combination under time pressure in the NSC final would take superhuman powers! * Leaving the WEX(E) opening unchanged with TEE at f9d for 18 with a reasonable leave of EGLR?. ICED l12a 18 351 D Mark agonises over this move for some time and runs his clock down to only six minutes Both players now have less than a minute on the clock, and the game concludes. Mark before deciding on GEL. Simulation indicates that GERLE is the best move, with TEE two misses an opportunity for a two move out-play - can you spot it (see page 35)? points behind and GREE, GEL and GLEE a further two points behind that. Mark 12: ACEEIOO (+59) GEL i14a 17 266 abcdefg hij klmno D 1 VULVAS Andy 9: D L AALUV (+22) 2 ZOA E Yet another miserable rack for Andy, although he has clung on to his lead and is now 22 3 EFT D ahead. Given Mark’s last move he will have a strong suspicion that Mark holds the blank. 4 GI AG VASAL for 16 at g11a blocks the opening created by GEL, as well as taking out the E, S and 5 ON D I Score: Mark 410 T floaters of PRESTIGE. VULVA for 12 at h1a uses up the awkward U as well as the V, but 6 BANNS ME Andy 351 creates E, L, R and S hooks of its own and, given that Mark probably holds the blank, leaves P D ARM a fair chance of a bonus next go. VULVAL in the same spot for 13 removes the possibility 7 of the hooks. Both these moves take out the BOP(S) spot, but with Mark’s GEL opening, this 8 UFO E BOP N I is largely academic. 9 TWALTYR N TAE U A fiendishly difficult choice for Andy with no clear best move. On balance my decision 10 ACEE I OO would be to play VASAL, to take out the GEL opening and achieve a reasonable score. 11 EKYS T Mark Andy’s play of VULVA actually simulates best, although the simulation cannot take into 12 D U T I CED account the fact that we can infer from Mark’s last move that he probably holds the 13 HEJRA I R blank. 14 QI GEL VULVA h1a 12 300 15 HIND WEX

Mark 9: EIRS? EG (-34) OE o8d 14 424 Five bonuses from m1 net the top score of 78 (How many can you see? See page 35). Andy 13: ILOORRS (-73) Mark’s choice is as good as any and there is nothing to be gained from sacrificing points ROO n2d 15 366 to play from h4 or down the L column. Mark 13: ACEIO (+58) SEdGIER m1d 78 344 DECO o12d 23 447 Andy 10: ADL AMNR (-44) Andy 14: ILRS (-81) I instantly thought of LARDMAN* at this point, but there is nowhere to play this non-word LEIRS h10a 7 373 in any case. ADMAN at l4d scores seven points more than the next highest-scoring alternative ALMA, in the same position. It keeps LR compared to ALMA’s DNR and Andy Final score: Mark 445 Andy 375 goes for it to take his score to within 11 of Mark. Summary: ADMAN l4d 33 333 A cracker of a game between two fine competitors played before a sizeable audience at the Mark 10: EIMNRTU (+11) venue and to many more fans around the world live on the internet. Both players kept up A fortuitous pickup by Mark and the game looks over. He plays the only bonus. an astonishing standard under such pressure. Mark’s win took him 2-0 in the best of five MINUTER n7d 66 410 final, but there was plenty of Scrabble still to come!

30 31 ER

Moves to be proud of 3. Played by Chris Hawkins on the Internet Scrabble Club Here’s another selection of star plays submitted by ABSP members. Can you spot the moves abcdefg hij klmno played? Have you come up with anything to rival these moments of brilliance? If so, do 1 E NDAR TED send in details! I need the board position, your rack, the score, and details of when and 2 E where the game took place. A 3 Score: Chris 194 1. Played by Stewart Holden. Club game, December 2004 4 D Opponent 313 abcdefg hij klmno 5 QI 1 6 HIN 2 7 G 3 8 DEPOS I T A 4 9 EINRRTV 5 Score: Stewart 236 10 U 6 JILL Opponent 163 11 R Chris 7 GOAF A 12 XI 8 TGLUEYT 13 UN 9 HAC 14 E 10 ASTEROI D H BEORTUV 15 CHANGERS 11 NROM Stewart 12 KVIEWY 13 SZ 14 EX Vocabulary v Strategy 15 SI There has been a recent discussion on the UK-Scrabble mailing list about the 5-point penalty challenge. No, please don’t stop reading! I’m not going to mention it again, except 2. Played by Andrew Fisher. Kings Cup, Thailand, 2004 to say that the discussion evolved into a second topic – whether good strategy can abcdefg hij klmno overcome good vocabulary. Obviously the ideal is to combine perfect strategy with total 1 A ICIER E knowledge of the dictionary, but as far as I know no-one can claim to have reached this 2 DA stratospheric level. 3 HM WA F T UR E My own opinion is that if you know the right words – twos, threes, a good selection of fours Score: Andrew 315 4 OO G P and their hooks, JQXZ words, and high-probability sevens and eights – then if you Opponent 198 5 GIRON E U always played the best move you’d be more than a match for most players. However I 6 OI YAH AMUS thought it would be interesting to do some analysis to see whether it threw any additional 7 R Q I POTTO light on this subjective view. 8 YNEEDIE R People who know me well will be aware that I analyse every move from all of my games, 9 XBI so I have the raw material available to find out what types of mistakes are the most costly, at least for me. Based on the 82 rated games I played in 2004, on average I made mistakes 10 AA ACGNST? that cost me 68 points per game. So how were these 68 points made up? Here’s the 11 L Andrew breakdown: 12 JEEL Known non-bonus plays 19 27% 13 OS 14 B Unknown bonuses missed 11 16% 15 E Phonies 11 16% Pre-endgame 7 11%

32 33 Unknown non-bonus plays 6 9% Known bonuses missed 5 7% Endgame 5 7% Suboptimal bonuses 4 5% X 8 tras So what does this tell us? If I’m in any way typical, then the biggest thing one can do to improve one’s game is to spot the best move involving words that one is 100% certain of. No 16 from Christina French (In the table above, ‘unknown’ includes words that are vaguely familiar but that I wasn’t confident enough to play.) If you include the ‘known’ bonus words not spotted, plus the late game errors, I’d guess that around 50% of my errors involve failing to spot plays using Little Innocents words I know. Am I typical? Probably not, in that I have a bigger vocabulary than most players. But it’s interesting to see how many ‘normal’ words are played in a game between Well done to Stewart Holden, Robert Richland, top players – and by ‘normal’ I include all two letter words and most three-letter words, Margaret Harkness, and Mabel Choularton for which all tournament Scrabble players should know. Take a look at the annotated game in spotting our Membership Secretary, Viv Beckmann this issue - how many of the words played are unfamiliar to you? Not more than four of five posing for a childhood photo. I suspect – which means that for most moves you are capable of playing as well as Mark Nyman and Andy Cook! Of course learning the basic Scrabble vocabulary is essential; Margaret and Robert also deduced our couple without that you’ll consistently miss out on parallel plays and potential hooks. were Mike and Nuala O’Rourke One thing that’s missing from this data is the number of moves in each category; in terms of which errors are most expensive, playing phonies comes first (an average loss of 36 points each time), followed by missed bonuses (average loss of 35). Endgame and pre- endgame errors can also be very costly. I shall leave you to draw your own conclusions, but here are a few things to think about: • If you’re not sure of a word, don’t play it – phonies are very expensive. From my side of the desk this little cutie is • Don’t get fazed if your opponent keeps playing words that you don’t know – if you play quite recognisable – but can you well within your own vocabulary, you’ve got every chance of winning. Guess Who from where you are sitting? • If you spot a bonus, don’t run down your clock looking for a better one. The number of points lost by playing suboptimal bonuses is usually quite insignificant. • Try to leave time on your clock for the latter stages of the game; errors late on will A familiar couple here – she was usually be more expensive than errors in the early stages. obviously upset because she had not met her sweetheart yet! Solutions Annotated game: • Playable bonuses: EMIGRES, LEIGERS, LIEGERS, SEDGIER, SIEGERS • Out in two: LOOIE at j1d for 7, leaving ACE. The best Andy can do is play ROOS at n2d for 21, after which Mark can play out with CECA at m12d for 20. Moves to be proud of: 1. Stewart played OBTRUSIVE at d15a for 98. (His next move was PAROQUET for 88!) 2. Andrew played CAATiNGAS at b10a for 69. No 7- or 8-letter words are playable. 3. Chris played INTERCHANGERS at b15a for 20. Undoubtedly there are ‘better’ plays, but how often do you get the chance to play a 13-letter word??

34 35 The Numbers Game Super Scrabble from James Wilkie Robert Richland recently showed off one of his recent purchases to participants at the Stoke Rochford Tournament. Says Robert: Can any of you statisticians out there who keep records of all your games match the “I’ve just acquired a Super Scrabble set from the USA . . . with 200 tiles and a 441 square tale of coincidences below? (21 x 21) grid. It’s actually the normal 15 x 15 board in the centre, but then extended I thought readers of TLW may find my tournament stats for the Stoke Rochford outwards at each side. December event interesting reading: Playing with it you can find even juicier scoring spots in the outer region . . . easier 4-timer, On Day 1, I won 4 out of 6 6-timer and 9-timer opportunities plus 12-timer opportunities with the introduction (in each On Day 2, I won 4 out of 6 corner) of quadruple-word squares (as well as a peppering of quadruple-letter squares). My total points average on Day 1 created any average game score of 403 However, when I checked the letter distribution I found it rather baffling. There are roughly Games 7 and 11 were won with my winning scores being 403. twice as many of each letter as in the normal set, but with some curious exceptions... Games 7 and 11 both had 2 100+ bonuses which were played on move 6 of each game. Each word yielded a score of 102 points. A–16, E–24, I–13, O–15, U–7 more Os than Is !!! I finished 3rd overall in Division D and you will never guess where I was seeded to D–8, G–5, L–7, N–13, R–13, S–10, T–15, more Ds than Ls . . . !!! finish – yes 3rd! B–4, C–6, F–4, H–5, M–6, P–4, V–3, W–4, Y –4 As many Hs as the Gs !!! J–2, K–2, Q–2, X–2, Z–2, blank - 4 Working in the Xtras office does have some advantages. I get the odd freebie and one which My argument against this new distribution is that it changes the probabilities of several came my way just recently was a copy of Andy Becher’s book of poems (some of which are bonus words. not for the faint hearted) The Day My House Went Mad. A little taster for you all... I sent an email to Winning Moves (the company who manufacture the game with Hasbro’s Goodbye, Mr Bond: permission) requesting an explanation for the shift in distribution, but they have yet to reply. I chose to disregard their distribution altogether and play a trial game using two sets of The commander? Then one morning Jackie found normal tiles. With far more possibilities to consider (and the board much more difficult to Oh yes, we were all Mr Blofeld’s cat in the pond. block!) I would suggest 60 minutes per player (rather than 50). very fond of Mr Bond. For the record, I beat my opponent 1035 - 893 (28 moves each) . . . there were nine Those dry ripostes, the twinkling eyes. Towards the end he seemed to lose bonuses on the board.” My nurses knew his roving hands. the will to live, or rather that he’d lived too He sat right there – the tartan rug long. - his cocoa (which he never stirred) shaking in his ‘Grandad’ mug. He’d sit for hours and not respond. Scrabble Love The ladies loved it when he donned The ladies complained how in Scrabble Posted by Louis Berney recently on the American cgp email list, a passage from a short his silken dressing gown games he’d dwell upon his silent rack story that appeared in the November 8th issue of The New Yorker: and regaled them with his famous tales and play one letter at a time – a Q, an M Now and then he came back into focus, leaned over and put his arm around Lidia, of femmes fatales and foreign lands; - and stare with index finger raised, diamonds, men with golden guns, gondolas as though it were a magic wand and instructed her, for example, to tell his friends about the word she’d played in that sprouted wings! that could make the darkness come. Scrabble the other night for eighty-seven points. Lidia lowered her eyes to her napkin. I’m afraid in the end it went beyond a joke. The word, she said, was "plenary" – not even that great a word. But Ron insisted that I mean, the wheelchair races His last words? ‘A blonde, A blonde! he had never seen this word before, that her vocabulary was much larger than his, across the lawn, the exploding fountain pen, My bedpan for a blonde!’. and, absurdly, that he had never in his life scored eight-seven points in one Scrabble then trying to abscond at dawn (with Dawn), Oh yes, we were all play. "I’m happy," he said simply, his body angled toward the restaurant front door. the anaconda in the bath. very fond of Mr Bond. "I feel like I could be content to play Scrabble with Lidia for the rest of my life. Unfortunately, although Andy ia a member of both the ABSP and the East Berks S.C. the Louis added, “Before any of you begin to speculate that the moral of this story is that above poem is the only one with any reference to Scrabble. Scrabble can lead to a lifetime of blissful romance, Ron - a philosophy professor at the New School in New York - abandons Lidia within six months, despite her Scrabble prowess.” If you would like to know more about Andy’s poetry you can email him on [email protected] To which someone else remarked, “... or because of it.”

36 37 Lost For Words What a pedigree! (Extracts from comments posted on uk-scrabble about Josh Whitehead’s TV documentary) Mike O’Rourke: Yawn, groan - why did we stay up? Because it was a superb programme - extremely We welcome Lucy Simpson well put together, very amusing, very human. A cameo of 4 “ordinary” people made extraordinary. Although I know Mark Nyman, Wayne Kelly, Geoff Coper and Chrystal Rose as Scrabblers I can’t say Born 4.14pm 9th December 2004 I know them particularly well. Having watched the film, I feel I know all 4 people better which is Weight: 6lb 2.5oz interesting in itself. ...Well done Josh - you have put us on the map and portrayed us as normal people Mother: Joanne Hiley (Member 00793) Denise Saxton not as eccentrics in anoraks. Father: Evan Simpson (Member 00021) Pete Finley: ...Watching it was a bit like trainspotting at times. “There’s Sandie”, “There’s Dweeb”, “There’s Dot,” “There’s Allan” etc. Grandmother: Denise Saxton (Member 00972) Raymond Tate : ...I thought it was an excellent positive piece about our glorious game, showing that the game is played by ordinary people (OK, I concede Chrystal isn’t exactly your average Jill) from all walks of life who have discovered an unbounded enthusiasm for a particular hobby. ...However, would it encourage people to play Scrabble? If a non-Scrabbler stayed up to watch it I’d say yes but I’m sure it would have more impact if Josh can use any influence he has to get it repeated at a more reasonable hour. I’ll be showing it to my non-Scrabble playing friends & family to try to get them interested. Graeme Thomas: My idiot Sibling watched the program last night, and felt that it wouldn’t do much for the neutrals. (He’s not one of those, though, so perhaps he’s biased the other way.) He said that, perhaps, interviews with more players who are lower-ranked but comfortable in that position would have attracted more people. I enjoyed it, particularly playing “Spot the Scrabbler”. Wayne Kelly: ...On the whole I am OK with it - it was certainly very well made, and did not make a mockery of the game, or its players. But I still cringe at some of my on-screen moments, and I don’t just mean the karaoke. Stewart Holden: I think the film would be very watchable for a non-tournament player, it gives a nice insight into our world and does explain some of the obsessional nature of the game. I’m less sure of the documentary’s ability to persuade people to start playing, but it’s a good publicity vehicle for the existence of the competitive Scrabble scene and it may contribute over a longer period of time to bringing new people into the game... We saw four young-ish stars and then shots of row after row of middle-aged ladies (or older) which may make the viewer think the documentary is trying to present Evan Simpson = Joanne Hiley a false impression of who really goes to Scrabble tournaments. ...The film was both humorous and serious in the right places and the positive reaction of the packed audience at the Sheffield preview was wonderful to hear. The graphics were a nice touch, the music was well chosen and the pace was relentless for the whole 50 minutes. Jackie McLeod:...I am delighted that Josh featured Chrystal, to help combat the oft repeated journalists’ view that “Scrabble is not sexy”. Phil Appleby: Congratulations to Josh for putting together an interesting, entertaining, beautifully crafted, and affectionate film. Yet at the end I felt strangely sad and disappointed, and I’m trying to work out why. Perhaps I wanted the film to be something different, something that I could show to my friends with pride and say: “Look, this is what I do when I’m not helping IBM make lots of money” - but having watched it I think I’ll keep it to myself. Josh Whitehead:... I could have made a promotional video for the ABSP and the Masters event. However I was commissioned to make a documentary by Channel 4, for television. There’s a huge difference. There was a certain amount of artistic license in the film. However I think I portrayed the four people involved quite fairly....I think Scrabble will be on tv much more in the future and more people will be drawn to the game. Watch this space. Graeme Virtue (www.sundayherald.com):...Although it was screened as part of Channel 4’s late-night Lucy Simpson Outside strand, Lost For Words could easily have gone out at prime-time (or, considering the subject matter, before Countdown).

38 39 Turn 5 James is playing well-- using average words but hooking them onto what’s already on SSppootttteedd oonn tthhee WWeebb the board, and making good use of the premium squares. I also haven’t been making At columbiaspectator.com him drink, since I’ve been saving my good tiles for a big play. Finally it happens: THINNEST, up to a triple-word score for 87 points and a whole lot o’ drinkin’ for Jim. Scrabble With a Nuanced Twist But then he plays JAM for a triple himself (47 points), and it takes a while to figure out just how much we each have to imbibe. The game deteriorates immediately. by Nick Summers October 22, 2004 Turn 8 No one has any idea what the beer count is. I turn over the arithmetic to James. We’re I FIRST LEARNED about the history of Scrabble from the excellent 2002 book Word playing well-- XI, OGLER, WIRIER-- but almost completely abandoning defense, and Freak, the story of a Wall Street Journal sports writer who took a year off to play the only James is making intelligent use of the tiles already on the board. game competitively. The book describes how Alfred Butts meticulously invented the details of Scrabble, counting letters on the front page of The New York Times to get an Turn 10 accurate alphabet distribution, agonizing over blank tiles, arranging bonus squares I stop taking notes. The last thing I write down is that deciding on TOMES is "endlessly just so. agonizing." You come away with the impression that the game is perfect-- incapable of Turn 11 improvement. But I’ve never had great respect for the status quo, so on Wednesday Complete chaos. I play IF. James plays PAT. night I set out to add to Scrabble a little je ne sais quoi, which is French for "alcohol." Turn 13 Drinking Scrabble is just like regular Scrabble, except it gets harder to play well as the With James up by a lot, I need a big play. I stare at my tiles: QOOIRA and a blank. game goes on, so your turns devolve from OXIDIZE and ZEPHYR to RAT. My friend None of the triple-letter squares are open, but I need at least 30 points to get back in James, aka The Spectator’s real editor, accepted my challenge. We’d played once the game. Letter by letter I study my options, and then I maturely reach for the board before, a total barn-burner that he took, 376-312, on the strength of a single seven- and throw it across the room. Final recorded score: James 305, Nick 239. I checked letter play. We’re both serious Scrabble nerds--the board was dense with obnoxious our math yesterday, and it’s not even close to being correct. two-letter plays like XI and NE. The tactics Wednesday night were, uh, not so nuanced. Part of the problem was that Epilogue we started the game at 1:30 in the morning, after Game 7 of Yanks v Sox, so even It’s safe to call Drinking Scrabble the single worst idea I have ever had. I can think of going in we weren’t the picture of sobriety. We hammered out the rules – take the nothing redeeming about the experience. I don’t think I’ve been this upset about the other guy’s score for each turn, halve it, and drink that many sips of beer. Bingos and game since the time my mom challenged SPAGHETTO off the board and I didn’t speak triple-word scores were worth a shot each. Our friends left to go out to the bar like to her for two days. normal people, and we sat down for a game that would make Alfred Butts spin, like Alfred Butts knew what he was doing. Next week: games you can play in church. my deluxe rotating board, in his grave.

Turn 1 and finally... the very last thing to plop onto my editorial doormat (dont forget, hereafter the editorial doormat is behind Elisabeth Jardine’s I open with WILT. James doesn’t take long to lay down ALE on top of that, to make front door). AW, LI, and EL vertically. It’s 14-14. We take seven sips each; no big deal. Kathryn Le Grove of the Turn 3 Portsmouth & Southsea S.C. Yahtzee! Using the T in WILT, I play THINGIES all the way down the center of the has happily informed me board to the triple-word score, using my blank tile for the G. This, I learn, is where that from now on she will be competing under the name of Kathryn Drinking Scrabble starts to break down. Just like drinking at parties makes everything Henry after marrying her fiancé Steven at seem like a really good idea ("Let’s go into Riverside Park at 4 a.m. and scale a rusty Fareham Register Office on January 15. Our metal fence to play a game of Horse!" or "She’s kind of attractive!"), Drinking Scrabble good wishes to you both and to the two makes lots of words seem like great plays. James knows right away THINGIES isn’t a prospective runners. real word and challenges it off the board.

40 41 Scottish Masters (9 games) (Invitation only) Contact Neil Scott FFOORRTTHHCCOOMMIINNGG EEVVEENNTTSS 19th-20th February 01224 639291 New Malden (6 games) 4 Divisions Compiled by Paul Cartman Entry costs: £12.00 for ABSP member Saturday 19th February 2005 £14.00 For non-ABSP member Contact: Shirley Cave Deduct 50p if bringing a clock Each tournament approved for rating will get a listing including: date, number of games 020 8540 8469 which you are willing to lend and contact details. For one day tournaments, further details will be given as regards Venue: Christ Church Centre, Coombe Tea, Coffee and biscuits will be provided pricing, start times etc, to allow members to utilise the generic entry form. Note that Road, New Malden , KT3 4RE Cheques payable to S I Cave, 14 Linden some organisers have indicated that rated tournaments will occur on particular dates, Registration: 9.15 Gate, 9 Church Walk, Raynes Park, First game: 10:00 Departure: 17.45 but that full details are not yet available. These tournaments are included for London, SW20 9DL completeness and once details are known, they will be published as appropriate. Leicester (6 games) Tea/Coffee available on arrival and after the This symbol denotes that the tournament organiser has let it be known that Saturday 26th February fourth game. the venue is disabled friendly. The absence of a symbol does not mean that Contact Marjorie Smith Entry costs: £10.50 to ABSP member disabled access is not possible, and in these circumstances the prospective 01162 551176 £12.50 to non-ABSP member entrant should check with the organisers Venue The Church of the Blessed Deduct 50p if willing to bring Note to Entrants Sacrament, Gooding Avenue, and loan a timer These rules apply to all tournaments Leicester Cheques payable to Leicester West End Scrabble Club MP event and sent to: The entry cost of all rated tournaments includes the ratings levy Registration 9:30 First game 10:15 Departure 17:30 Marjorie Smith, 9 Brazil Street, Leicester, Positions are determined on win and spread unless otherwise stated 3 Divisional tournament LE2 7JA Smoking is not permitted in the playing area(s) You will normally be placed in a division equivalent to your rating or ability. You Ramada Jarvis Hotel, Bingley Contact Viv Beckmann may request to enter a higher division but the Tournament Organiser reserves the 4th-7th March 0191-273-1705 right to reject your request. Entries are at the sole discretion of the Tournament Organiser. Swindon (6 games) Tea/Coffee available throughout the day, You must always include a SAE with your entry for application. Sunday 13th March finger buffet provided for lunch. Please arrive on time Contact: Steve Perry Entry costs: £13.00 For ABSP members 01367-244757 £15.00 For non-ABSP members Venue: Nationwide Building Society Deduct 50p if bringing timer Andover (6 games) Registration 09:00 Head Office, Swindon, Wiltshire and are willing to lend it 5th GRAND HAMPSHIRE OPEN First game 10:00 Departure 18.00 Proceeds to Prospect House Hospice Cheques payable to Highworth Scrabble SCRABBLE CHAMPIONSHIP (competitive) Entry Cost £17 for ABSP members Registration: Before 10.00 Club Tournament a/c and sent to: Incorporating playing in the competitive First game: 10:20 Steve Perry, 29 Elm Road, Faringdon, 5th ANNUAL TEST VALLEY SCRABBLE section 5/6 divisional tournament. Oxfordshire, SN7 7EJ CHAMPIONSHIP (recreational 5 or 6 £19 for non-ABSP members Deduct 50p if bringing a timer Lothian (5 games) games depending on demand) Tea/Coffee available throughout the day £9 for the recreational section Sunday 13th February 2005 Saturday 19th March and hot soup at lunchtime Hot lunch will be provided as will Contact Alan Bailey Contact Alan Sinclair Lunch is NOT provided. Tea/Coffee in breaks 023 9238 4360 0131-669-7316 ntry costs: £7.50 to ABSP member Cheques payable to Andover and District In emergency on the day Venue Liberton Kirk Halls, £9.50 to non-ABSP member Scrabble Club and sent to: 07763 894738 30 Kirkgate, Edinburgh Cheques payable to Alan Sinclair, 19 Alan Bailey, 84 East Lodge Park, Farlington, Venue John Hanson School, Floral Registration 10.15 Duddingston Avenue, Edinburgh, EH15 1SJ Way, Andover.. SP10 3PB Portsmouth, P06 1AQ First game: 11.00 Departure 17:30

42 43 Tea/Coffee available at points during the East Sussex (6 games) Tea/Coffee available at points during the Brentwood (6 games) day but lunch is not provided. Saturday 19th March 2005 day but lunch is not provided. Saturday 16th April Entry costs: £11.50 for ABSP member Contact Ed Breed Entry costs: £11.50 For ABSP members Contact Cindy Hollyer £13.50 for non-ABSP member £13.50 For non-ABSP members 01424 219334 01277-822050 Deduct 50p if bringing clock Deduct 50p if bringing timer Venue Hailsham Community Hall, Venue Kelvedon Hatch Village Hall, and are prepared to lend it Cheques payable to East Sussex Scrabble Vicarage Lane, Hailsham School Road, Kelvedon Hatch, Cheques payable to Brentwood Scrabble Tournament and sent to Ed Breed, 19 Registration 09:00 Brentwood, Essex Group and sent to: Magdalen Road, Bexhill-on-Sea, East Entries not accepted after 09.45 Registration 09:30 Cindy Hollyer, 78 Peartree Lane, Sussex. TN40 1SB 2/3 divisional tournament. First game 10:15 Departure 18:00 Doddinghurst, Brentwood, Essex, CM15 0RH

Exeter ISCA Event (6 games) Contact Ronnie Reid Welsh Masters (Invitation only) Contact Shane O’Neil Friday 25th-Saturday 26th March 01256 354604 23rd-24th April 07976 905484

Exeter Easter Event (19 games) Contact Ronnie Reid Newcastle (5 games) 2/3 Divisional depending on entries 01256 354604 Refreshments available most of the day, Saturday 26th-Monday 28th March Saturday 23rd April food facility expected to be open at the Contact: Michael Murray Tea/Coffee available at points during the venue Southend-on-Sea (6 games) 0191 2412521 day but lunch is not provided. Entry costs: £10.50 for ABSP member Saturday 2nd April Emergency No. on day Entry costs: £12.50 For ABSP members £12.50 for non-ABSP member Contact: Evelyn Wallace 0191 267 4242 £14.50 For non-ABSP members Deduct 50p if bringing a timer, which you 01702-302569 Venue: West Denton Community Deduct 50p if bringing timer are prepared to lend Venue: The Civic Centre, Victoria Ave, Association, Hillhead Road, Cheques payable to Southend-on-Sea Cheques payable to Rona Falconer, 18 Southend-on-Sea, Essex Newcastle-upon-Tyne Scrabble Club and sent to Nuns Moor Crescent, Fenham, Newcastle- Registration 09:30 Registration: 09.45 Evelyn Wallace, 2 Shakespeare Avenue, upon-Tyne, NE4 9BE First game 10:00 First game: 10:15 Departure: 18.00 4 divisional tournament. Westcliff on Sea, Essex, SS0 0ST Closing Date for entries 9th April

Southampton (6 games) 4 Divisional tournament Best Western, Worthing Contact Viv Beckmann Sunday 10th April Tea and coffee will be available during 29th April – 3rd May 0191-273-1705 Contact Alan Bailey some breaks and before start 023 9238 4360 Entry costs: £12.50 for ABSP member Entry costs: £12.00 for ABSP member Venue Waterside Theatre , Long £14.50 For non-ABSP member Newport (6 games) £14.00 for non ABSP member Lane, Holbury, SO45 2PA Deduct 50p if bringing timer Saturday 7th May Deduct 50p if bringing a Emergency no on day Cheques payable to Southampton Scrabble Contact Terry Jones timer, which you are prepared Club and sent to: 07763 894738 01633-775313 to lend Alan Bailey, 84 East Lodge Park, Farlington, Registration 09:25 – 09.55 Venue Cwmbran Stadium, Cwmbran, Lunch will be provided as will both tea and Portsmouth, P06 1AQ First game 10:00 Departure 17:50 Gwent coffee at intervals during the day Registration 09:30 Cheques payable to Newport Scrabble Club Durham Event (10 games) Contact Laura Finley First game 10:15 and sent to Terry Jones, 5 Arlington Close, Sat. 16th – Sun 17th April 0191-565-4079 No of divisions dependant upon entries Newport, South Wales, NP20 6QF (venue can accommodate 100 players) Enclose sae for directions Don’t forget to enclose a stamped self-addressed MSO Cambridge Details to be announced envelope when making entry applications Sunday 8th May

44 45 Bourne (6 games) Tea/Coffee available on all day Peterlee Matchplay (5 games) Tea/Coffee available at points during the Sunday 9th May Entry costs: £12.00 for ABSP member Sunday 12th June day but lunch is not provided. Contact Betty Benton £14.00 for non ABSP member Contact Samantha Beckwith Entry costs: £9.50 for ABSP member 01778 425234 Deduct 50p if bringing a timer 0191-586-6436 £11.50 for non ABSP member Venue Bourne Corn Exchange Cheques payable to Bourne and district Venue The White House Community Deduct 50p if bringing clock Registration 09.15 Scrabble Club and sent to: Centre, Eden Lane, Peterlee, Co Durham which you are prepared to lend First game 10:00 Departure 18.00 Betty Benton, Walnut Farm, Twenty, Registration 10:00 Closing date for entries 29th May 2005 2/3 divisional tournament of up to 96 Bourne, Lincs, PE10 0BH First game 10:30 Departure 17:00 Cheques payable to Samantha Beckwith, players Closing Date for entries 23rd April 2005 2/3 divisional tournament depending on 91 Hatfield Place, Peterlee, Co. Durham, entries SR8 5SU Bournemouth (6 games) Registration: 09:30 First game: 10:10 Departure: 17.30 Sunday 8th May Ramada Jarvis, Caledonian Hotel Ayr Contact Viv Beckmann Contact: Ruth Marsden Tea/Coffee available throughout the day 24th – 27th June 0191-273-1705 01202 707148 Entry costs: £12.50 for ABSP member Emergency on day only £14.50 for non ABSP member Germanica Contact Viv Karl Khoshnaw 07720 949 825 Cheques payable to Bournemouth Scrabble 1st – 3rd July 0049 5541 954794 Venue: Rooper Hall, 5 Victoria Park Tournament and sent to Ruth Marsden, 27 Road, Moordown, Spencer Road, Canford Cliffs, Poole, New Malden (6 games) 4 Divisions Bournemouth BH13 7ET Entry costs: £12.00 for ABSP member Saturday 9th July 2005 Lothersdale Hotel, Morecambe Contact Viv Beckmann £14.00 for non ABSP member Contact: Shirley Cave Deduct 50p if bringing a timer 13th – 16th May 0191-273-1705 020 8540 8469 which you are willing to lend Venue: Christ Church Centre, Coombe Tea, Coffee and biscuits will be provided Melton Mowbray (6 games) Tea/Coffee available on arrival and after Road, New Malden , KT3 4RE Contact: Maureen Rayson game 4. Cheques payable to S I Cave, 14 Linden Registration: 9.15 Gate, 9 Church Walk, Raynes Park, 01664 563330 Entry costs: £10.00 for ABSP member First game: 10:00 Departure: 17.45 Venue: Council Offices, Nottingham £12.00 for non ABSP member London, SW20 9DL Deduct 50p if bringing a timer Road, Melton Mowbray, Leics. Summer Matchplay Charity event in support of the Mayor’s Cheques payable to Melton Mowbray 9th-10th July Details to be announced Appeal Scrabble Club, and sent to Maureen Registration: 10:00 Rayson, 57 Highfield Avenue, Melton Contact Viv Beckmann First game: 10:30 Mowbray, Leics. LE13 0NQ Cairn Hotel, Harrogate 0191-273-1705 2 divisional tournament. Closing date for entries 21st May 2004 22nd - 25th July Brighton & Hove (6 games) Tea/Coffee available at points during the Lincoln (6 games) Tea/Coffee available on arrival, at lunchtime and after fourth game Sunday 12th June 2005 day but lunch is not provided. Saturday 23rd July Contact: Jim Lyes Entry costs: £12.50 for ABSP member Entry costs: £10.50 for ABSP member Contact Teresa Hill £12.50 for non-ABSP member 01273 813006 £14.50 for non ABSP member 01427-838741 Deduct 50p if bringing a timer Venue: Southwich Community Centre, Deduct 50p if bringing clock Venue Bracebridge Community Southwick, City of Brighton & which you are prepared to lend Cheques payable to Lincoln Scrabble Club Centre, Newark Road/Maple Street, Lincoln and sent to Teresa Hill, Granville, Hove, West Sussex, BN42 4TE Cheques payable to Brighton & Hove Registration 10:00 Registration: 09:30 Scrabble Club, Jim Lyes, 4 Delves Close, Heapham, Nr Gainsborough, Lincs, DN21 First game 10:30 Departure 17:30 5PT First game: 10:15 Departure: 18.00 Ringmer, Lewes, BN8 5JW 2/3 divisional tournament. Divisions according to entries Closing date for entries 5th June Closing date for entries 12th July 2005 Best Western, Bridgend Contact Viv Beckmann Nottingham Nomads (16 games) Contact Clive Spate 10th – 13th June 0191-273-1705 Saturday 6th – Sunday7th August 0115-920-0208

46 47 Norwich (6 games) 3 divisional tournament. Answers to Edgeways XXVI Tea/Coffee and homemade cakes provided Sunday 18th September (but not lunch) Meet My Twin Contact: Carol Smith Entry costs: £10.00 for ABSP member EXPANDS SMOKILY REPTILE FERTILE 01603 898791 £12.00 for non ABSP member TADPOLE DOORMEN BONDAGE ADMIRAL Venue: Hethersett Village Hall, No further discounts MADNESS SANDERS COOLEST PINCHES Hethersett, Norwich, Norfolk Cheques payable to Carol Smith, GARBLED DAMPISH GYMNAST UNBUILT Registration 09.30 31Christine Road, Spixworth, Norwich, BOOZERS ECONOMY GLIMPSE MATURES First game: 10:15 Departure: 18.00 NR10 3PH Middlesbrough (5 games) Lunch is not provided. The 5-Minute Anagram Test Sunday 25th September Entry costs: £9.50 for ABSP member A. EARDRUM EMERALD TOEHOLD LETTUCE MACHINE Contact Samantha Beckwith £11.50 for non ABSP member LIBRARY SCRATCH BUREAUS DESKTOP NOBLEST 0191-5866436 Deduct 50p if bringing clock B. REFRAIN PATIENT CRYSTAL WEDLOCK WEIRDLY Venue Linthorpe Community Centre, which you are prepared to lend SURGERY SPLODGE FORERAN AGELONG PERSONA Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough Closing Date for entries 11th September C. FELSPAR BIOGENS SAVEYED MYRTLES DERRICK Registration 10:00 Cheques payable to Cleveland Scrabble Club DOGSLED MYRIADS RISIBLE GIBBOSE TEOPANS First game 10:45 Departure 17:30 and sent to Samantha Beckwith, 91 Hatfield D. TSOTSIS GHERAOS KINESIC WHISTED ROSAKER 2/3 divisional tournament. Place, Peterlee, Co Durham, SR8 5SU BITUMED MISDREW COPIHUES KEEPSAKY CEVAPCICI Anagrid Falkirk Contact Viv Beckmann Spot The Phoney 23rd -26th September 0191-273-1705 YCLEPED BORGOS The phoneys are:DEARISH*, MAUVEISH*, RGJ RHMM ORANGEISH*, HAPPYISH*, BRIGHTISH* Tillington Hall, Stafford Contact Paul Cartman LYNAGES OKIMONO and KINDISH*. And yes, I do mean ILC CZPI 01785 211851 1st – 2nd October PHONEYISH*. INDICTS KNOLLED GTE AMAO Bournemouth (6 games) Registration: 09:30 YSHEND I NG ACTOR Deer Oh Deer UO GE EE Sunday 2nd October First game: 10:10 Departure: 17.30 LUVVY NASAL I SES Contact: Ruth Marsden Tea/Coffee available throughout the day PUDU MUNTJAC WAPITI EEOO VNS 01202 707148 Entry costs: £12.50 for ABSP member CHITAL SAMBHUR SIKA TURTLER QIVIUTS IPKA ZTE Emergency on day only £14.50 for non ABSP member BARASINGHA CARIBOU MOOSE ELK WHITETAIL CARIACOU DIORISM CILICES 07720 949 825 Cheques payable to Bournemouth Scrabble EREU NAM (or CARJACOU) Venue: Rooper Hall, 5 Victoria Park Tournament and sent to Ruth Marsden, 27 STURTS AGELAST 1bdf h ijkl Road, Moordown, Spencer Road, Canford Cliffs, Poole, Bournemouth BH13 7ET Fancy Fours Cryptogram 1. bhel, t 2. doob, r AJ I VAS QURUSHES Cardiff Weekend Contact Mary Allen GZWOCFUA 3. eddo, s 4. gymp, i UNZONED KNOLLED to be announced 0191-273-1705 ITA I DOE LEK I 5. phoh, o 6. khor, k SHREEKS ROOT I ER Lothersdale Hotel, Morecambe Contact Viv Beckmann 7. whot, j 8. ouph, e EDSMSGNO 14th – 17th October 0191-273-1705 ASHTRAY MYOGEN 9. kilp, f 10. lerp, b BNIXS 11. buna, q 12. muil, m YULANS NE I GHED Standish Moat House, Wigan Contact Viv Beckmann PYGOSRNE I 18th – 21st November 0191-273-1705 13. momi, l 14. pium, h LACONIC AVAILES AELRASSLS 15. motu, a 16. rotl, n CRUS I LY I CHN I TE 17. turm, g 18. yoop, d EMFNAEEKI SYSTEMED ASTERS 19. yunx, c 20. zouk, p

48 iii