6 Nostalgia 1948 Evening Echo, Tuesday, January 2, 2018 My word! is born Since the first board game was made 80 years ago, 150 million Scrabble sets have been sold globally. Cork fan FINBARR LONG explains the allure of the wordplay game

ANY Irish homes will have a Scrabble set tucked away in a cupboard or on a shelf somewhere, and perhaps it Mcame out for a spin over Christmas. Next year marks the 80th anniversary of the invention of the enduringly popular game and the 70th anniversary of it first hitting the shelves of shops. Scrabble was invented by an unemployed U.S architect, Alfred Butts, in 1938, and originally called ‘Criss-Crosswords’. It was refined and renamed Scrabble by his business associate, James Brunot, who began commer- cial production of the game in Connecticut on December 16, 1948. Whilst leisure activities and home entertainment opportunities bear no resemblance now to what pertained in the mid-to-late 20th century, nonetheless the game survives both at a family/social level and at a competitive/club level, in Ireland and internationally. Scrabble is now sold in 121 coun- tries, is available in 29 languages, GAME FACE: Players at the Irish National Scrabble Championship tournament in Waterford in September and (right) tournament director Jennie Frizelle presenting the trophy and about 150 million sets have been to the winner, Lukeman Owolabi, from West Cork. Lukeman went on to represent Ireland at the Scrabble World Championships in Kenya in November sold worldwide. It is estimated that half of British homes have a set. The 15 x 15 square playing grid has achieved for that tile alone. of the letters you will be left with in 1993 following a letter from Maura The game can be played at any a number of premium squares Knowledge of the allowable two- order not to make your next play too Teegan to the then Cork Examiner level: by children, once basic spell- which double or triple either the letter words is key to being able to difficult. A word that uses all seven columnist, Maureen Fox, enquiring ing and arithmetic skills have been letter score or the word score for the add it to words already played. The letters on a player’s rack attracts a if there were other Scrabble players achieved, and by adults at varying particular play. Playing on such pre- ‘bible’ as to what words are allowed bonus of 50 extra points, in addition in Cork. levels of expertise. It can be played mium squares is key to maximising is the book Official Scrabble Words to the calculated score. Within the Maura had been playing Scrabble by two, three or four players, again a score. 2015 Edition, authorised by the 100 tiles per game, two are ‘blanks’ or since the early 1950s when her with varying levels of sociability or Without doubt, a good vocabulary World English-Language Scrabble wild cards, which the player can husband Sean brought a set back competitiveness to suit the occasion. is of benefit, but good scores can be Players Association and published assign to be any letter to suit the from the U.S. Like many games, it is much more achieved with very basic words by Collins. word they are playing. These The Examiner published the letter enjoyable when players’ abilities are when played in the right position on There are currently 124 allowable ‘blanks’ are the most valuable tiles. and a number of people replied and evenly matched, but Scrabble the board. two-letter words and a knowledge of Retaining groups of letters on your duly started to play together on a particularly lends itself to improving For example, the letters C, F, H, W these is essential for any Scrabble rack, such as ING, IER, PRE, OUT, weekly basis. The club held its first skill levels by expanding the net- and Y each score 4 points. Placing player trying to improve their game. DIS, UN, etc, that can be commonly formal tournament in April, 1994, work of opponents. any of these tiles on a ‘triple letter’ Whilst 124 may seem a daunting used to form a seven-letter bonus attended by 42 players. Many have Technology affords opportunities square, thereby forming a word both number, be aware that 25 of these word, can also be a useful tactic. come and gone in the interim, but to play online against acquaintances horizontally and vertically, gives a words are in common usage (e.g. AN, It is also possible — and very there are still some of the original or random opponents on many plat- score of six times the value, i.e. 24 AT, GO, IN, MY, ME, TO, US, WE, etc), instructive — to watch a game, play members playing. forms, alternatively you can pit your points for that letter alone, in thus leaving 99 or so to be studied. by play, rack by rack, and listen to Very much the doyenne of wits against computer programmes. addition to the scores arising from Another piece of advice for an expert commentary on the Scrabble in Ireland, Maura, my The game is based on forming the other letters played. aspiring players is the importance of strategy and thought process of each mother-in-law, celebrated her 90th words out of seven randomly If you are lucky enough to play one balancing vowels and consonants on play. There are a number of such birthday at a Scrabble tournament selected letters and joining these of the high scoring letters (K worth 5 your rack. Too many of either, or videos on YouTube. in Galway in 2013. Sadly, she died in onto previously played words, either points, J or X worth 8 points, or Q or duplicates of the same letter, make a Most Scrabble games are played April, 2017. horizontally or vertically. Z worth 10 points ) on such a ‘triple high scoring play more difficult. socially in people’s homes for the She played Scrabble right to the Each letter has a number of points letter’ square, again making a word Ideally, two to four vowels, fun of it and for the satisfaction of end of her life, both at club level and assigned it, based on its frequency of both horizontally and vertically, especially including an ‘E’, makes outwitting family or friends. Such a avidly online, and also on occasion use, and the objective is to score then scores of six times the letter forming a good scoring word easier. ‘social’ game between characters playing games both in Latin and in more points than your opponents. value, i.e. 30, 48 or 60 points, can be Thus, when making a play, be aware played by Michael Douglas and Irish. Annette Bening featured in 1995 film Maura always maintained that The American President and later in the intrinsic mental exercise and the TV series, The West Wing. concentration skills involved in In the real life White House, by all playing it helped to keep her mind Finbarr’s dreaming of quixotic flourish accounts, former U.S. First Lady sharp and agile. Laura Bush was known to be a keen My advice to beginners would be LIKE poker players dreaming about their royal means ‘Extremely idealistic; unrealistic, impractical’! player. More recently, in the TV to learn the basics of the game at straight flush, Scrabble players dream about their He adds: “Any suggestions for a higher scoring single adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s home with family or friends, or by once in a lifetime play to enter the record books. play would be most welcome.” The Handmaid’s Tale, the playing against a computer Scrabble Finbarr Long explains how such dream plays can S is one of the most valuable tiles in English-language Commander (Joseph Fiennes ) was programme, which can accommo- come about. Scrabble because it can be appended to many words to taken aback at the Scrabble skills of date various skill levels, before “Playing all seven letters on both sides of an already pluralise them. The game’s inventor, Alfred Butts his handmaid (Elisabeth Moss). venturing to a club or straight to a played letter to make an eight letter word, positioned to included only four to avoid a game that was too easy. There are an estimated 4,000 tournament. Competitive Scrabble cover two ‘triple word’ premium squares, produces a The highest opening move score word recorded was Scrabble clubs worldwide. In Ireland may be a little daunting for a novice. much sought after nine timer play (a triple triple word MuZJIKS (with a blank for the U), amassing 126 points there are active clubs in Cork, Cork Scrabble club meets most play). for Jesse Inman at the US National Scrabble Champion- Dublin, Belfast, and Wexford, all Wednesday nights from September “Incorporating one or more high scoring letters, J, Q, ships in 2008. Other high-scoring words have included affiliated to the All Ireland Scrabble to June at the S.M.A. Community X or Z, into such a play can further ratchet up the score. BEZIQUE, QIIZOTRY andCAZIQUES. Association (AISA). Each hosts a Centre in Wilton, Cork. New “My dream play is to produce the word ‘QUIXOTIC’ The highest single-turn score of 392 was by Dr weekend tournament once a year, members are welcome, call 086 as with such a nine timer, the letter ‘X’ would thus fall Saladin Karl Khoshnaw in Manchester, England, in along with a number of one day 8487221 for more information. The on a double letter premium square. The score for this April, 1982. The word he used was CAZIQUES, meaning tournaments from time to time. next two-day tournament in Cork is one play, including the 50 point bonus, would be 356 “native chiefs of West Indian aborigines”. The most recent two-day event in scheduled for March 3-4, 2018. points. Such a score would be very respectable for an In an episode of The Simpsons, Bart invents a high- Wexford in late November attracted So why not dust down your entire game! scoring nonsense word, “KWYJIBO” during a game 38 players including players from Scrabble set and keep the old brain “The odds against getting the requisite letters, with the family. UK, Malta and Israel. The AISA also ticking over by challenging family coincident with a suitable opening on the board during Confronted by Homer, he is rumbled when he defines organise the annual national or friends to a social game or two ? a game, are obviously enormous, but I’ll dream on! it as “a big, silly, balding North American ape with no championship tournament. Just for the fun of it. You might get Rather ironically, Finbarr’s dream word, ‘Quixotic’, chin”. The Cork club came together in late hooked.