September/October 2013 - The Last Word Newsletter

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The Last Word
The Independent Tournament SCRABBLE® Newsletter
A Monthly Newsletter
Issue 41 - September/October 2013
Old Greenwich Results
Annual Achievement Awards
WGPO Word Cup
CONGRATULATIONS TO WORD CUP WINNER LISA ODOM!
The Last Word is an independent publication for tournament SCRABBLE® players. It is not
affiliated with Hasbro, Mattel, the North American SCRABBLE® Players Association (NASPA), or
the Word Game Players’ Organization (WGPO), and does not profess to promote any particular
organization, tournament, or event. Our mission is to provide content of interest to all
SCRABBLE® players, so please let us know if there are topics you would like us to add. We
welcome contributions: stories, artwork, etc.
Sine this e-newsletter is a 100% volunteer effort, we would appreciate any donations. Advertisers
are encouraged, too. If you would like to have The Last Word emailed to you, please send a request
with your email address to CorneliaSGuest@gmail.com and we will add you to our mailing list.
Editor-in-Chief: Cornelia Guest
Columnists: Joe Bihlmeyer, Jan Cardia, Timothy Cataldo, Judy Cole, Joe
Edley, Stu Goldman, Adam Henderson, Jeff Kastner, Daiva Markelis, Joan
Mocine, Tony Rasch, Lester Schonbrun, Larry Sherman, Chris Sinacola, Siri
Tillekeratne, Linda Wancel
Editors-at-large: Robin Pollock Daniel, Joe Edley, Stefan Fatsis, Ted Gest
Photographer-at-large: Betsey Wood
Contributors: Brian Bowman, Connie Breitbeil, Chris Canik, Lynda Woods
Cleary, Richard Cleary, Cedar Compher, Roger Cullman, Angela Dancho,
Zachary Dang, Lindsey Dimmick, June Clarke Downer, David Engelhardt, Kate
Gavino, David Gibson, Peggy Grant, Ben Greenwood, Diana Grosman,
Patricia A. Hocker, Dave Krook, Mina Le, Karen Lee, Chris Lipe, Derek
McKenzie, Bernie McMahon, Jessica Meller, Mack Meller, Andrew Mitchell,
Kieran O’Connor, Paul Rickhoff, Ben Schoenbrun, Erickson Smith, Daniel
Stock, Matthew Styczynski, Michael Thelen, Winter
The Last Word is a volunteer
effort. We appreciate your
donations.
(PayPal or snail mail--contact
CorneliaSGuest@gmail.com)
For advertising rates,
please email
CorneliaSGuest@gmail.com
Copyright © 2013 GuessWhat! Some data copyright ©1999-2013 NSA; copyright © 2010-2013 NASPA; and copyright © 2005-2013 Seth Lipkin and Keith Smith.
SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark of Hasbro, Inc. in the USA and Canada. Elsewhere it is the trademark of J.W. Spear & Sons, Ltd.
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Table of Contents
From the Editor 3
Advertising Section: Equipment, Tournaments, Organizations, Books 4
Tournament News 12
WGPO Word Cup 2013 by Angela Dancho; photos by Peggy Grant 12
Brattleboro, VT 15
Old Greenwich, CT by Cornelia Guest 16
Florence, MA 19
Tournament Results 20
New Faces 22
Annual Achievement Recognition Awards (2012-2013) 24
Achievement Award Winner Profiles 26
SCRABBLE® Strategy by Mack Meller 31
One Up! Cup for October by Timothy Cataldo 33
Club News edited by Larry Sherman 34
The Wordsmith: How the wordsmith smiths words by Chris Sinacola 37
The Newtown SCRABBLE® Series Geocaches by Cornelia Guest 41
Fill in the Blanks by Jeff Kastner 43
Nice Rack: How to Enter the Professional SCRABBLE® Scene by Kate Gavino 45
Online SCRABBLE® Games 47
The Nervous Rack: My Life in SCRABBLE® by Daiva Markelis 51
Word Trivia Quiz by Siri Tillekeratne 53
What’s Your Play? 55
50 Scrabbly Animals by Derek McKenzie 57
Know the Rules by Jan Cardia 58
Scrab-doku by Jeff Kastner 59
SCRABBLE® and Scrabblers in the News edited by Judy Cole 62
Real or Phony? by Adam Henderson 66
Linda’s Library by Linda Wancel 68
Historic Moments: SCRABBLE® Through the Years by Stu Goldman 69
Word Star by Jeff Kastner 70
SCRABBLE®: Thoreau & Thoreau by Frank Lee 73
Passages edited by Larry Sherman 74
SCRABBLE® Resources 77
Tournament Calendar 81
Archives 89
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From the Editor
I am overwhelmed by the beauty of New England this time of year: the vibrancy of the changing
leaves, the warmth of Indian summer, the game fields filled with children playing soccer, field
hockey, or football. In a few weeks I’ll be heading down to Asbury Park for Jason Keller and Brett
Colby’s “SCRABBLE® by the Sea” benefit tournament, one of my favorites. The following weekend
I’ll join some 142 other players at the beautiful Lake George tournament. I’m looking forward to long
walks along the boardwalk in Asbury Park--and looking across Lake George on the path to dinner
with friends.
Lately my children have been asking me why I enjoy SCRABBLE so much. They can’t see why I
devote such a large amount of my time to a board game. I’m embarrassing them--as if I were some
dotty aunt who likes to wear funny hats.
I’m in it for the friendships, simple as that. I love that I can go anywhere in the world and find a
SCRABBLE club and be welcome. I feel a part of a large community, most of whom are bright,
interesting people. If it were just about the game, I’d play online and leave it at that.
I want to thank the many friends I’ve made through SCRABBLE for enriching my life.
Cornelia Guest
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Asheville Dancing Bear Toys
SCRABBLE TOURNAMENT
8TH ANNUAL EVENT DURING OUR
BEAUTIFUL AUTUMN LEAF SEASON
NOVEMBER 9-10, 2013
ASHEVILLE, NC
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Club Website Dancing Bear Toys Website
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Katonah, NY
SCRABBLE® TOURNAMENT
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Katonah Memorial House
71 Bedford Rd. Katonah, NY 10536
Main Event (TWL & Collins): 7-game fully rated NASPA tournament. 2-4
divisions. 10:15am-6pm. Players in Main Event must be NASPA members
(www.scrabbleplayers.org)
Novice Event: 3-game unrated tournament for newcomers and players
rated under 1000. Youth and adult divisions. 10:15am-1pm
Entry fees: Main Event: $55 ($15 discount for first-time players); Novice
Event: $25. $5 late fee if playing at the door.
Prizes: Cash prizes
Contact: Cornelia Guest (director), CorneliaSGuest@gmail.com,
203-244-5324, 914-772-6535 (cell)
40-PLAYER LIMIT -- PLEASE REGISTER EARLY!
The historic hamlet of Katonah has many shops and restaurants a short walk from the venue (which is
approximately a 600-yard walk from the train station). Free parking to right of building.
For players staying overnight, the Mt. Kisco Holiday Inn (914-241-2600) is 5 minutes away and is
offering an attractive group rate, including 2 free breakfast vouchers. Please call for details.
Flyer with entry form at cross-tables.com
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!SCRABBLE in CABO!
Dec. 7-14, 2013
The Wyndham Cabo San Lucas Resort
Cabo San Lucas, Baha California Sur, Mexico
Rooms from $95/night (plus taxes)
A WGPO tournament: John Aitken, Director
6 mornings/24 games/$90 ($US cash only please)
(entry fee includes a voluntary $5 donation to WGPO)
Contact: John Aitken, overdonejsa@yahoo.com or +52 (624) 126 7554
SCHEDULE
Sat, Dec. 7 -- check-in
Sun., Dec. 8 -- 1-day 4-game Early Bird, 9 AM
Mon-Thurs, Dec. 9-12 -- 4-day 16-game Main Event
Fri., Dec. 13 -- 1-day 4-game Late Bird
Sat., Dec. 14 -- check-out
HOTEL RESERVATIONS
Phone: 1-877-674-6706
Email: sjdts-reservations@wyndham.com
Be sure to mention the SCRABBLE
tournament, please and thank you!
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great way to reach Scrabblers around the world. For information on our reasonable
rates contact CorneliaSGuest@gmail.com.
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WGPO Word Cup 2013
By Angela Dancho; photos by Peggy Grant
Co-directors Angela Dancho and Rick Wong with winner Lisa Odom
Cynthia Seales was the Division
2 winner in both the Early Bird
and the Main Event, where she
won her first 16 games. She
also won Stu Goldman’s
“Geezer Prize.”
Bennett Jacobstein won
Division 3 in the Main Event
with 23 wins. He also hosted
his trivia contest on Sunday
night, which attracted many of
the players.
After 31 games over 5 days, Lisa Odom
won the 2013 WGPO Word Cup Open
division with 22.5 wins, +1648, narrowly
beating out Ron Tiekert, who had 22.5
wins, +1534. The event was held August
2-7 in Aurora, CO at the Red Lion hotel,
and directed by Angela Dancho and Rick
Wong. A total of 97 players competed in
four divisions, including an open division.
Division 2 winner, Cynthia Seales, had 23
wins, +2146, and also won the “Geezer
Prize,’ donated by Stu Goldman for the
top performing player over 65. Bennett
Jacobstein won Division 3 with 23 wins,
+734. Zana Anderson won a tight race in
Division 4, with her record of 21 wins,
+1130. Full results are available on the
WGPO website. Each of the division
winners received an engraved mug, now
affectionately known as a “Word Cup cup.”
Main Event winners Lisa Odom (Division 1) and
Zana Anderson (Division 4) clink their “Word Cup
cups” in celebration.
Due to the fundraising efforts of the local players, along with generous donations from numerous
WGPO clubs and players across the country, we were able to return over 90% of entry fees in prize
money. This resulted in a combined total of over $13,000 in prizes awarded for the main event and
early bird.
A variety of evening events were held during the tournament, including a reception on Saturday
night. On Sunday night Bennett Jacobstein hosted his well-known trivia contest, won by Peter
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Dolgenos for the third year in a row. On Monday night there
was a general WGPO membership meeting, which was
attended by more than 60% of players. At that meeting the
location of the 2014 Word Cup was revealed – Madison, WI;
the 2014 event will be directed by Lynda Finn. Many
players enjoyed the local restaurant scene and the
convenient light rail into downtown Denver.
The local NBC affiliate. 9News, capitalizing on a recent
story regarding a “Jeopardy!” misspelling by a youth player,
came to interview several SCRABBLE® players to gain their
reactions and emphasize the importance of spelling. When
asked about the importance of spelling correctly during the
tournament, Lester Schonbrun told the reporter, “Now that’s
a silly question!” The full piece can be seen online: http://
www.9news.com/rss/story.aspx?storyid=348820
Division 1 winners
Division 2 winners
Division 3 winners
Division 4 winners
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Before the main event started, 38 players participated in a 7-game early bird, with Mark Pistolese,
Cynthia Seales, Jacqueline Camper, and Ron Lipka winning divisions 1-4 respectively. On the final
day of the tournament an impromptu 4-game late bird was announced. Four players competed in
the TWL event, won by Keith Hagel with a 3-0 +63 record. Four players tried an introductory hybrid
Collins late bird, which allowed players to use a cheat sheet and Collins 2- and 3-letter words. This
introductory event was unrated, but gave the players a taste of Collins play. Winter was the winner.
Early Bird Division 1
winner Mark Pistolese
Early Bird Division 4
winner Ron Lipka
Early Bird Division 2 winners (l-r): Ruth Hamilton (2nd);
Denver Steele (3rd); Keith Hagel (4th); and Cynthia
Seales (1st). Keith Hagel also won the Late Bird.
Early Bird Division 3 winner
Jacqueline Camper
Trivia contest winner Peter
Dolgenos
I would like to thank the many people that helped make the 2013 Word Cup a success, and I look
forward to seeing you at the 2014 Word Cup in Madison!
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Brattleboro, VT
On August 4 forty-six players competed at the Brattleboro, VT tournament in three TWL divisions
and a Collins division.
The winner of Division A was tournament organizer Ed Liebfried, from Guilford, VT, who finished
with a 5-2 +418 record over Brandon Randall (5-2 +114) and Matthew O’Connor (4-3 +301).
Division B went to Carol McDonald, from Northboro, MA, who finished with a 6-1 +335 record over
Betsey Wood (6-1 +208) and Ben Greenwood (4.5-2.5 +186)
Longtime player Stella Russell, from Manchester, NH won Division C with a 6-1 +390 record.
Second went to Windam, NH high school student Evan McCarthy, who finished 5-2 +672. A former
School SCRABBLE® Champion with partner Brad Robbins, this was Evans fourth NASPA
tournament. Mark Francillon finished third (5-2 +400).
This six-player Collins division went to Evans Clinchy, from ...., who stormed the division with a 6-1
+605 finish. Evans, who will be on the team representing the United States at the SCRABBLE®
Champions Tournament in Prague this December, has had a strong year in the Collins division, and
is presently ranked 20th in North America. Second went to Rebecca Lambert (4-3 +102) and third
to Richard Buck (4-3 -128).
Thanks to Ed Liebfried and Kath Mullholand, who organized this event, and Kieran O’Connor, who
directed.
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Old Greenwich, CT
By Cornelia Guest
August 16-18 71 Scrabblers enjoyed playing at one of the nicest
hotels on the East Coast: the Hyatt Greenwich Regency. This Old
Greenwich, CT location is the site of the former headquarters of the
Conde Nast publishing empire, and huge pillars carved with names
such as VOGUE, TOWN AND COUNTRY, and HOUSE AND
GARDEN mark the company's 50 years at that location. Today the
elegant Hyatt is housed there, with a soaring atrium filled with
trees, streams, and fountains.
The tournament opened with a 5-game Early Bird, with each of the
winners scoring sweeps in their divisions. Mike Ecsedy, from
Brookfield, CT, took Division 1 with a
5-0 +292 record over Brian Galebach
(4-1 +320) and Paul Avrin (3-2 +3).
Kevin McCarthy, Sr., visiting from Ohio,
won Division 2 with a 5-0 +466 record
over Debbie Sullivan (3-2 -49) and
Linda Wancel (2-3 +48). Newcomer Matthew Styczynski, from Long
Island, crushed Division 3 with a 5-0 +978 record, earning an initial
NASPA rating of 1459. Kristian Dietz was second (4-1 +45) and Sharon
Co-director Cornelia Guest
Downey third (3-2 +228). Although this was Matt's first tournament, he
with Early Bird Division 2
has been playing for several years at Bernie McMahon's club, and his
winner Kevin McCarthy, Sr.
opponents there were not surprised by his win.
Saturday morning featured the traditional 3-day Newcomers
Tournament, which attracted four Youth Players and four adults-including Matt Styczynski (who had entered before the Early Bird). Matt
won all three of his games with scores ranging from 474 to 560 (3-0
+802); however, he was gracious with the other newcomers and an
inspiration, noting how he lost his first game--and many more--before
starting to score well. Only one prize per
player was allowed, so although Matt had
the high play (INJURED, 111) and high game
(560), first-time Jill Aiello won the High Play
prize (QIS, 44) and Miriam Mennin won the
High Game award (236). (Jill also had a 363
game, but was restricted to one prize.)
Newbie Ann Marie Cofone won the prize for
Best "New" Word (ONE).
Dustin Brown won all his games
to take the Newcomers
Tournament Youth Division.
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Newcomer Matthew Styczynski
won all of his 8 games at Old
Greenwich to win both Division
3 of the Early Bird and the
Newcomers Tournament Adult
Divison.
Rising 7th grader Dustin Brown won all
three of his games in the Youth Division (3-0
+568) and also had the three highest games (353, 377, and 403).
Second was rising 6th grader Fiona Fisher Sleigh (1-2 +16), who won
the Best "New" Word prize for NEW and had a high game of 243. Third
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was rising 4th grader Conor Fisher Sleigh, who had the division High
Play (SEQUELS, 88). Fourth was rising 5th grader Jesse Federbush,
who won the official prize for High Game (240).
Players enjoyed a buffet lunch on Saturday, featuring sandwiches,
salad, cookies, and--appropriately--alphabet soup!
The Main Event had 58 players, down from last year's 91, which
unfortunately hurt the prize fund. Play, however, was excellent. In
Division 1, rising high school sophomore Matthew O'Connor took his
first multi-day Division 1 with an 11.5-4.5 +175 record over Joel
Sherman (11-5 +1147) and Debbie Stegman (9.5-6.5 +323). Matt's
new rating is 1903, a 417 ratings gain from this time last year! High
Game went to Joel Sherman (579) and High Play to Debbie
(ESQUIRE, 122).
Div. 1 winner Matthew O’Connor
Mike Ecsedy continued his winning ways
from the Early Bird to be Gibsonized as
the winner of Division 2 two games out.
His final record was 14-2 +694, with
Jacob Bergmann second (10-6 +556)
and Tim Weiss third (10-6 +348). High
Game went to Jacob (592) and High Play
to Richard Landau (QUERIDAS, 107).
Steve Sikorski was the Gibsonized
winner of Division 3, with a 13-3 +944
record over Debbie Sullivan (11-5 +616)
and Randi Goldberg (10-6 +824). Randi
also won the prize for High Play
(UNLOADER, 131), and Jonathan Kent
had the High Game (524).
Gibsonized winners Steve
Sikorski (above) and Chris Lipe
(below). Photos by Betsey Wood.
The Collins Division, 8 strong, also had a
Gibsonized winner in Chris Lipe, who
Ecsedy won Division 1 of the
finished 14-2 +1954 over Eric Kinderman Mike
Early Bird and Division 2 of the Main
(11-5 +518) and Carl Durdan (9.5-6.5
Event.
+278). The High Game award went to
Chris (579) and the High Play award to Judy Steward (ANTIQUE, 116).
Sandy Finkelstein from Rhode Island won the Early Entry drawing,
winning $50 cash.
Saturday night co-director Jason Keller, who is a nine-time Jeopardy
champion, hosted his Jeopardy! Game Show. The winner was Jacob
Bergmann, whose knowledge of the Mongolian capital Ulan Bator in
Final Jeopardy toppled recent Jeopardy contestant Judy Cole from her
lead.
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Next year Old Greenwich is scheduled for July 18-20 (this year
Nationals fell on Old Greenwich's regular July date), so hopefully
turnout will improve. If you haven't come to this venue before, please
give it a try. The Hyatt Regency Greenwich is one of the nicest
tournament venues around!
Jason Keller, tournament codirector and Jeopardy! Game Show
organizer and emcee.
Jeopardy! Game Show winner
Jacob Bergmann.
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Florence, MA
Ben Greenwood and Brett Constantine ran a
local club tournament on August 25 in Florence,
MA, at the Pathways Common House, the
meeting space for Florence (MA) NASPA
SCRABBLE® Club #531. It was a perfect
venue, with a nice deck where players could
either play or relax between games--and many
did, as this late summer day couldn’t have been
nicer.
Eighteen players competed three divisions in a
five-game round robin. In Division 1, Michael
Fleck was the winner with a 4-1 +357 record
over Richard Buck (5-2 +256) and Bob Becker
(3-2 +27).
Division 2 went to Elouise Pearl, with a 4-1 +235 record. Second was Renee Miller (3-2 +81), who
was returning to tournament SCRABBLE® after a long hiatus. Co-director Brett Constantine was
third (3-2 -32).
Division 3 saw the only undefeated winner, with Devon Terpening finishing with 5 wins and a +391
spread. Second was Debra Truskinoff (4-1 +321) and third Mark Fancillon (3-2 +104).
Ben announced after the tournament that the Florence Club plans to run fully rated touranments on
future Sundays. The first one is now scheduled for October 13 (http://scrabbleclub.com/florencenaspa-scrabble-club-531.shtml), with openings for 24 players.
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Tournament
Results
AUGUST 1-31
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Mark Pistolese
Cynthia Seales
Jacqueline Camper
Ron Lipka
WGPO WORD CUP,
AURORA CO (WGPO) 8/3-7
1.
2.
3.
4.
Lisa Odom
Cynthia Seales
Bennett Jacobstein
Zana Anderson
WINDHAM NH 8/3
1. Bradley Robbins
BRATTLEBORO VT 8/4
1. Ed Liebfried
2. Carol McDonald
3. Stella Russell
BRATTLEBORO VT
(COLLINS) 8/4
1. Evans Clinchy
GUELPH ON CAN 8/4
1. Shan Abbasi
PHILADELPHIA PA 8/4
1. Brian Galebach
2. Michael Francus
3. Randi Goldberg
PHILADELPHIA PA
(COLLINS) 8/4
1. Jason Keller
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1. Matthew O’Connor
WGPO WORD CUP LATE
BIRD, AURORA CO (WGPO) 2. Michael Ecsedy
3. Steve Sikorski
8/7
1. Keith Hagel
WGPO WORD CUP CSWWGPO WORD CUP EARLY HYBRID LATE BIRD,
BIRD, AURORA CO (WGPO) AURORA CO (WGPO,
8/2
UNRATED) 8/7
1.
2.
3.
4.
S
1. Winter
NORTH CAROLINA STATE
CHAMPIONSHIP (TCC),
CHARLOTTE NC 8/10-11
1. Matthew Bernardina
FINDLAY OH 8/10-11
1. Brian Bowman
2. Maureen Kennerk
TORONTO ON CAN
(COLLINS) 8/10-11
1. Tony Leah
BERKELEY CA 8/11
OLD GREENWICH CT
(COLLINS) 8/16-18
1. Chris Lipe
MADISON WI (WGPO) 8/17
1. Thomas Reinke
2. Bryan Benwitz
3. Helen Flores
OLD GREENWICH CT
NEWCOMERS
TOURNAMENT (UNRATED)
8/17
1. Matthew Styczynski
PORTLAND OR (WGPO)
8/17
1. Nigel Peltier
2. Kathy Sutrov
3. Michelle Bailie
1. Peter Armstrong
2. Peter Smith
3. Carole Miller
MILL VALLEY CA (WGPO)
8/18
NEWARK DE 8/11
DALLAS TX 8/17
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Steve Oliger
Carole Denton
Linda Oliva
Marichelle Roque-Lutz
Tracy McQueen
LINDEN MI 8/16
1. Steve Robbins
OLD GREENWICH CT
EARLY BIRD 8/16
1. Cesar Del Solar
1. Darrell Day
2. Linda Villarreal
3. Patricia Oppenlander
LINDEN MI 8/17
1. Jeff Fiszbein
2. Carol Ravichandran
3. Steve Robbins
STRATFORD ON CAN 8/17
Lou Cornelis
Matt Schlegel
Carole Jones
Will Robertson
1. Michael Ecsedy
2. Kevin McCarthy, Sr.
3. Matthew Styczynski
1.
2.
3.
4.
OLD GREENWICH CT 8/16
LINDEN MI 8/18
1. Jeff Clark
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1. Doug Riblet
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1. Greg Fox
1. Andrea Hatch
INDEPENDENCE OH (LCT)
8/24
WILMINGTON DE EARLY
BIRD 8/30
1. Dorcas Alexander
1. Marlon Hill
2. David Dlugosz
3. Nandini Dickens
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7. Victoria Cox
PORTLAND ME EARLY
BIRD 8/30
INDIANAPOLIS IN 8/24
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Marty Gabriel
David A. Brown
Lois Greene
Lisa Lovelace
ST. LOUIS PARK MN 8/24
1. Scott Jackson
2. Jason Vaysberg
VANCOUVER BC CAN
8/24-25
1. James Leong
EDMONTON AB CAN 8/25
1. Matthew Larocque
2. Erin Kinsella
FLORENCE MA (LCT) 8/25
1. Michael Fleck
2. Elouise Pearl
3. Devon Terpening
GUELPH ON CAN 8/25
1.
2.
3.
4.
Jackson Smylie
Heather McCall
Terry Aitken
Marcela Kadanka
MOUNT LAUREL NJ 8/25
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Seth Lipkin
Gary Skowronski
Mark Berg
Edward H. Zurav
Roberta Borenstein
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New Faces
This past August, 27 new faces competed at NASPA, WGPO, and unrated newcomers
tournaments, including featured “New Face” Matthew Styczynski, who won Division 3 at the Old
Greenwich (CT) Early Bird Tournament on 8/16 with a 5-0 +978 record to earn an initial NASPA
rating of 1459.
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Matthew Styczynski
Matthew Styczynski, 34, from Syosset, NY, has been playing club
SCRABBLE® for roughly five years. “I first heard about club/tournament
SCRABBLE when I walked into a Border’s and accidentally found a group. I
was invited to play, go walloped, and was hooked.”
Today he plays at two clubs: Panera Syosset and Panera West Babylon, which
offer him games with some excellent players. “With the growing popularity of
both SCRABBLE and meetup.com, there are many groups on Long Island in
which to play, but none have quite the collective skill level of Panera Syosset.”
He also uses the SCRABBLE app on Facebook.
At his first tournament, the Old Greenwich, CT Tournament, he played in both the Newcomers
Tournament and the Early Bird. He won all eight of his games in the two events, earning an initial
NASPA rating of 1459.
With his experience playing club SCRABBLE, Matthew was well prepared for tournament play.
Nonetheless, he was nervous at first. “My heart was pounding and I broke a sweat in the first
minute of the first game (afraid I couldn’t think). But then the tiles started falling and it’s just
SCRABBLE, which I love. Of course it was great to meet everyone, and I had a lovely
director.” [Thanks, Matthew!]
Prior to the tournament, Matthew had never studied. “I actually just started studying in part because
of the tournament. I saw Brian Galebach devouring 15-letter anagrams on Zyzzyva while waiting for
the Early Bird to get started. I’ve decided to keep studies to 7s and 8s for the time being.”
With easy wins in almost every game, Matthew made a dramatic debut. “I heard several players
carrying on in outrage/disbelief at my initial rating. I’m rather glad to have made such an
impression. When asked about her game with me, one of my opponents unsuccessfully whispered,
‘I don’t trust him. He smiles too much.’ Frankly, I would have been disappointed without some
eccentricity.”
Matthew’s advice to other players: “Play until you enter as a ringer? Maybe not. It all seems official
and austere. But it’s a game. Follow the rules and have fun.”
Working in the world of finance (for Merrill Lynch Wealth Management), Matthew has a hectic
schedule, with little free time for SCRABBLE beyond his clubs. “I wish I had time for more hobbies.
I explore New York City--museums, restaurants, music--whenever I can. I buy more books than I
read, and I’ll probably never get to the bottom of my Netflix queue.” He does, however, hope to play
in another nearby tournament at some point.
Unlikely he’ll ever be in the bottom division again, though!
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Welcome to Matthew Styczynski and the following other new faces:
WGPO WORD CUP, AURORA CO (WGPO) 8/3-7: Valerie Wilson
BRATTLEBORO VT 8/4: Karan Hingorani
PHILADELPHIA PA 8/5: Chris Heinly
BERKELEY CA 8/11: John Accurso
OLD GREENWICH CT EARLY BIRD 8/16: Jonathan Roos
OLD GREENWICH CT NEWCOMERS TOURNAMENT 8/17: Jill Aiello, Ann Marie Cofone, Conor
Fisher Sleigh, Fiona Fisher Sleigh,
DALLAS TX 8/17: Justin Rayfield
PORTLAND OR (WGPO) 8/17: Tomiko Ibser, Marc Kahn (2nd), Molly Moore, Gary Waltuch
STRATFORD ON CAN 8/17: Nancy Kuhlman
MILL VALLEY CA (WGPO) 8/18: Lisa Ferguson, Tom Sharp, Dyana Vukovich, Zack
INDEPENDENCE OH 8/24: Margaret Christman
VANCOUVER BC CAN 8/24: Allan Carruthers, Charles Lin, Charles Ritchie
EDMONTON AB CAN 8/25: Daisy Bailey (2nd), Marion Broverman
PORTLAND ME EARLY BIRD 8/30: Matt Gallahue, Ly Pham
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Annual Achievement Recognition Awards (2012-2013)
The start of Nationals 2013 also marked the end of the time period for the NASPA Achievement
Recognition Awards for 2011-2012, tabulated at cross-tables.com. Here we take a look at the
remarkable players who earned these awards. Special congratulations goes to David Gibson, this
year’s Player of the Year, who for the fifth year won the award for Most Division 1 Wins in Multiday Tournament (7); for the fourth time won the award for Highest Win %, Division 1 (78.8%); and
for the third time won the awards for Highest Win % (78.8%). Kudos, too, to Robin Pollock Daniel,
who was the repeat winner for Female Player of the Year; Mack Meller, who was the repeat winner
for Youth Player of the Year; and Winter, who for the second time won the award for Most Games
Played.
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PLAYER OF THE YEAR
1. David Gibson 974.279
2. Nigel Richards 703.781
3. Dave Wiegand 513.244
4. Jesse Day 494.447
5. Will Anderson 444.974
6. Sam Kantimathi 364.684
7. Stefan Rau 356.476
8. Conrad Bassett-Bouchard
350.221
9. Robin Pollock Daniel
331.556
10. Joel Sherman 322.176
FEMALE PLAYER OF THE
YEAR
1. Robin Pollock Daniel
331.556 (2012)
2. Lisa Odom 1943
3. Debbie Stegman 1867
4. Leesa Berahovich 1846
5. Cecilia Le 1840
6. Maddy Kamen 1839
7. Kate Fukawa-Connelly
1822
8. Judy Levitt 1820
9. Rachel Knapp 1867
10.Jan Cardia 1702
YOUTH PLAYER OF THE
YEAR
1. Mack Meller (2014)
2. Matthew O’Connor (1884)
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3.
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5.
6.
Jackson Smylie (1823)
Joey Krafchick (1777)
Christian Siefert (1704)
Kevin E. Rosenberg (1542)
INACTIVE
7. Avery Mojica (1489)
8. Bradley Robbins (1483)
9. Sam Heinrich (1395)
10. Amalan Iyengar (1367)
HIGHEST WIN %, DIVISION
1 (50 GAME MINIMUM)
1. David Gibson 0.788
2. Adam Logan 0.743
3. Daniel Stock 0.715
4. Eric Tran 0.702
5. Ian Weinstein 0.697
6. Noah Walton 0.695
7. Geoff Thevenot 0.695
8. David Koenig 0.679
9. John O’Laughlin 0.677
10. Gabriel Gauthier-Shalom
0.678
HIGHEST WIN %, (50 GAME
MINIMUM)
1. David Gibson 0.788
2. Adam Logan 0.743
3. Daniel Stock 0.715
4. Eric Tran 0.702
5. Ian Weinstein 0.697
6. Noah Walton 0.697
7. Geoff Thevenot 0.695
7. Sam Towne 0.695
9. Sam Masling 0.688
10. Martin Gold 0.686
MOST DIVISION 1 WINS,
MULTI-DAY
TOURNAMENTS
1. David Gibson 7
2. Eric Tran 5
3. Chris Cree 4
4. Brian Bowman 3
4. Jan Cardia 3
4. Lou Cornelia 3
4. Chris Lipe 3
4. Adam Logan 3
4. George Macaulay 3
4. John O’Laughlin 3
4. Joel Sherman 3
4. Geoff Thevenot 3
5. Ian Weinstein 2
MOST DIVISION 1 WINS
1. Chris Cree 10
1. Daniel Stock 10
3. Chris Lipe 8
3. Jim Nanavati 8
3. Joel Sherman 8
6. David Gibson 7
7. Cesar Del Solar 6
7. John O’Laughlin 6
7. Eric Tran 6
7. Dave Wiegand 6
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MOST LOWER-DIVISION
WINS, MULTI-DAY
TOURNAMENTS
1. Lindsey Dimmick 3
2. Kay Adam 2
2. Roger Cullman 2
2. Zachary Dang 2
2. David Englehardt 2
2. Michael Fagen 2
2. Andrew Gardner 2
2. Michael Krafchick 2
2. April McCarley 2
2. Steve Moniz 2
2. Julia Scruggs 2
2. Craig Sjostrom 2
MOST LOWER-DIVISION
WINS
1. Dave Krook 7
1. Zachary Dang 7
3. Barbara Hildenbrand 5
3. Hannah Lieberman 5
5. Elizabeth Davis 4
5. Lindsey Dimmick 4
5. Shubha Kamath 4
8. Daniel Blake 3
8. Roger Cullman 3
8. Sharmaine Farini 3
8. Nancy Hanley 3
8. Mireille Huneault 3
8. Amalan Iyengar 3
8. Kolton Koehler 3
8. Joe Roberdeau
8. Marichelle Roque-Lutz 3
8. Nathaniel Sandalow-Ash 3
8. Matt Schlegel
8. Frances Shaw 3
8. Troy Thompson 3
8. Sam Towne 3
8. Wilma Pitzer 3
LONGEST WINNING
STREAK
1. Zachary Dang 23
2. Eric Tran 21
3. Mike Johnson 20
3. Ian Weinstein 20
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5. Matt Canik 19
6. Gabriel Gauthier-Shalom
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6. Ben Schoenbrun 17
6. Daniel Stock 17
9. Jerri Bergeron 16
9. David Gibson 16
HIGHEST SPREAD (TOTAL)
1. Chris Lipe +11277
2. David Gibson +10943
3. Chris Cree +10935
4. Eric Tran +10703
5. Dave Wiegand +9831
6. Daniel Stock +9456
7. Jason Keller +9145
8. Joel Sherman +9143
9. Brian Bowman +8977
10. Winter +8975
HIGHEST SPREAD IN A
SINGLE OWL2
TOURNAMENT
1. Chris Canik +2582
2. Mike Johnson +2332
3. Jan Cardia +2288
4. Eric Tran +1988
5. Zachary Dang +1985
6. David Gibson +1969
7. Norases Vesdapunt +1889
8. Jesse Day +1878
9. Will Anderson +1859
10. Winter +1855
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MOST GAMES PLAYED
1. Winter 381
2. Judy Cole 342
3. Terry Kang Rau 335
4. Linda Wancel 327
5. Jason Broersma 320
6. David Engelhardt 317
7. Sharmaine Farini 314
8. Chris Lipe 312
9. Paul Avrin 299
9. Zachary Dang 299
MOST STATES/
PROVINCES PLAYED IN
1. David Engelhardt 12
2. Winter 11
2. Linda Oliva 11
4. Michael Baker 9
4. Connie Creed 9
4. Zachary Dang 9
4. Brian Galebach 9
4. Kevin Gauthier 9
9. Verna Richards Berg 8
9. Lou Cornelis 8
9. Randi Goldberg 8
9. Jason Keller 8
9. Chris Lipe 8
9. Daniel Milton 8
9. Wilma Pitzer 8
9. Joe Roberdeau 8
9. Lilla Sinanan 8
HIGHEST SPREAD IN A
SINGLE CSW
TOURNAMENT
1. Brian Bowman +2191
2. Dave Wiegand +1678
3. Chris Lipe +1539
4. Joel Wapnick +1398
5. Geoff Thevenot +1375
5. Matthew Tunnicliffe +1375
7. David Koenig +1351
8. Evans Clinchy +1316
9. John O’Laughlin +1222
10. Mark Kenas +1220
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Achievement Award Winner Profiles
This group of 13 award winners includes several repeat winners, including David Gibson, Robin
Pollock Daniel, Mack Meller, Chris Cree, and Winter. The 8 other winners include longtime
competitors and one relative newcomer. We wish them further success in this next award season!
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DAVID GIBSON
Player of the Year
Highest Win %, Division 1 (50 game minimum): 78.8%
Highest Win %: 78.8%
Most Divison 1 Wins, Multi-Day Tournament: 7
“I owe immense gratitude to my two best sparring partners --Mark
Schmidt and my wife Nancy. I mostly participate in multiday
tournaments that are within driving distance and that don't conflict
with my school schedule.
“After finishing second in the 2012 Nationals in Orlando, my wins
this past year were in Asheville, NC (October), Atlanta
(December and May), Knoxville (January and June), Myrtle
Beach (March), and Gatlinburg (April).
“I would like to thank the following directors in the CarolinasGeorgia-Tennessee area: the Asheville leaders, the Knoxville
SCRABBLE Club, the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area
directors, and Cynthia Seales in the Atlanta area. These fine folks
do a wonderful job of conducting tournaments and do it for the
love of the game rather than for personal monetary gain as
supplemental income.”
ROBIN POLLOCK DANIEL
Female Player of the Year
Robin Pollock Daniel played in Division 1 in six
tournaments this past year, with her rating varying
from 2012 to 2074, ranking her one of North
America’s top players. Her second-place finish to
Joel Sherman with a 10-4 +811 record in the 2012
Can-Am Challenge (OWL games) helped Canada
win this important event. She also finished second
to Joel Sherman at the Saratoga Springs, NY,
tournament; both had 12-4 records, with Joel just
160 spread points ahead.
(Photo by Roger Cullman Photography. http://www.rogercullman.com)
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Robin has been a top competitor since 1987--a
great role model for all women in SCRABBLE®!
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MACK MELLER
Youth Player of the Year
This year Mack Meller, 13, became the youngest player ever to gain a
2000+ rating. Mack played in just three tournaments, winning two--the
Albany New Year’s Eve Tournament (over Joey Mallick, Gabriel GathierShalom, and Will Anderson) and the inaugural New York one-day
tournament in October (over Will Anderson and Larry Sherman).
However, it was his third-place finish in the Premier Division at BAT that
took him over the 2000 mark, with Mack posting an incredible record of
9.5-5.5 +414 in a division that attracted 16 of the best players in North
America. Mack has started the new year with a 7th place finish at
Nationals, bringing his rating to a new peak of 2035. He is currently the
7th highest ranked player in the United States--and the highest ranked
Youth Player in the world.
Mack thoroughly enjoyed his first Nationals this summer: “I got to play
and meet so many people I had never met before and had lots of
(Photo courtesy of Patricia Hocker, NASPA)
interesting and exciting games. Aside from Nationals, BAT was
definitely my most exciting tournament, mainly because it came down to the penultimate game.
Going into the final round, depending on the outcome of my game and another game, I could have
finished in either first, second, or third!”
CHRIS CREE
Most Division 1 Wins (tie): 10
Chris Cree, from Dallas, Texas, is co-president of the North American
SCRABBLE® Players Association and has been playing tournament
SCRABBLE for almost 35 years. His 10 wins this past year include the
Eastern Championship in Charlotte, NC (February ’13); the Mid-Cities Labor
Day Weekend SCRABBLE® Adventure in Irving TX (Main Event and Late
Bird, September ’12); four Dallas TX tournaments (August ’12, September
’12, October ’12, April ’13); Austin TX (December ’12); Saint Louis MO (December ’12); and the
Irving TX Memorial Day Weekend Tournament (May ’13). Already he has another Division 1 win for
the new awards year: Shertz TX over Labor Day Weekend. Chris is a repeat winner: Last year he
tied with David Gibson for the prize for Most Division 1 Wins, Multi-day Tournaments. Chris is one
of North America’s most successful players and will be representing the U.S. at the upcoming
SCRABBLE Champions Tournament in Prague.
DANIEL STOCK
Most Division 1 Wins (tie): 10
Dan Stock, from Rocky River, Ohio, has been playing tournament
SCRABBLE® for almost twenty years and has won 65 different tournaments.
His first Division 1 win was in 1996, and since then he has won 57 more. This
past year his 10 wins were at Independence OH (November ’12, March ’13,
and July ’13); Charleston, WV (November ’12 and June ’13); Hudson OH
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(January ’13 and May ’13); Akron OH (April ’13); Linden MI Late Bird (April ’13); and Rocky River
OH (July ’13). Says Dan: "I'm honored to have won this award. Of course, what it really means is
that I live in an area where there are a lot of great directors who throw a lot of wonderful open
tourneys, that I have time and wherewithal to play in a lot of the tourneys, and that there are so
many tourneys that many of them only have one or two experts. So even though I'm not really that
good a player, I'm lucky! I'll take it!"
LINDSEY DIMMICK
Most Lower-division Wins, Multi-day Tournaments: 3
“I have enjoyed competitive SCRABBLE® for about seven years now. I so
enjoy playing in tourneys because of the excitment and drama, and I have met
many interesting and nice people. This past NASPA year was exciting for me
because by winning Albany I also was the only NASPA player with three multiday lower-division wins. To have my name on the cross-tables leader board
along with David Gibson, Chris Cree and the others was such a thrill! I did not know that a would get
a certificate--I thought I just had bragging rights! I started off the NASPA year with a win in
Alpharetta, which was sweet because I had finished second there for two years. Then I won my
home tourney in Baton Rouge over a tough field. Then I had some nightmare tourneys, so Albany
was my last chance to get the third win. Well, Albany was a dream tourney for me. It was the best I
had ever pulled and played in a tourney. I am hoping for more dream tourneys, but I am so thankful
to have experienced at least one!”
DAVE KROOK
Most Lower-division Wins (tie): 7
“I was very pleased to be one of three players to win a prize
for Most Lower Division Wins. It was a nice culmination to a
good SCRABBLE® year for me, one in which I improved my
rating by about 300 points. However, to put things in
perspective, it did remind me of an incident which took place
a long time ago. I had landed a job teaching Grade 6 in
Orangeville, a small town north of Toronto. Being young
and single, I decided to become involved in a number of
(Photo courtesy of Patricia Hocker, NASPA)
local recreational activities, one of which was badminton, a
sport which I had never before played. The season went from September to May, every Tuesday
and Thursday evening, and over that period of time I became a fairly competent badminton player.
In fact, at the end of the year banquet, I was presented with the award for Most Improved Player;
even had my picture in the local newspaper. The next morning, the students in my class were lined
up waiting to enter the school, as they always did. At the front of the line was a boy by the name of
Scott Shipley; Orangeville was a hockey town and Scott was a hockey player. He said, "Mr. Krook, I
saw your picture in the paper yesterday. You won the Most Improved Player Award in badminton.."
I nodded in the affirmative, feeling somewhat pleased by the recognition. "So," said Scott, "Does
that mean you started off as a really lousy player and gradually worked your way up to average?"
That comment kind of smarted a bit, but I couldn't help but smile; the little smartass had it bang on.
Don't know what ever happened to Scott, but I do know that he never made it to the NHL. As for
me, my goal is to win the NASPA Award for Most Middle Division Wins - then maybe I could say that
I started out lousy and worked my way up to 'above' average.”
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ZACHARY DANG
Most Lower-division Wins (tie): 7
Longest Winning Streak: 23
Zach Dang started playing tournament SCRABBLE® a the BAT Main Event
in May, 2012. Since then he has played in lower divisions at 37
tournaments, winning 7 this past year: Norwalk, CT (in October and
November, 2012); Falmouth, MA; Levittown, PA; Atlantic City, NJ;
Philadelphia, PA; and Bethel, CT. He also finished second in Division 3 at
the Albany Fourth of July Main Event and the December Wilmington, DE, Main Event. His 23-game
winning streak started with a win in the fifth game at Levittown (1/5), continued with a 19-0 win in
Atlantic City, and ended with a loss to Jonathan Kent in the second game at Philadelphia (2/10).
Zach started the year rated 775 and ended it rated 1312, his peak.
“I am thrilled to have had such a successful start to my SCRABBLE career! I have learned a lot
about SCRABBLE as well as competition in general throughout the process. I look forward to
hopefully continuing my climb through the ranks!"
CHRIS LIPE
Highest Total Spread: 11,277
“I was surprised when I learned at the 2013 NSC in Las
Vegas that I had, at the last minute, snuck into the lead
position in the Highest Spread for the entire tournament
year. I would like to thank all those who made this possible,
especially my opponents who combined to score 12,000something points fewer than me in rated games throughout
the year. I would like to recommend my strategy to
everyone aspiring to such heights as I have humbly
achieved; namely, play a lot of tournaments, especially in
open divisions with a wide range of ratings, and rack up the score with such cheap words as ZO,
JA, and QIN. And no matter what, when the chips seem down, never, ever give up.
CHRIS CANIK
Highest Spread in a Single OWL2
Tournament: 2,582
Chris Canik earned his high spread for the year when he
won Division 3 at the 2012 National SCRABBLE®
Championship with a 26-5 +2582 record. His rating after
that tournament rose from 1397 to 1520. At this year’s
Nationals Chris finished 13th in Division 2. He is currently
rated 1608.
(Photo courtesy of Patricia Hocker, NASPA)
“I'm surprised that my spread record held up for the entire
year. I feel like perhaps luck helped me a bit, and it's humbling to know that I definitely wouldn't have
achieved the same spread (or even close to it) in a higher division. Maybe someday I'll be able to
repeat this, albeit in Division 2 or even 1.”
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BRIAN BOWMAN
Highest Spread in a Single CSW
Tournament: 2,191
Brian Bowman is 31 years old and lives in the Cincinnati,
OH area. He works as a supervisor in a workshop for
adults with developmental disabilities. He started playing
crossword games online in college, and played his first
SCRABBLE® tournament in 2006. Brian finished third at
the 2011 National SCRABBLE® Championship, and in
(Photo courtesy of Patricia Hocker, NASPA)
2012 he finished second in the Collins division to Sam
Kantimathi, with the highest spread of any player in the division: 2,191. Brian represented the USA
at the last two World Championships. In the 2009 WSC in Malaysia, some Nigerian players gave
Brian the nickname "The Blocker," a nickname that has since been run into the ground by Jason
Keller. When Brian is not playing SCRABBLE, he enjoys good beer, not shaving, and arguing with
people on the Internet. He used to think spread was a poor measure of skill, but now thinks it's
pretty great.
WINTER
Most Games Played: 381
Winter found this award surprising because unlike 2010, his Big Year (to
borrow from birding parlance), he never intended to play the most
games. Not only did his relocation to the West Coast make it difficult to
run up the number of games, but the fact that some of the tournaments
out there are WGPO made it even less likely that Winter would surpass
the East Coast players, with their greater tournament availability. Finally,
there was one additional factor that cut down on his game total, an
actual, honest-to-goodness, non-plastic girlfriend, for four months! Considering all these roadblocks,
Winter considers it nothing short of a miracle that he won the Most Games award for 2012.
DAVID ENGELHARDT
Most States/Provinces Played in: 12
“For me, one of the great things about playing SCRABBLE competitively
is getting to make friends in all parts of the U.S. and Canada.
SCRABBLE has given me the opportunity to have fun get-away
weekends, reunite with friends and visit a variety of places. Along with
Linda Oliva, I usually travel to at least one weekend tournament a month
and one one-day tournament a month. Often, we take some time to see
local sights and enjoy local restaurants as we did recently in Maine.”
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SCRABBLE® Strategy
By Mack Meller
Down 60 points with no available high scoring play or bingo, this position seems hopeless
with opponent having a lone S. However, is there a sneaky way to win this game?
Current Score: 346-406 in favor of opponent
Opponent’s last play: H5 F(R)O(N)TEN(I)S forming BITT and LIEN
Your Rack:
Opponent’s Rack:
ANSWER on next page.
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The most difficult part of solving this endgame is realizing that you can actually S-stick your
opponent! Although he has 4 different outs of 8F TUNDRAS, 10J ORS, 10J QIS, and 10N SH, there
is one play that blocks them all. That play is M8 PADUASOY. After PADUASOY, the score will be
364-406 in favor of opponent. Although there previously was no place to play off your K,
PADUASOY sets up the disconnected 12H ICEKHANA for 48! After your opponent passes,
ICEKHANA wins, 414-406. Note that playing off one tile at a time by playing KANA 12L and then E5
HE after PADUASOY will fall short, 392-406. In addition, your highest scoring play in the original
position, 8A HAKU, will fall way short after opponent goes out at L8.
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One Up! Cup for October
By Timothy Cataldo
Welcome back, vocabularians! Just like last
year, we'll post a One Up!® “game situation”
every month so all you doubledomes out there
can show everyone how brilliant and quick you
are.
Here's all you need to know now to play: Take
one or more letters from the center and add
them to an existing word to make a new word.
Send your entry to
johnnymustard@oneupmanship.com.
Since there won't be a “right” answer, we'll be looking for originality, wit and wow! The winner will
receive a One Up!® and have his or her name put in the drawing for the Grand Prize at the end of
the year.
Note: "Uppity" tile can be used as any letter, and can be changed when making new words. In this
case it's an “L”.
SEPTEMBER WINNER
Tough time selecting a winner this month--if you’ve ever seen the movie “Sophie’s Choice” you
know what I’m talking about.
Hello Mr. Write,
It's the Lesniewicz sisters, Shaina and Nicole, back atcha with our
entries for your September 2013 One Up! contest.
My sister Nicole is still feeling pretty cocky after winning the July
contest. Since getting her One Up! prize in the mail she's been
beating me more often than usual in our head-to-head games. So we
decided to compete on equal terms in this month's contest, with both
of us starting with the same word. It's STALE (keeping the Uppity tile
as the originally intended letter "E").
I am adding UFF from the center to make the anagrams: SUFFLATE (meaning: to inflate) and FEASTFUL
(meaning: festive). Nicole is adding FUGS from the center to make STAGEFULS. We were both surprised to
learn that STAGEFUL (meaning: the maximum a stage can hold) is a noun, and so takes the "S" plural.
Well, big deal. I could have added an S to SUFFLATE if I wanted to, but unfortunately FEASTFULS is not a
legit word.
Still, I think I one-upped Nicole this month because with my anagrams you get two for the price of one. She
insists she won cuz her word is longer and more obscure. Whadya think Mr. Write?
Shaina and Nicole Lesniewicz
What do I think? How about I send a One Up! to your house and you ladies decide who gets it?
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Club News
Edited by Larry Sherman
If you'd like your club to be considered for an article or if a newsworthy event has taken place at
your club in the last month, please submit material to CorneliaSGuest@gmail.com.
________________________________________________________________
Princeton SCRABBLE® Club Celebrates 15th Anniversary
The Princeton (NJ) NASPA SCRABBLE® Club #513 celebrated its 15th Anniversary at Panera
Bread on Nassau St. in Princeton. Ten Scrabblers, a guest (a prospective Scrabbler!), and a
photographer attended. All present thanked each other for keeping the club going--and enjoyed
dessert and fun playing SCRABBLE®! (Photographs courtesy of Richard Cleary.)
Katye Monroe
Scott Kitchen, Connie Frazee,
Jason Keller, Curtis Smith &
Katye Monroe
Marianne Nosuchinsy & Tom Draper
Curtis Smith, Jason Keller,
Connie Frazee, Scott Kitchen &
Linda Woods Cleary
Marion Brien & Thomas Draper
Katye Monroe & Lynda Woods Cleary
PRINCETON (NJ) NASPA SCRABBLE CLUB #513 meets
Tuesday nights from 6:30-9:30 p.m. at Panera Bread, 510
Nassau Park Blvd., Princeton, NJ 08540. Contact: Lynda
Woods Cleary, 732-274-2314, lwcleary@clearywoods.com
Judy Cole
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Mike Thelen’s great find at Club 173
On August 29 Mike Thelen played
ZAMINDARI beginning with the ZA
already on the board in game against
Max Dwyer at Murray (UT) NASPA
SCRABBLE® Club #173. “I knew
ZEMINDAR and ZAMINDAR, and I
knew that one of them took an I hook
and the other took a Y hook. I can
never remember which takes which,
but ZEMINDARY looked correct to
me, so I played ZAMINDARI. I would
rate this in my top 10 finds of all
time.”
The score for ZAMINDARI was 88
points, and Mike won the game,
474-400. Mike also played OPACITY
for 96 in that game, and Max had
GESTURAL for 68. Mike notes: “One
interesting thing about the ZAMINDARI play was that I quickly saw DENARII was playable near the
top of the board, but for many fewer points and likely giving a large comeback. I’m not sure what
possessed me to look at the ZA; I just wanted to find a better bingo if possible.”
MURRAY (UT) NASPA SCRABBLE CLUB #173 meets Wednesdays from 3:30-10:00 p.m. at IHOP,
5277 S. State St., Murray, UT. Contact: Michael Thelen, 801-910-0614, mthelen@gmail.com. Club
website: http://utahscrabble.com
______________________________________________________________________________
Ted Mast’s 18-bingo Night at Club 171
Ted Mast, a 1213-rated tournament player from Bladensburg, MD, had a good night at the
Washington, D.C. NASPA Club 171 weekly session on Tuesday, August 20.
He went 5-0 +758 and made 18 bingos: acarine, acrogens, bedrails, erasing, fission, gitterns,
larders, mediator, mindless, nailers, negronis, ocreate, outroars, patented, peridot, retainee (phony),
snacker, and tangier.
WASHINGTON, DC NASPA SCRABBLE CLUB #171 meets Tuesday nights at 5:30 at the Chevy
Chase Community Center (public building), Connecticut Ave. & McKinley St., Washington, D.C.
Contact: Ted Gest, 202-744-3011, 202-966-5215, tedgest@sas.upenn.edu. Club website: http://
dcsclub.org
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Paul Rickhoff’s Club #195 Blog
Paul Rickhoff of NASPA Club #195 on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Los Angeles sends out a
weekly blog to members that is consistently well-written and interesting. Here is an excerpt from the
end section, “What would you play?”, where Paul uses Quackle to evaluate the strength of potential
plays.
ADINPUU, what would you play?
This was my opening rack in my game with Arna. I was
first to play. I played UNAU (a two- toed sloth). It was
only 8 points, and I wondered if I should have exchanged
instead. Not only is UNAU low in points, but it tends to
open the board for my opponent. Nevertheless, I played
UNAU. My logic was to get rid of two U's and leave
the halfway decent rack leave of DIP (okay letters,
good consonant vowel ratio).
Unfortunately, I missed the common word UNPAID,
which would have played for 22 points. Oh well.
I ran the sim with Quackle to see where UNAU would land. I did 2803 iterations. Here are just of
few of Quackle's choices.
Play UNPAID for 22 points, leaving U.
Play value 18.0
Play PIU for 10 points, leaving ADNU.
Play value 12.7.
Play PUD for 12 points, leaving AINU.
Play value 11.1.
Exchange PUU, leaving ADIN.
Play value 11.7
Play UNAU for 8 points, leaving DIP.
Play value 10.3.
Well, except for missing UNPAID, I actually think my UNAU play was pretty fair.
LOS ANGELES/WEST LOS ANGELES NASPA SCRABBLE CLUB #195 meets Saturdays at
10:00 a.m. at the Felicia Mahood Senior Center, 11338 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA.
Contact: Bruce D’Ambrosio, 424-227-9412, scrabbleclub195@aol.com. Club website: http://
www.scrabbleclub195.net
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The Wordsmith
How the wordsmith smiths words
By Chris Sinacola
Several years ago, during a lull in a one-day tournament in the Hudson River Valley, and as I was
lamenting a particularly disappointing loss I had just inflicted upon myself, veteran player David
Carlson remarked to me: “In time, we all achieve our level of incompetence.”
He meant well, and I took it in the spirit it was offered – consolatory, mutually self-deprecating (if
such a thing is possible), and at any rate a sobering reminder that to play SCRABBLE® well is no
less difficult than to do most anything well.
Getting to a certain level, the meaning of which will vary from player to player but which, to me,
means feeling one is not completely lost, and might have a shot to win any particular game, isn’t all
that difficult. Pushing further than you thought you could, however, is a different story. That takes
time, concentrated effort and a bit of luck.
It helps, too, if mind and body do not fail in any major ways.
Happily, I’ve avoided those major ways. My eyes bother me a bit now and then, but in a screensaturated age, whose do not? Less happily, I’ve not found the time, inclination, and je ne sais quoi
to play nearly as many tournaments as I once imagined I would by now have played, with the very
unsurprising result that my rating has settled in a Lake Wobegone zone of slightly above average.
It is rather fun to note that I have matching 1525 ratings in OWL and Collins. But that won’t even get
you a cup of coffee these days, as most folks have no idea what you’re talking about, and those
who do don’t much care.
All of which is a long-winded way of introducing a column in which I will share – for whichever
readers may care – my current study habits. How the wordsmith smiths words, for lack of a better
title.
There was a time – 2006 by the calendar – when I slogged my way through the OSPD4, laboriously
typing lists of words I did not know, and printing them out in groups of 50, complete with parts of
speech and definitions.
While I did eventually get to the end of the dictionary, two conclusions were obvious.
First, I had spent a great deal of money on printer ink.
Second, I was not particularly close to mastering the OWL2 lexicon, although I had done quite a
number on the As, and once played ABAXIA(L), which at the time seemed pretty cool.
In any case, every time I blew a big lead, or lost my focus, or failed to win a tournament (which was,
as you can readily look up, just about every time), I thought of David Carlson’s words of wisdom and
warning.
A couple of years later, determined to stuff SCRABBLE study time into every available crevice of my
life, I began to commit words to 3x5 notecards.
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Actual words, like TWIGGEN, JATO, or SOLENODON, would be recorded in a color-coded system,
with definitions on the back of each card. I used black Sharpies to record alphagrams. Sevens and
eights by the thousands. Slowly, the cards filled seven or eight drawers of the 35-drawer antique
apothecary’s thingamajig we have in our kitchen.
While I did eventually get through the top 15,000 or so sevens, and perhaps 5,000 eights, plus
dozens of sets of vocabulary words, both common and unusual – all in nice sets of 100 cards each
– two further conclusions were apparent.
First, I had spent a great deal of money on 3x5 cards. Well, maybe $250, which isn’t a great deal of
money for a SCRABBLE player to spend on his or her habit, but quite a bit to spend on cardboard
rectangles, particularly when perfectly useful computer resources exist.
Second, I was feeling light-headed every time I made up a new set, and growing more and more
worried that I was approaching what David Carlson had warned me about: My level of
incompetence. Either that, or brain damage from whatever they put in Sharpies that makes them
smell so doggoned good.
This card-making business went on for a while, and I played some games to boot, and met some
interesting people, some of whom became good friends, and I saw a very small bit of the world, and
then I fell for Collins.
And it was at about that time that I came face-to-face with a new reality: There were still many
OWL2 words I had yet to meet or feel comfortable with, and there were tens of thousands of new
CSW12-only words I had to familiarize myself with in order to compete with those international jetsetters who inhabit the Collins world.
Thus, a new set of study habits was born, which I have boiled down to a series of steps and
recommendations.
First, to make a clean break with my exclusively OWL past, I decided to exorcise the 3x5 cards from
my life. Those of you still laboring under the delusion that you can save the world one tin can or
recyclable jar at a time might want to leave the room here. Or just hit the PgDn key over under the
number 3 on your keypad.
For the rest of you, know this: I gathered all my SCRABBLE cards, some of which contained
amusing notes and expletives on the back, and shredded or burned every last one of them. Mostly
shredded, but the fireplace and backyard firepit came in handy when the shredder overheated and
jammed, which it did twice.
By the time I was through, approximately 30,000 cards had done their part for climate change, and I
felt a warm, fuzzy feeling of liberation.
I told myself – and still tell trusting opponents – that I shredded all those cards because “I already
know those words, so what’s the point?”
The latest research in brain science assures me that, at some level, this is actually true. Just not at
the level of finding SENECIO when I needed to the other night.
Second, since I had no intention of abandoning my 18th-century study habits, I went to the local
Barnes & Noble, the same where I am writing this column, and purchased a twin set of small green
moleskin notebooks, green being the color of the Collins dictionary.
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Now, rather than make up 3x5 cards, I keep a word diary, using the same system, with the same
expletives as before (plus some new, international insults!). Whether I’m at work, reading before
bed, watching TV, riding a bus, on vacation, whatever, my word diary is usually near to hand, and it
takes only a moment to jot down new words I meet. After every Collins game I record words I had
not previously met.
One could, I suppose, simply plow through the Collins dictionary in the same fashion that one
plowed through the OSPD4. One could also decide to live something resembling a normal life.
I have chosen the later. Theoretically, I figure that a word that has been played before is more likely
to present itself in my rack again and be recognized than is a low-probability word that I have not
had the time or patience to hunt down. To say nothing of the many thousands of words I simply do
not know and may not need.
Thus, during a recent five-game set with a very strong opponent, I did not find SPREAZE#, which
might have won the decisive fifth game, because I did not know the word (it means “to chap”).
But, in reviewing those games, it is clear that it is not always necessary to see every available
possibility, even for words one knows, in order to enjoy some success. SCRABBLE is not chess,
after all, and determination, that certain level of competence, and a bit of fortune can help one wrest
two wins in a five-game set, as it did for me.
Had I played a stronger endgame, I might have won that fifth game even without finding
SPREAZE#.
Of course, it would be far preferable to simply know more words, and when I say I was 2-3, I have
omitted the point spread, which was –341, a number lower than absolute zero, if chemical memories
serve.
Which brings me to the third point of my new study plan: Relax.
I know, easier said than done. But as I’ve said many times in this space, you really do have talents
and a life outside of SCRABBLE, and winning and losing won’t affect the degree of affection shown
by spouses (usually), children (much), or your cat or dog (at all).
It really is enough to love the game and play it at your level of competence (or incompetence,
depending on how you look at it). If your happiness depends upon slow, steady progress, so much
the better. Keep at it, and you’ll make that progress. If it depends upon never losing, switch to Free
Cell immediately.
To be honest, I have a fourth point to my study plan, which involves using Zyzzyva to study 1,000
eights at a time, repeating them until my mind is numb, along with similar sets of fours, fives,
sevens, and power-tile specific combinations. This is serious stuff, after all, and those words that
absolutely refuse to yield get threatened with an entry in my word diary. Once there, they have no
hope of escape.
I share this fourth point because, all kidding aside, a wordsmith has to have some self-respect, and
this one fully intends to conduct a full-scale game-playing assault upon some major tournament
venue in 2014.
As Teddy “Tiles” Roosevelt never said: “Far better it is to fish for mighty things, to win on recounts,
even though checked by ultimate failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither gain ratings
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points nor spend much on hotels and commuter fees, because they live in a gray twilight that knows
not victory nor defeat.”
I am not at all sure whether the Word Diary Years – the first entry was only back on August 22, for
goodness’ sake - will prove to have been the critical phase in my SCRABBLE development that led
to glory at the Nationals, or the moment I began to definitively fulfill David Carlson’s warning.
I often fear something akin to the latter is more likely, but I remain optimistic, particularly as I now
finish this cup of English Breakfast tea and head home to read and collect a few more words.
I am sure of one thing: A little moleskin notebook takes up a heckuva lot less room than 30,000
index cards. And it’s better for the environment.
Chris Sinacola is director of the Worcester (MA) NASPA SCRABBLE Club #600.
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The Newtown SCRABBLE® Series Geocaches
By Cornelia Guest
Just over a mile from my house, on Taunton Hill Road in Newtown, CT, is
the Brunot Preserve, 72 acres of hiking and horseback riding trails
through some of Newtown’s prettiest woods and meadows. The preserve
is named for James Brunot, a Newtown resident who acquired the rights
to Alfred Mosher Butts’s game Criss Cross Words and renamed it
SCRABBLE®. Brunot copyrighted the game in December, 1948 and
licensed the game to Selchow and Righter in 1952. The rest is history-over 150 million sets of SCRABBLE have been sold worldwide.
In honor of James Brunot’s SCRABBLE legacy, geocachers Clint Noble
and Heathcliff Wonderful (pseudonyms, perhaps?) have created a
SCRABBLE geocaching series at the Brunot Preserve. For those
unfamiliar with geocaching, it is an outdoor treasure hunt of sorts, where
participants use a GPS tracker or compass to locate hidden containers,
called caches. There are seven caches hidden in the Brunot Preserve “SCRABBLE Series,” and
each includes a log book and picture of a SCRABBLE board, on which one of two players (Clint or
Heathcliff) has added a word. Each cache is considered one turn of play.
In addition to finding the caches, you must also determine the point value for each turn, as you’ll
need to remember the player and their scores to find the final cache. Geographic coordinates and
an encrypted clue are provided for each cache.
No problem, I thought. I went to the link for the first
SCRABBLE cache (http://www.geocaching.com/
geocache/GC2R2ND_scrabble-1-start) and found the
encrypted clue: Lbh arrq gb svaq vg orsber lbh pna ybt
vg. I decrypted it using their description key to the right.
The coordinates for the first cache were: N 41º 23.432 W 073º
21.598. My iPhone has a compass, so I drove to the Brunot
Preserve in the late afternoon, fully expecting to find the first
cache in about a half hour. Wrong. I found it very difficult to use
the iPhone compass; just as I thought I was on the right track,
the compass would indicate that I was way off. After forty
minutes I headed home, having had a nice afternoon walk, but
no closer to finding a cache.
After googling “Geocaching,” I bought the Geocaching app for
my iPhone and went to geocaching.com, where I watched the
video “Geocaching 101” and learned more. I was surprised to
learn that the activity has been popular worldwide since May,
2000, when the accuracy of GPS technology was improved so
that any location could be precisely pinpointed. A GPS
enthusiast put this change to the test by hiding a container in the
woods, posting coordinates online, and seeing who could find it.
Geocaching was born!
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Today geocaching is such a popular hobby that you can find hidden
caches a short walk, bike ride, or drive from almost anywhere in the world.
I was surprised to find that the Brunot Preserve caches were just several
of many in my area.
New $9.99 app uploaded to my iPhone, I returned the next morning to the
Brunot Preserve. While it took me a while to figure out the app, eventually
it made sense. On my screen was displayed a blue dot (my location) and
an icon of a cache (my goal); a line connected the two, and the distance
given was 120 feet. I walked a bit in the direction I’d gone the time before;
it was completely incorrect.
After testing several directions, I determined I was
headed the right way. The line between blue dot
and cache icon was shortening, as was the
distance to my treasure. At twenty feet away, I put
my iPhone away; GPS accuracy beyond twenty
feet is not great, and the geocaching site
recommends you start a basic search when you
are that close, looking for good hiding places.
A fallen tree looked promising. I reached into
knots hoping to find the cache (which had been
indicated to be “small”), but no luck. I saw a
strangely placed rock--an obvious hiding place, I
thought. A red herring. My geocaching app was
asking me whether I’d found the cache, whether I
needed a clue, if I wanted to click “Could not find.”
I was about to click the losers’ button (a wrench
icon on the app indicated the site needed
maintenance--perhaps the cache had been
removed?) when I saw what looked like an old
plastic bottle hidden behind a rock. I pulled it out
and thrilled to the discovery of my first cache!
Inside was a logbook, a small SCRABBLE board
with the first play, and various items left by
previous finders. A geocacher is told to take an item and leave another. I
took a sticker--and left one of Mike Baron’s SCRABBLE® Cheat Sheets.
Newtown could not be much more beautiful this time of year, with
the trees changing color and the warmth of an Indian summer. I’ll
be heading back to the Brunot Preserve to hunt for the remaining
six caches in the “SCRABBLE® Series.” The preserve is open
year round, though closed at night, and dogs on leash are
allowed. Come try your luck!
For more information on geocaching and to find geocaches near
you, go to http://www.geocaching.com
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Fill in the Blanks
By Jeff Kastner
Here’s a fun game that will put your bingo-finding and anagramming skills to the test.
Each of the seven racks below contains an acceptable 6-letter word ending in a ‘Y’, plus a blank
(represented by the “?” symbol). There is one (and only one) bingo in each rack. What letter do you make
the blank in each case and what is the bingo? (All words found must be OWL2 acceptable.)
Secret Words: I’ve upped the challenge this month. Once you’ve filled in all the blanks correctly, unscramble
those seven letters to form a pair of bingos (the “Secret Words”). Even if you only have a few of the letters,
you may still be able to uncover the two Secret Words with the following…
Clue: Online personal journals. Its anagram describes a physical deformity marked by bone curvature.
SCURRY ? =
APATHY ? =
HOURLY ? =
DROWSY ? =
MOPERY ? =
GAIETY ? =
CLUMSY ? =
ANSWERS on the next page
Jeff Kastner, originally from New York City, has been living in Phoenix, AZ since 1985. Jeff is one of
a handful of players who has ever been ranked in the USA-top-50 in both SCRABBLE® and chess.
He is the 2010-2011 Phoenix SCRABBLE® Club champion, the 2011-12 Phoenix “Floating” Club
champion, as well as the 2011 Scottsdale SCRABBLE® Club champ.
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ANSWERS
SCURRY ? = CURSORY
APATHY ? = PATHWAY
HOURLY ? = ROUGHLY
DROWSY ? = BYWORDS
MOPERY ? = POLYMER
GAIETY ? = GASIETY
CLUMSY ? = LYCEUMS
Secret Words: OWGBLSE = WEBLOGS and BOWLEGS
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Nice Rack: How to Enter the Professional SCRABBLE®
Scene
By Kate Gavino
This piece originally appeared in Hello Giggles and is reprinted with permission.
Thanks to the time-sucker that is Words With
Friends, word games have experienced a
renaissance lately, which means more attention is
being paid to the mother of all word board games:
SCRABBLE. The game has been around for 75
years and has developed a professional
tournament scene that’s been chronicled in the
documentary Word Wars and the book/memoir
Word Freak. It’s a fascinating, highly competitive
scene, and one that I’ve been proud to be in. But
one question has always bothered me at club
meetings and tournaments: Where are all my
fellow girls?
National SCRABBLE champions tend to be male,
though there was one female champ in the past
[the late Rita Norr Provost]. Club meetings have their fair share of women, but very rarely are they
younger than 35 (though the youngest expert in tournament history is only 13 years old). So
consider this a call to arms, ladies. The SCRABBLE world needs more young women who can rattle
off anagrams in their sleep. Here are six steps to joining the professional scene, accessories not
included.
1. Become a formidable living room player.
A “living room player” is the rather condescending term Scrabblers use to label those who have
never played tournament-style SCRABBLE before. But hey, you have to start somewhere.
Challenge everyone –your cousin, your best friend, your English teacher with a word-a-day
calendar– to a game. Be that person who insists on no cheating or playing fake words (see: “twerk”
and “STFU”). Enforce the rules when it comes to challenging a word and use the official SCRABBLE
dictionary. Sure, some people might bristle against your officialness when it comes to a board game,
but you’re laying the groundwork to becoming a take-no-prisoners tournament player.
2. Join ISC.
Once you can beat everyone in your immediate social circle (sorry, Mom), join the Internet Scrabble
Club (ISC). This is the platform many other tournament players use, and it’s an easy way to
familiarize yourself with obscure words that come naturally to many seasoned tile-movers. Bingos
(words that use up all seven of your tiles and give you an extra 50 points) may get all the glory, but
it’s the tricky two- and three-letter words that are the most important. Playing people from all over
the world on ISC will help you master them, along with other aspects of a tournament, such as timed
games and the occasional profanity-filled outburst from your opponent (which is why, out of selfpreservation, I have turned the “chat” feature off).
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3. Find your local club.
Now that you’ve dipped your toe deeper into the SCRABBLE world, you’re ready to play fellow
tournament players at your local SCRABBLE club. Playing in person can be nerve-wracking,
especially when you’re first adjusting to hitting the timer after each turn, marking off letters on your
score sheet, and other general game etiquette. But most clubs allow newbies to use cheat sheets
with short word lists, and, for the most part, are always willing to help you get used to the rules.
Remember: This isn’t a tournament, so don’t get flustered if you add the scores incorrectly (that’s
why players usually confirm totals after each turn) or lose spectacularly (it makes your first win all
the more satisfying). This is still a game, and it’s supposed to be fun — once you’ve stopped kicking
yourself for not using up that Q fast enough.
4. Join NASPA.
After you’ve become a club regular and even have a few victories under your belt, you’re probably
itching to play your first official tournament. But before you can, you have to purchase a
membership to the North American SCRABBLE® Players Association (NASPA). They’re the people
who sanction official tournaments and even offer youth memberships at a discount. Once you’re a
member, there’s no turning back. You officially have a disease called SCRABBLE, and the only cure
is anagramming.
5. Start memorizing word lists.
You may have words like “ZA” and “QI” practically tattooed to the inside of eyelids by now, but
there’s a vast wasteland of words you still don’t know. Many professional players take to memorizing
word lists, which help them anagram their tiles at an even quicker rate. There are plenty of helpful
lists here to start off with, and to ensure your proficiency, download Zyzzva, a program that helps
you quiz yourself on these words. Don’t try to swallow the dictionary all at once. Memorize small
chunks at a time on your morning subway commute or during lunch. Instead of singing Ke$ha in the
shower, belt out all the anagrams of “RETINAS.” Try it — it’s actually pretty fun.
6. Play your first tournament.
All right, you’ve found a nearby tournament and registered, and the time has come: your first
tournament. Try to imagine it’s just another game at your local club, and ignore the rating of the
grandmother or insurance salesman or retired schoolteacher you’re playing against, no matter how
high it is. After all, they started out at zero, too. It can be exhausting playing several games in a row,
especially during a losing streak, but there’s always that next turn and the promise of playing a
stellar word. You may finish the tournament in last place, but chances are you probably learned a
new word or two. I ended up winning my first tournament, only to lose every subsequent one after
that. But I kept coming back. Most SCRABBLE players do, forming tight, competitive friendships
with each other. And it would be nice to have a couple more girls my age there, just saying.
Kate Gavino lives in Brooklyn by way of Texas. She studied writing at Pratt Institute and currently
works in publishing. She has a part chow-part German shepherd who stays up all night to get lucky.
Follow her on Twitter: @kategavino.
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Online SCRABBLE® Games
This column features online games and news about online SCRABBLE® play. If you have an
online game you’d like to share--or news related to online SCRABBLE, please send it to
Cornelia Guest at CorneliaSGuest@gmail.com.
____________________________________________________________
From June Clarke Downer:
In July I played the game below on the Internet SCRABBLE® Club (ISC) with Youmeyou, whose
real name I do not know. Under his finger notes it said that he has almost 20 years of experience as
a NSA/NASPA/WGPO player. I was happy to beat him; my bingos were SERIATED and INULASE,
and his bingo in that game was EUPNOEA.
I am a radiation therapist from Jamaica in the West Indies who has been playing SCRABBLE® at
home for over 40 years. A few years ago I bought Mike Baron's SCRABBLE® Wordbook and Joel
Wapnick’s How to Play SCRABBLE® Like a Champion, and the information from these books has
helped me to improve my game. I have no fear in playing with players in higher ranks as I feel that
they have more to lose if they let me beat them and at the same time I am learning from them.
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From Erickson Smith:
Erickson Smith, from North Carolina recently played two really long words in online games against
Flora Taylor.
The first was the 13-letter word ISo(METRIC)ALLY for 118 points.
“The turn before I had GILOSY?,
saw I could play SOGGILY in a few
places, and also ISO(METRIC),
but I played GOY for the points
and leave. I was hoping draw
another O for ISOMETRIC or play
another bingo next turn. Somehow,
both of my wishes came true, and I
drew the exact letters for
ISo(METRIC)ALLY, which I saw
right away!”
The complete game is on the
Quackle file F58.
In a Facebook game with Flora that ended August 20, Eric actually managed to make a 15-letter
word: eXTRA(JUDICICALLY).
“My 1st play was YEASTED,
followed by JU(D)ICIaL. I
noticed right away that it was
possible to fit
EXTRAJUDICIALLY in that spot
(don't ask me why I knew that
word). After another bingo, I
drew LXY, and played
(JUDICIaL)LY. I drew a T, and
then AR. I actually spent the
rest of the game fishing 3 tiles
off for an E, but I only managed
to get a blank on the last turn,
and played
eXTRA(JUDICIaLLY) for 52
points.”
The complete game is at http://www.cross-tables.com/annotated.php?u=15607#0.
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From Bernie McMahon:
A crazy tie game in Super SCRABBLE® on the Pixie Pit (968-968). My opponent is Kenneth
Sansone from Brentwood, NY, who has never been to a tournament or a club despite a good
amount of coaxing on my part over the years. I turned him onto the game over a dozen years ago at
the library where I used to go to get online before I had a computer at home. He probably has close
to a zillion games on ISC and on the Pixie Pit give or take a jillion....
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Learn SCRABBLE® Forum Consensus Games (Rick Blakeway)
Collins players may be interested in following the consensus games British Scrabbler Rick
Blakeway has been posting on the Learn SCRABBLE® forum.
The current game has come up with a very interesting position. You can view
the latest move at
http://www.learnscrabble.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=92&p=518#p518
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The Nervous Rack: My Life in SCRABBLE®
By Daiva Markelis
Daiva Markelis is a professor of English at Eastern Illinois University and the
author of White Field, Black Sheep: A Lithuanian-American Life. She and
her husband, expert Marty Gabriel, both play tournament SCRABBLE.
_____________________________________________________________
Boggle
(8/3/13) The recent Slate article about the “superiority” of Boggle to SCRABBLE http://
www.slate.com/articles/life/gaming/2013/08/
boggle_vs_scrabble_or_why_there_should_be_a_boggle_national_championship.html made me
think of the early weeks of my courtship with Marty. We played a lot of Super Boggle, but I got tired
of friends asking what Marty and I did for fun and answering, “Oh, we play a lot of Super Boggle.”
Plus, we got bored. We needed something more exciting, more dangerous. This is when we
discovered SCRABBLE. My scholarly conclusion is that Boggle is the marijuana of games, the
gateway drug leading to SCRABBLE.
Anyway, here are my recollections.
The first time I saw Marty’s apartment I felt I’d stepped back into the late Fifties, not the retro
fashionable decade of Eames chairs and oval-shaped coffee tables, but the middle-class suburban
world of plaid couches and crocheted rugs and the obligatory aspidistra plant. A troll doll with a
shock of matted green hair guarded a shelf of dusty paperbacks, among them Body Language
(price tag—1.25), Ben Hogan’s Guide to Modern Golf (circa 1957), and a dictionary dating back to
the days of Dwight Eisenhower. I picked up the doll as if it were a miraculous relic. When I was
growing up, my immigrant parents forbid anything that smacked of the vulgar, cheap, or noneducational; troll dolls were at the top of their vulgar/cheap/non-educational list. That a man in his
forties would own such a thing was fascinating and also slightly disturbing.
“Let’s play some Super Boggle,” Marty said.
It was a brilliant strategic move, distracting me from further investigation of his troll doll collection.
The point of Super Boggle is to make as many words as possible from a grid of letters printed on the
sides of twenty-five dice. The cubes are shaken in a covered box and then fall into a tray so that
only one letter of each die can be seen.
“You know I’m going to win,” I told Marty. “I know more words than you.”
“Would you like something to drink?” he answered, ignoring my statement. “I can make you my
special concoction.”
“Special concoction?”
“Diet Pepsi mixed with cranberry juice and water.
We sat down at the kitchen table with our Number Two pencils and scraps of paper and our special
concoctions. Marty turned over the sand timer. We started jotting down words. I thought I was doing
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pretty well with my cat, act, acted, dot, dots, and oxen but then heard Marty furiously scribbling
away. I started writing down highly questionable words just to get the scribble scribble scribble out of
my head.
Marty’s final list included detected, oxymoron, and toddies.
I showed him my little inventory.
“Daiva, I don’t think deact, enox and stod are words.”
“Let’s play again,” I said.
We played again.
I lost again.
“Listen, can you put on some music?” I said, needing a breather.
“I think I have a transistor radio somewhere.”
I thought he was joking, but when I went to search the living room for a stereo and CDs, all I saw
was the plaid couch and the sad-looking plant and a television that may very well have been black
and white. On the walls hung several paintings of nature scenes; in one of them, the pumpkins
were almost as big as the haystacks they were propped against.
“Interesting perspective.”
“A relative painted these,” Marty bragged.
“Mm-hmm.”
The bright spot of the room was a small terrarium filled with various succulents, painted rocks,
pieces of driftwood and little plastic dinosaurs: a triceratops leaning against the glass as if trying to
escape his glassy jail, a tyrannosaurus rex mounting a velociraptor.
“A girl friend gave that to me,” Marty said. “But the dinosaurs were my own special touch.”
And then I saw that there were little plastic dinosaurs outside the terrarium forming a crooked line on
the coffee table. The line continued on the rug, as if the dinosaurs were ants heading towards their
hill after putting in a hard day of work on the pavement.
“You haven’t seen the bedroom yet,” Marty said.
“Is it full of dinosaurs?”
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Word Trivia Quiz
By Siri Tillekeratne
The following words whose unique meanings are given were added to the OSPD in 2006. What are
those words?
1. A unit of ionizing radiation
2. An abbreviation to indicate the source of an edited text
3. To dance in a loose-limbed manner
4. Filthy or sleazy
5. A homeless person
6. To hit on the head
7. A board with foot bindings that is used for skysurfing
8. The practice of switching a person's telephone service from one company to
another without permission
9. A person of low morals or character
10. A mountain
ANSWERS on next page.
Siri Tillekeratne is a director of the Calgary NASPA SCRABBLE® Club #374 and a former Director
of the Year.
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ANSWERS
(*indicates pre-2006 words)
1. A unit of ionizing radiation
SIEVERT/S
2. An abbreviation to indicate the source of an edited text
3. To dance in a loose-limbed manner
4. Filthy or sleazy
SIGLUM/SIGLA
SKANK/S/ED/ING
SKANKY/KIER/KIEST
5. A homeless person
6. To hit on the head
SKELL/S
SKULL*/S*/ED*/ING
7. A board with foot bindings that is used for skysurfing
SKYBOARD/S
8. The practice of switching a person's telephone service from one company to
another without permission SLAMMING*/S
9. A person of low morals or character
10. A mountain
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SLEAZOID/S
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What’s Your Play?
An interesting play in a pairs game (Joel Sherman & Fred Schneider vs. Ben Schoenbrun & Kris
Dietz).
ANSWER on next page.
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ANSWER
5G (N)EO(T)ENIEs
See the complete game at http://www.cross-tables.com/annotated.php?u=15785%2313#0#
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50 Scrabbly Animals
By Derek McKenzie
I recently put together a couple of videos to provide a fun and powerful way to meet some of the
less common words that often adorn our SCRABBLE® boards.
In the video below, every animal name is valid in Scrabble and Words With Friends, so you can play
them in your very next game! Most are in Merriam-Webster too, so you might want to rehearse them
for spelling-bee prep. In the meantime, what was your favorite animal? Mine was the HYRAX. I
wonder if you're allowed to keep them as domestic pets??
Click the Aardwolf below to see the first video: 50 Animals to KILL your Grandmother (at
SCRABBLE).
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
To learn more interesting words, go to http://www.WordBuff.com. For additional vocabulary
boosters, memory tools, word lists, expert tips, links to popular games, and more, visit my website
Word Buff at www.word-buff.com
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Know the Rules
By Jan Cardia, NASPA Rules Committee Chair
Jan Cardia, a longtime expert player and chair of the NASPA Rules Committee,
writes this monthly column on rules for The Last Word. We are thrilled to have
Jan sharing her rules expertise with our readers, and we encourage you to
email any questions you may have about tournament and club rules to
CorneliaSGuest@gmail.com. (Photo credit: Jill Jarrell)
___________________________________________________________
NASPA has published its newest edition of the Official Tournament Rules as of Sept. 10, 2013. All
changes are effective in rated and club play as of Sept. 24. The full rules document and a summary
of changes can be downloaded from the NASPA Wiki here: http://www.scrabbleplayers.org/w/Rules
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Scrab-doku
By Jeff Kastner
In a standard Sudoku, your object is to fill in every square of the grid so that all nine rows across, all nine
columns down, and all nine 3-by-3 boxes contain the numbers 1 through 9, with no repeats.
Same rules apply to this Scrab-doku, but I’ve added a few twists to help you solve it. First of all, I use letters
to replace the numbers. These letters are part of a “Keyword,” which I’ve scrambled below. I’ve also
provided a clue to help you find the correct anagram. Once you’ve unscrambled the Keyword, one of the
rows or columns will contain all of its 9 letters in the proper order.
This month’s “Scrambled” Keyword: ROWDY PALS
Clue: It means: Witty uses of language or clever verbal exchanges. (Its anagram suggests even ‘sharper’
exchanges!)
SOLUTION on the page after next.
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Word-Finder Challenge:
Here’s an additional test of your anagramming ability. Your object is to find all the words you can
containing 5 or more letters and using only the 9 letters of this month’s (Scrambled) Keyword:
ROWDY PALS.
Words can be 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9 letters long, and must be OWL2 acceptable. Each letter of the Keyword may be
used only once within any word you find. So, for instance, SOAPY is acceptable, but not SOAPS or SAPPY.
Par Scores for this month’s Word-Finder Challenge:
36 Words (Novice); 55 Words (Intermediate); 70 Words (Advanced)
Once you’ve compiled your list, check out my SOLUTION on the next page.
See you next month with another Scrab-doku puzzle and Word-Finder Challenge! …Jeff Kastner
Jeff Kastner, originally from New York City, has been living in Phoenix, AZ since 1985. Jeff is one of
a handful of players who has ever been ranked in the USA-top-50 in both SCRABBLE® and chess.
He is the 2010-2011 Phoenix SCRABBLE® Club champion, the 2011-12 Phoenix “Floating” Club
champion, as well as the 2011 Scottsdale SCRABBLE® Club champ.
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SOLUTION
Keyword (Unscrambled): WORDPLAYS (92 Words Total)
APODS
ARYLS
AWOLS
DOPAS
DORPS
DORSA
DORSAL
DOWRY
DRAWL
DRAWLS
DRAWLY
DRAWS
DRAYS
DROPS
DROPSY
DROWSY
LARDS
LARDY
LOADS
LORDS
LYARD
ODYLS
OPALS
ORALS
PALSY
PARDS
PARDY
PARODY
PAROL
PAROLS
PAWLS
PAYOR
PAYORS
PLAYS
PLODS
PLOWS
PLOYS
POLAR
POLARS
POLYS
PRAOS
PRAYS
PROAS
PRODS
PROSY
PROWL
PROWLS
PSYWAR
PYROLA
PYROLAS
PYROS
RASPY
RAWLY
ROADS
ROWDY
ROYAL
ROYALS
SADLY
SAPOR
SAROD
SLOYD
SOAPY
SOLAR
SOWAR
SPADO
SPLAY
SPORAL
SPRAWL
SPRAWLY
SPRAY
SWARD
SWORD
SWORDPLAY
WARDS
WARPS
WASPY
WOAD
WOADS
WOALD
WOALDS
WOLDS
WORDPLAY
WORDPLAYS
WORDS
WORDY
WORLD
WORLDS
WRAPS
YARDS
YAWLS
YAWPS
YOWLS
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SCRABBLE® and Scrabblers in the News
Edited by Judy Cole
See something about SCRABBLE® or a SCRABBLE® player in the news? Let us know! Send your
stories to Judy Cole (judithcole@msn.com).
______________________________________________________________________________
Tourney Talk
AUGUST MILESTONES
SCRABBLE clubs and tournaments are in the
news:
• South Africa – Llewellin Jegels, who
recently defeated Kenyan SCRABBLE player
Nicholas Mbugua to win the South Africa
SCRABBLE National Championship,
downplays the role of luck in SCRABBLE:
MATTHEW O'CONNOR reached 1900 for the
first time at the Old Greenwich (CT) tournament.
CHRIS TALLMAN reached 1700 for the first
time at the Ottawa (ON) tournament.
JOSH KOPCZAK reached 1700 for the first time
at the Findlay (OH) tournament.
ANDY HOANG reached 1500 for the first time at
the Wilmington (DE) tournament.
“For a social player, luck plays an enormous role. For
top players, because we understand probability,
we’re doing something different. If luck is the issue,
how is it possible for top players to keep on
winning?”
Daily Maverick (07/30/2013) http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2013-07-30-scrabbling-to-thetop/#.Uiy_CdKsgRS
• Old Greenwich (CT) – The 3rd annual Old Greenwich SCRABBLE tournament took place from
August 16 to 18, 2013, at the Hyatt Regency in Old Greenwich and drew 60 players from
throughout the Northeast.
Players Ben
Schoenbrun and Ed
Turn agree with
tournament director
Cornelia Guest that
people come for the
sense of community as
much as for the
competition.
Greenwich Time (08/16/2013) http://www.greenwichtime.com/news/article/It-s-game-time-forScrabble-competitors-4739382.php#photo-5054645
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• United Kingdom SCRABBLE Championship – 58 players are slated to compete in the
semifinals for the UK SCRABBLE Championship to be held in Cardiff (Wales) in mid-September.
Among the competitors making the news are:
• Mark Nyman – Mark, who has been playing competitively since 1980 and won the World
SCRABBLE Championship in 1993, is looking forward to playing at Millennium Stadium
where he previously attended a semifinal soccer match between Arsenal and Liverpool.
Knutsford Guardian (09/02/2013) http://www.knutsfordguardian.co.uk/news/
10636870.Word_wizard_Mark_bids_to_win_the_national_title/?ref=nt
•Jack Durand – The 13-year old will be one of the
youngest competitors to date at the Championship.
Jack, who attends City of London School, has
competed in the World Youth Championships for the
past three years and will compete at this year’s event in
Dubai in December.
Ham & High (09/06/2013) http://www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/
highgate_teenager_bids_to_become_youngest_ever_national_scrabble_champion_1_23663
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Jason on Jeopardy!
Another Jason – Ypsilanti (MI) SCRABBLE player
Jason Idalski – will appear on the October 8, 2013,
episode of Jeopardy!
After taking the online test in January, Jason
auditioned in Detroit (MI) on July 14th and on August
1st, received the call to come to California on August
27th. He used August to practice and to bone up on
the presidents, a common category but not one that,
as it turns out, he needed.
http://www.annarbor.com/news/ypsilanti/answeringthe-phone-call-to-a-dream-opportunity/
http://annarbor.com/entertainment/ypsilantis-jasonidalski-takes-a-turn-on-game-show-jeopardy/
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At Your Service
The Queensborough Community College
Service-Learner newsletter (Summer, 2013)
features New York City (NY) SCRABBLE
player and Engineering Technology professor
Jeffrey Schwartz.
Please, Mr. Postman
The opposition to Mattel’s choice of Electronic Arts for Facebook
SCRABBLE outside of North America continues. On August 5, 2012,
nearly 500 letters and emails were hand-delivered in person by seven
SCRABBLE enthusiasts to Mattel’s office in Vanwall Business Park.
Among the group’s complaints are the fear that the removal of the Report
Abuse button increases risk of harassment and bullying.
Maidenhead Advertiser (08/11/2013) http://www.maidenhead-advertiser.co.uk/News/Areas/
Maidenhead/Scrabble-lovers-deliver-letters-of-outrage-to-Mattels-headquarters-07082013.htm
A Slice of ZA
A SCRABBLE-playing pizza chef wants his job title –
PIZZAIOLO* - to be added to the SCRABBLE lexicon.
Neil Curtis, the PIZZAIOLO* at Pizza Express in
Huddersfield (UK), began the campaign when the
company’s new CEO, Richard Hodgson, invited
employees to ask him anything.
Hodgson has called on the firm’s 10,000 employees
to join Neil in his quest to have PIZZAIOLO* join
BARISTA and PIZZAIOLA# in the Collins lexicon.
PIZZAIOLO* was added to the online Oxford English
Dictionary in 2006.
The Huddersfield Daily Examiner (08/11/2013) http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/west-yorkshirenews/huddersfield-man-neil-curtis-backs-5693114
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Scrabbling for a Cause
SCRABBLE tournaments as fundraisers are in the news:
•Knutsford (UK) – On July 20, 2013, about 30 people competed in a
SCRABBLE tournament to benefit the Royal Manchester Children’s
Hospital Charity in Manchester (UK).
The event, which raised £300, was organized by 1993 World
SCRABBLE Champion Mark Nyman.
Knutsford Guardian (08/06/2013) http://www.knutsfordguardian.co.uk/
news/10583096.Knutsford_Scrabble_fans_battle_it_out_for_charity/
Father and Son
A SCRABBLE game between father and son is featured in the New Yorker
(08/26/2013) Shouts and Murmurs column – the Z plays a critical role.
http://www.newyorker.com/humor/2013/08/26/130826sh_shouts_rich?
currentPage=all
Margaret Gullette offers her reaction to the story in the Huffington Post
(08/29/2013).
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/margaret-m-gullette/isnt-euthanasia-funny-the_b_3838273.html
The Art of SCRABBLE®
Dundas (NZ) artist Maureen Steuart, who has been playing
SCRABBLE with her husband and friends for about 4 years, has
made the game the focus of her latest exhibition at the Carnegie
Gallery, The SCRABBLE Group.
http://www.thespec.com/whatson-story/4035153-steuart-racks-uphigh-score-with-scrabble-show/
___________________________________________________________________________
Judy Cole is co-director of the Lexington MA NASPA SCRABBLE® Club #108 and solves crossword
puzzles when not playing SCRABBLE®.
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Real or Phony?
By Adam Henderson
Play "Real or Phony?" a simple new game for The Last Word. The rules are simple: You are given
10 words, any of which may be real or phony. Your goal is to guess which are which. Each set will
have a theme. This month's theme is words that end in -ABLE. Can you guess which ones are
phony?
1. SEEKABLE
2. BAKEABLE
3. WINABLE
4. MILKABLE
5. TIREABLE
6. FOILABLE
7. DATEABLE
8. LASTABLE
9. RUNABLE
10. PRUNABLE
ANSWERS on the next page
Adam Henderson is a 31-year-old from the Seattle area. He is currently ranked 1266 (NASPA).
Besides SCRABBLE®, Adam enjoys playing video games and following politics.
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ANSWERS
Answers: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, and 9 are phony. 6, 7 and 10 are real.
Real: FOILABLE, DATEABLE, PRUNABLE
Phony: SEEKABLE, BAKEABLE, WINABLE, TIREABLE, LASTABLE, RUNABLE
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Linda’s Library
By Linda Wancel
As an avid reader and book lover, I have found that many other Scrabblers also share my passion for books
and for reading. So I am happy to have this opportunity to share some of my favorite books with you. These
reviews, for the most part, were written for Amazon.com, where I have been writing reviews under a
pseudonym for over ten years. I hope that the book lovers among you may find your interest piqued by
some of these books.
____________________________________________________________
Fiction:
Nonfiction:
The Fourteen Sisters of Emilio
Montez O’Brien
Waiting for Snow in Havana:
Confessions of a Cuban Boy
By Oscar Hijuelos
By Carlos Eire
This is a lush and lyrically
written book, almost magical
in its approach. The story
focuses around the immigrant
Montez O'Brien family, the
father, Nelson O'Brien, being
Irish and the mother, Mariela
Montez, being Cuban.
Together they have fifteen
children, fourteen girls and
one long-awaited boy.
Although the eldest daughter, Margarita, gets the
most treatment in the story, it really is about the
entire family and how their lives unfold over time.
The book is rich in its prose, as well as vivid in its
imagery; the author conjures up a book that is
difficult for the reader to put down.
The book spans a lifetime, beginning at about the
turn of the twentieth century. The complex family
relationships and the choices each family member
makes provide a prism of experiences for the
reader to savor with each turning page. Each of the
characters bond together, yet each one is so
different and unique. Coupled with an exquisitely
wrought narrative, this book is sure to capture the
reader's heart. So much so did it capture mine that
I found myself wanting to be a part of that family.
The Fourteen Sisters of Emilio Montez O’Brien is
available at Amazon.com.
68
This is an achingly poignant
memoir, written with much
feeling and angst. The author,
who, at the age of eleven,
took part in Operation Pedro
Pan, which airlifted Cuban
children to the United States
from the hell that would
become known as Castro's
Cuba, remembers what it was
like to be a child growing up in
Cuba. His life would never
again be the same.
The author's wistful, lyrical recollections of his life in
Havana in pre-1962 Cuba are a birds-eye view into
a bygone era and the lives that were dramatically
changed by political vicissitudes. Redolent with
vivid imagery and palpable longing, this book is a
moving tribute to a way of life that has since gone
by the wayside. It is a profoundly moving,
beautifully written memoir that will linger in the
reader's mind long after the last page is turned, as
well as a brilliant testament to the deep love that
the author still has for the land of his birth.
Waiting for Snow in Havana is available at
Amazon.com.
Linda Wancel loves reading, writing, watching films,
traveling, and Scrabbling. She is the mother of 28year-old twins and has recently retired after having
been a criminal prosecutor for nearly 25 years.
H
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Historic Moments: SCRABBLE® Through the Years
Interpretation Issue Solved by OSPD and OSW
By Stu Goldman
This month's reminiscence is for enjoyment only. As suggested by the title, it concerns a problem
that no longer exists.
Before the OSPD (Official SCRABBLE® Players Dictionary), the Funk & Wagnall’s Standard
College Dictionary was used to settle challenges. This occasionally led to problems of interpretation,
especially concerning words beginning with UN. Most of those were on a list with no part of speech
given. Since both adjectives and verbs can begin with UN, deciding which extensions were
allowable sometimes required interpretation. I played in two tournaments in which UNFREES was
challenged. In one it was allowed, and in the other it was declared unacceptable. The OSPD, which
also had an UN list, showed it as a verb, which took all the normal verb extensioins.
Stranger still, in OSW, the lexicon used for SOWPODS, before that included all OSPD words,
UNFREE was an adjective that compared. So if a British (or Australian or whomever) had an
opponent who played UNFREES, s/he had a choice of successfully challenging it, or adding a T and
playing another word. The lesson here is that it helps all players if there is no room for interpretation
in challenges.
Stu Goldman lives in California and has been playing tournament SCRABBLE® for 40 years.
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Word Star
By Jeff Kastner
Play Word Star, a word game with similarities to Boggle, created and presented each month by Phoenix, AZ
expert Jeff Kastner.
The puzzle grid is in the shape of a hexagram…also known as the “Star of David.”
Your object is to find and list as many words as possible, using only the 7 letters contained in the Word Star
puzzle. All words must be OWL2 or Long List acceptable.
There are 3 basic rules to finding words within a Word Star puzzle:
1. Words must be at least 3 or more letters long (with no limit on how long the word can be).
2. Words are formed by using letters that adjoin each other. For example, the words RAN and
SUM are acceptable, but not RUINS, because the “N” and the “S” are not neighboring letters.
3. Letters within a word may repeat as many times as possible, as long as such letters are
repeated twice (or thrice) in a row, or as long as Rule 2 is followed. So, for example, NUN and
MUSS are both acceptable. But MURMUR would not be acceptable because the “R” and the “M”
are not adjoining.
•
70
Note that the Center Star, located in the white middle portion of the puzzle, is the most important
letter. It is the only letter that adjoins each of the 6 others in the puzzle. In addition, there are bonus
points awarded for using the Center Star as often as possible. The Center Star in this month’s puzzle
is the letter “U.”
W
O
R
D
S
T
A
R
Multiple forms of the same word are acceptable (for example, RATE, RATED, RATER, RATERS, and
RATES would all be fine, if they were in the puzzle). No points are awarded (and no penalty points are
assessed) for any entries on your word list that are not in the OWL2 or the Long List, or that do not adhere
to the above rules.
Points are scored as follows:
•
•
•
•
2 Points for each WORD found.
5 Bonus Points for each BINGO (7 or more letters) found.
1 Point for each LETTER of every word found.
1 Bonus Point for each CENTER STAR of every word found.
Example of Points Scored:
Let’s say a Word Star puzzle has an “S” as the Center Star letter, and your list consists of the following
words:
ATTIRE
ATTIRES
SAT
SATE
SATIRE
SATIRES
TIRE
TIRES
Your score would be:
•
•
•
•
16 Points for the 8 WORDS found.
10 Bonus Points for the 2 BINGOS (ATTIRES and SATIRES) found.
42 Points for each of the 42 LETTERS used in the 8 words.
7 Bonus Points for each CENTER STAR used (the letter “S” is used 7 times).
TOTAL SCORE in this imaginary example = 75 Points.
Par Scores for this month’s Word Star:
225 points (Novice); 350 points (Intermediate); 430 points (Advanced)
Once you’ve compiled your list, check out my SOLUTION on the next page.
See you next month with another Word Star puzzle! …Jeff Kastner
Jeff Kastner, originally from New York City, has been living in Phoenix, AZ since 1985. Jeff is one of a
handful of players who has ever been ranked in the USA-top-50 in both SCRABBLE® and chess. He is the
2010-2011 Phoenix SCRABBLE® Club champion, the 2011-12 Phoenix “Floating” Club champion, as well
as the 2011 Scottsdale SCRABBLE® Club champ.
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W
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SOLUTION
ANA
ANI
ANIMI
ANIMUS
ANNA
ANURAN
ANUS
ARS
ARUM
ARUMS
AURA
AURAR
AURUM
AURUMS
INN
MIM
MINA
MINI
MINIM
MINIMS
MINIMUM
MINIMUMS
MINIUM
MINIUMS
MINUS
MUM
MUMM
MUMMS
MUMS
MUMU
MUMUS
MUN
MUNI
MURA
MURR
MURRA
MURRS
MUS
MUSS
MUUMUU
MUUMUUS
NAAN
NAN
NANA
NIM
NIMS
NUMINA
NUN
NUS
RAN
RANI
RUANA
RUIN
RUM
RUMINA
RUMS
RUN
SUM
SUMS
SUN
PAR SCORES: 225 points (Novice); 350 points (Intermediate);
430 points (Advanced)
BEST SCORE:
2 Points for each WORD found:
74 Words = 148 points.
5 Bonus Points for each BINGO found:
9 Bingos = 45 points.
1 Point for each LETTER of every word found:
343 Letters = 343 points.
1 Bonus Point for each CENTER STAR of every word found:
79 I’s = 79 points.
TOTAL = 615 Points
72
SUNN
SUNNA
SURA
SURRA
SUSS
SUSURRUS
UMM
UNAU
UNAUS
UNUNUNIUM
UNUNUNIUMS
URANIUM
URANIUMS
URUS
S
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B
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E
:
T
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U
&
T
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U
SCRABBLE®: Thoreau & Thoreau
By Frank Lee Moody
Excerpts from “Scrabbler Choices,” 1988, by Thoreau Maskin:
“He’s dead,” the doctor said. I’m sorry.” Captain Scrabble hung up the phone and returned to
the board. His next play was MOURN for 10 points; it cost him the game.
*
Captain Scrabble ran for his life. His pursuers poured out of buildings and alleyways.
Despite his superior strength and speed, they drew closer, howling maniacally. If only they’d
been good enough to play all of this could have been avoided, he thought as he tumbled into
a pothole.
*
Hank, among the lowliest of Mighty M’s minions, raised her hand. “If I can be anybody in
Captain Scrabble’s troops I wanna be, I choose Sarasota Coccyx whose rating is 1993.7.”
“Fine. Surgeons, forward! Remove that tiny sense of humor of there in the corner. And the
social skills? They definitely have gotta go. And the friendly banter ability. Now, insert
LeXpert’s dictionary -- 2s through 15s! How d’ya feel now, Hank?”
*
Excerpt from “Scrabble® Revolution Made Easy: See What They are Hiding from Us?”,
1994, by Thoreau Maskin:
The shadow hunched before the darkened door. In twenty seconds the door was open, a
weak light was on and the intruder had booted up the office computer. Half an hour later all
was back to normal; a small man could be seen skipping down the block with a huge grin on
his face, whistling. Next day could be heard NSA’s Joe Edley exclaiming to his ofice mates
as his face grew mottled with rage, “What happened here? Somthing’s wrong with our
computer. I can’t find a single player rating over 1800. What is this? Who would do a
dastardly thing like this? What am I gonna tell my friends?”
Excerpts copyright ©1972, 1994, 1997 by Frank Lee. Reprinted here courtesy of Connie
Breitbeil.
Players interested in free copies of SCRABBLE®: Thoreau & Thoreau should contact Connie
at Conniebreitbeil@yahoo.com
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Passages
Edited by Larry Sherman
Each month we will be including information about SCRABBLE® players (births, deaths, marriages,
etc.) Please send your news to Cornelia Guest at CorneliaSGuest@gmail.com.
______________________________________________________________________________
DEATHS
WEBSTER PHILLIPS
Webster Belden Phillips, a lifelong resident of Montclair, NJ, died peacefully
at home of heart failure on August 16th, 2013, two months shy of his 68th
birthday.
Web Phillips began performing professionally as a jazz drummer in seventh
grade, and retained his passion for music throughout his life. He attended
high school at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, where he
served as editor of the school newspaper, led a jazz band and graduated
with high honors. He enrolled at Yale College in 1965, but left school after
his freshman year to become a beat reporter for the Pottstown Mercury, a
daily newspaper in Pottstown, PA. Over the ensuing twenty-five years, Mr. Phillips worked
intermittently in journalism, drummed professionally and travelled extensively.
In his late forties, he completed his college degree at Montclair State University, learned several
languages, and continued to travel. He found that his skill in mathematics, when combined with his
extensive vocabulary and exceptional memory, provided him with special skills in board games,
SCRABBLE® in particular. He competed in SCRABBLE tournaments for the final twenty years of his
life, winning several tournaments and maintained for many years a top-100 ranking, with a peak
rating of 1962. His final tournament was this year’s National SCRABBLE® Championship in Las
Vegas, where he finished 60th of 125 in Division 1, winning more than half his games.
During this period he continued to play the drums professionally and was widely admired in the jazz
community for his playing talent and his deep knowledge of the history of jazz. He recently served
as associate producer of the soon to be released jazz album, "Black Elk's Dream" on which he was
involved in developing the recording's concept, track order and mixing and mastering. He worked
with a number of other jazz musicians on their recording projects and enjoyed being in the studio.
Over the years he served as a mentor to younger jazz musicians and an advocate for the
preservation of a vibrant jazz community in New York City. At the time of his death, he was writing a
book on drum method that distilled his long experience of playing with big bands in the swing
tradition.
Web had many interests that extended beyond music. He read voluminously, wrote poetry,
corresponded broadly and enjoyed his wide circle of friends and family. He also was a formidable
backgammon player and a highly regarded chess player.
Web is survived by his mother, Martha Belden Phillips; his sister, Tacey Carroll; and his brothers,
Charles and Tyler.
Adapted from Webster Phillips’ obituary in the Montclair Times, which Web’s family wanted to share
with his friends in the SCRABBLE community.
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Remembering Webster Phillips
Our conversations were primarily philosophical. We discussed music, art, the intellect and
prosperity of the Scottish people, the stages of life and retirement. At the Princeton SCRABBLE®
Classic this past Spring, Webster played a drum roll for the Awards Ceremony.
I recently sent an invitation to him to join us this week at the Princeton SCRABBLE® Club's 15th
Anniversary and was hoping that he would be able to attend. I shall remember him fondly as a
thoughtful, kind, serious and knowledgeable gentle man whose friendship I shall continue to cherish.
-- Lynda Woods Cleary
Webb was an amiable guy and was thrilled for me when I figured out my first triple-triple against him
-- truthfully, it was my first ever against anyone! -- Susi Tiekert
Webster just had a 17-14 finish at the NSC in Las Vegas; nothing to be sneezed at. I had no idea he
was in poor health and I am very sorry to hear this. -- Amit Chakrabarti
Webb was an affable, charming and intelligent person. I was always glad to see him at tournaments,
and am saddened at his too early passing. -- Lynn Cushman
Webb was always a real pleasant person to be around. He played in a few of our Gatlinburg
tournaments. We are sorry to hear of his passing and know he will be missed. -- Mady and KC
So sorry to hear this. I liked Webster. There was an easy and articulate manner about him. Always
enjoyed our encounters, including at last month's Nationals. He made caps look good, too. -- Mike
Baron
Webb's first tournament win was at Haines Falls in September '84. This was also one of my first
tournaments, and I took second. Some of the at-the-time regulars had some who-are-those-guys
comments at our expense, and I recall losing to Richie Lund in a side game by 200+ -- not the way
to establish credibility, but that would come. X-tables reminds me that we met for the last time at
BAT in 2007, and I remember now how pleased I was to reminisce with Webb about our joint arrival
on the scene 23 years before. -- Jere Mead
What a very gracious person he was -- the epitome of a gentleman. Didn't know him well, but knew
him for many years. However, Joe Weineke is a dear friend of mine and I am most
intensely saddened that he has lost Webb -- they were very close and Webb's passing was sudden.
Harder, perhaps, for those who cared for him than for himself. -- Ann Sanfedel
i go back with Webster Phillips to at least the mid-80's...Atlantic City and perhaps a couple of the
nationals from that era...he also came to our Ft. Lauderdale club on several occasions...
always enjoyed chatting with him...
just saw and spoke with him at nationals last month...he looked fine...
time yet again for a deep breath, some self-reflection and the usual batch
of unanswerable philosophical questions.... -- Robert Kahn
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JEANNE BEATTY
By Diana Grosman
It is with great sadness that I write to inform the SCRABBLE® community about the death of Jeanne
Beatty on August 5. I received a note from her daughter, also named Jeanne Beatty, recently, letting
me know that she had passed away of natural causes at age 84. Jeanne said that her mother was
in good health and very active into her early eighties and was mentally sharp for her entire life. She
developed spinal degeneration and this year suffered from related complications.
Jeanne was a beloved member of our club, even after she moved to Pennsylvania and then
Virginia, from her Ellicott City, MD, home. She occasionally came to Baltimore when Fee Hughes
hosted and spent the night there. She was never an ultra-competitive player. I think she got her joy
from the camaraderie of the club or a tournament and the beauty of the words and the board. She
"specialized" in the compound word and would often forego a word of higher score to make the
word that she thought was lovely or unusual. She also loved to play obscure words related to
animals. In later years her tournament playing was pretty much confined to the Annapolis
tournaments run by Mary Lou Goetz.
Jeanne had the most positive attitude of anyone I know. She never moaned or complained, whether
from personal issues or SCRABBLE losses. She took life as it came and always had a funny story
to share. And her baked goods were legendary!
We extend our condolences to her family and all of her many SCRABBLE friends.
Diana Grosman
Jeanne is survived by her five children, Shannon Beatty, Patrick Beatty, Bruce Beatty, Michele
(Beatty) Smith and Jeanne Beatty; four grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
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SCRABBLE®
Resources
INTERNET SCRABBLE®
CLUB
There are many study tools to
help SCRABBLE® players
hone their skills, including a
number of programs that can
be downloaded for free. This
section will offer suggestions
and links for both players and
directors.
Play Live SCRABBLE®
SCRABBLE® Tutorials
JOEL SHERMAN:
NEWBIES’ FIRST
SCRABBLE® LESSON
Expert Joel Sherman gives
invaluable advice to players
new to club and tournament
SCRABBLE.
MIKE BARON’S
SCRABBLE® TIPS
Mike Baron, expert player
and coach (and author of the
SCRABBLE® Wordbook)
shares tips from his book.
Play Online
SCRABBLE®
POGO SCRABBLE®
The official SCRABBLE®
online game. Created under
agreement with Hasbro in
2008.
SCRABBLE® ON
FACEBOOK
Select the SCRABBLE®
application on the Facebook
home page to play the official
SCRABBLE® game. Various
groups hold tournaments at
this site, including a group
called “Mad Scrabblers”.
U
A Romanian-based site and
application for interactive
games. A favorite site for
many of the top players.
CROSS-TABLES
Lists all upcoming
tournaments, as well as
results of past tournaments.
Has SCRABBLE®
tournament aides.
NASPA CLUB LISTINGS
Lists competitive clubs
throughout North America
with their meeting times and
locations.
NSA CLUB LISTINGS
Lists casual clubs throughout
North America with their
meeting times and locations.
WGPO CLUB LISTINGS
Lists clubs throughout North
America with their meeting
times and locations.
Apps for Scrabblers
ZARF
A free multipurpose iPhone/
iPad utility for SCRABBLE®
players in any language. It
provides word list lookup,
pattern matching,
tournament-style adjudication
and a timer customized for
tournament SCRABBLE®
play.
ZYZZYVA/ZYZZYVA LITE
iPhone app for practicing
anagramming skills and
learning words. Zyzzyva
R
C
E
S
includes Quiz, Search, and
Judge functions; Cardbox
Managment; Dropbox Sync;
Custom Lexicon Support; and
Lexicon Symbols. Zyzzva
Lite (free) includes Search
and Judge functions; Custom
Lexicon Import; and Lexicon
Symbols. You can sync quiz
data between the iPhone app
and the desktop program.
WORDLIST PRO 2.0
Android 2.2+ app for
practicing anagramming skills
and learning words. Also
functions as Word Judge.
Lightning fast word searches.
Supports TWL06, OSPD4,
CSW12, and CSW12 unique
words.
CROSSWORD GAME
SCORESHEET
This app keeps track of
scoring in crossword games
such as SCRABBLE®.
SCRABBLE®
Play SCRABBLE® on your
iPhone/iPad. Teacher feature
allows you to see what your
best word could have been
after every turn. Now also
available for Android devices:
click here.
SCRABBLE® TILE RACK
Turns your iPhone or iPad
Touch into a SCRABBLE® tile
rack. For use with an iPad.
WORDS WITH FRIENDS
The popular SCRABBLE®
variant for your iPhone/iPad.
Anagramming/Practice
Tools
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JUMBLETIME
A free web site for practicing
anagramming skills.
MAC USERS: After you do a
Jumbletime quiz on a Mac, the
scroll bar to view the results is
missing. To make it appear, go
to the lower right corner and
grab the striped triangle and
shrink the window all the way to
the top left corner. When you
pull it back, the scroll bar to the
right of the answers to the quiz
appears.
AEROLITH
A free application for practicing
anagramming skills and
learning words.
QUACKLE
A free application for playing,
simulating, and analyzing
games.
A
B
B
L
E
R
E
S
O
U
A full-board SCRABBLE® wordfinder program that shows you
every word that can possibly be
made on an entire
SCRABBLE® board. Full
version available at http://bit.ly/
ecwHPt
FRANKLIN SCRABBLE®
PLAYERS DICTIONARY
An electronic handheld
dictionary and anagrammer,
with many helpful options and
games. Includes the latest
word lists, and can be adjusted
from OSPD4 to OWL2 lists with
a code.
SCRABBLE® DICTIONARY
Type a word to check for
acceptability. OSPD4 words.
LEXIFIND SCRABBLE®
HELPER AND WORD GAME
WIZARD WORDFINDER
FOR GOOGLE CHROME
78
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OSPD (ospdscrabble@yahoogroups.co
m)
This group, dedicated to players
using The Official SCRABBLE®
Players’ Dictionary, offers lighthearted humor, daily word lists,
and more. Admission is to all
SCRABBLE® lovers.
WGPO Listserv
SCRABBLE® Blogs
A free vocabulary testing site.
For every correct word, grains
Mike Wolfberg’s computer
of rice are donated through the
program for anagramming, word United Nations World Food
judging, and word study.
Program. Feed hungry people
Includes lexicons for TWL,
as you expand your vocabulary!
CSW, OSPD4, Spanish, and
French. Available to buy at
Online SCRABBLE®
http://wolfberg.net/what/
Discussion Groups
A free application for practicing
anagramming skills and
learning words. Also has Word
Judge capabilities.
C
(WGPO@yahoogroups.com)
This group, open to all
members of the tournament
community, is a forum for issues
of interest to SCRABBLE®
players. No approval of any
CLICK HERE TO HELP END kind is needed to join, and
readers need not be members
WORD HUNGER AS YOU
of the Word Game Player’s
LEARN WORDS
Organization (WGPO).
WHAT
ZYZZYVA
R
CGP (crossword-gamespro@yahoogroups.com)
THE BADQOPH
DIRECTORY
This is a database of blogs by
known SCRABBLE® bloggers,
primarily tournament players.
As of March 29th there were
196 blogs in the directory.
Cheat Sheets
MIKE BARON’S CHEAT
SHEET
A great cheat sheet with 2s, 3s,
vowel dumps, short high-pointtile words, and good bingo
stems. Includes useful front
and back hook letters to make
3s from 2s.
This group, for NASPA
tournament players and
directors only, has the largest
membership of any online
tournament SCRABBLE®
discussion group. Admission is
MIKE BARON’S CHEAT
by approval only. Details can be
SHEET (for School
found at http://sasj.com/cgp/
SCRABBLE® and home
join.html.
play)
A great cheat sheet with 2s, 3s,
vowel dumps, short high-point-
S
C
R
tile words, and good bingo
stems. Includes useful front
and back hook letters to make
3s from 2s.
COOL WORDS TO KNOW
A terrific cheat sheet from the
National SCRABBLE®
Association for School
SCRABBLE® and home play.
Gives useful information on how
to find bingos, plus the 2s, 3s,
vowel dumps, and short highpoint-tile plays.
ERICA MOORE’S COLLINS
CHEAT SHEET
A
B
B
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E
R
E
S
Jeff Widergren’s software for
managing tournaments.
TSH
John Chew’s software for
managing tournaments.
6,000 puzzles to help you
become a better anagrammar
for SCRABBLE® or Words with
Friends. (Reviewed in the
November 2012 issue.)
BOB’S BRITISH BIBLE
A terrific book to build word
power for tournaments.
BOB’S BIBLE, SCHOOL
EDITION
For School SCRABBLE® and
home play.
The ideal book for learning
CWL12 (Collins) words. (See
review in the June issue of The
Last Word.)
BOB’S COLOR-CODED
BRITISH BIBLE
E
S
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
WORD BUILDER
Bob Jackman’s guide to
building a strong Collins
vocabulary, organized by word
length, familiarity, and part of
speech.
The ultimate guide to winning at
SCRABBLE@ by 3-time
National Champion Joe Edley
and John D. Williams, Jr.
Completely updated to include
all new words. (See review in
the January issue of The Last
word.)
HOW TO PLAY
SCRABBLE® LIKE A
CHAMPION
A guide to winning
SCRABBLE® from World
SCRABBLE® Champion Joel
Wapnick. Fantastic insights into
expert playing techniques. (See
review in the October, 2011,
issue of The Last Word.)
THE OFFICIAL
SCRABBLE® PLAYERS
DICTIONARY, FOURTH
EDITION
The ideal book for learning
CWL12 (Collins) words, with
The official word source for
color-coded entries for easy
School SCRABBLE® and
identification. (See review in the
casual play.
June issue of The Last Word.)
Tournament Management
Software
BROW-RAISERS II
C
EVERYTHING
SCRABBLE®, THIRD
ANAGRAMMAR
Joe Edley’s new book with over EDITION
COLLINS WORD LISTS
Marc Levesque’s software for
managing tournaments. Also
has a Yahoo user group you
can join as a support option.
R
Books
BOB’S BIBLE
DIRECTOR!
U
TOURNEYMAN
A great cheat sheet, particularly
for players new to Collins.
Includes 2s, 3s, vowel dumps,
for players new to Collins.
Includes 2s, 3s, vowel dumps,
Q without U words, short JQXZ
words, and the top 250 7s and
8s by playability.
Useful links to Collins word lists
can be found at the following
websites: http://
www.absp.org.uk/words/
words.html; http://
www.math.utoronto.ca/jjchew/
scrabble/lists/; http://
www.scrabble.org.au/words/
index.htm; http://
members.ozemail.com.au/
~rjackman/.
O
A brilliantly organized study
guide geared towards the
success of beginning and
intermediate players.
THE OFFICIAL
TOURNAMENT AND CLUB
WORD LIST, 2ND EDITION
The official word source for
NASPA tournament and club
play.
79
S
C
R
SCRABBLE®
TOURNAMENT & CLUB
WORD LIST (COLLINS)
The official word list for
international tournament play.
(Available at SamTimer.com.)
SCRABBLE® WORDBOOK
A great word book for
SCRABBLE® players by Mike
Baron. OSPD4 words. (POO
Lists available with words
excluded from the OWL2.)
WINNING WORDS
A Scrabbler’s dictionary of
words to four letters, by length,
familiarity, hook status and part
of speech, with definitions for all
unusual words and shading to
indicate non-TWL words. By
Bob Jackman, author of English
Language Word Builder.
80
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Tournament Calendar
Our calendar format addresses two concerns: 1) Readers want as complete a list as possible of
tournament dates; and 2) Readers want to know easily whether a tournament is sanctioned by
NASPA, WGPO, or is unrated.
However, because new tournaments are constantly being added to the schedule, it is difficult to be
all-inclusive. Please be sure to refer to the Websites of the organization sanctioning the tournament
for a complete list. Click NASPA or WGPO for the most up-to-date calendars. Links to NASPA and
some unrated tournaments are also posted at cross-tables.com.
Thanks to Henry Leong, who permitted The Last Word to adapt his calendar from the WGPO
Website.
Dates
Organization
Tournament/Location
OCTOBER
10/2-6
NASPA
CALGARY AB CAN
10/4-12
NASPA
PERU TOUR AND SCRABBLE
TOURNAMENT (TWL & COLLINS)
10/5
NASPA
LUBBOCK TX
10/6
NASPA
BALTIMORE (CANTONSVILLE) MD
10/6
NASPA
BERKELEY CA
10/6
NASPA
FAIRFIELD VT
10/11-13
NASPA
CHARLESTON WV (TWL & COLLINS)
10/11-13
WGPO
WISCONSIN DELLS WI
10/12
NASPA
ASBURY PARK NJ
10/12
NASPA
GUELPH ON CAN (TWL & COLLINS)
10/12
NASPA
PORTLAND OR (COLLINS)
10/12-13
NASPA
TUCSON AZ (TWL & COLLINS)
10/13
NASPA
FLORENCE MA
10/13
NASPA
GUELPH ON CAN (TWL & COLLINS)
10/13
NASPA
PHILADELPHIA PA
10/17-20
NASPA
LAKE GEORGE NY (TWL & COLLINS)
10/19
NASPA
BATON ROUGE LA
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10/19
NASPA
CHICAGO IL
10/19-20
NASPA
DALLAS TX
10/19
NASPA
ST. LOUIS PARK MN
10/20
NASPA
ELK HORN IA
10/20
WGPO
MOUNTAIN VIEW CA
10/20
WGPO
PORTLAND OR
10/26-27
NASPA
ARCATA CA
10/26
NASPA
AUSTIN TX
10/26-27
NASPA
BRANDON MB CAN
10/26
NASPA
COLUMBUS OH
10/26-27
WGPO
DURANGO CO
10/26
NASPA
KATONAH NY (TWL, COLLINS & YOUTH
DIVISIONS)
10/26
NASPA
SOUTH LYON MI
10/26-27
NASPA
WEST MEMPHIS AR
10/27
NASPA
BAYSIDE NY
10/27
NASPA
MISSISSAUGA ON CAN (TWL & COLLINS)
10/27
NASPA
WILMINGTON DE
NOVEMBER
11/1-3
NASPA
CAMBRIDGE MD
11/1-3
NASPA
TCC--WACO TX (TEXAS RESIDENTS ONLY)
11/2
NASPA
BRANTFORD ON CAN
11/2
NASPA
EDMONTON AB CAN
11/3
NASPA
BERKELEY CA
11/3
SCHOOL
SPOOKY SCRABBLE, RIDGEFIELD CT
SCRABBLE®
11/3
NASPA
82
TORONTO ON CAN

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D
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11/8-9
NASPA
INDIANAPOLIS (LEBANON) IL (TWL &
COLLINS)
11/9-10
NASPA
ASHEVILLE NC
11/9-10
NASPA
ORLANDO FL
11/9
NASPA
PITTSBURGH PA
11/9-10
NASPA
PORTLAND OR
11/9-10
WGPO
ST. PAUL MN
11/9
NASPA
WHITESBORO NY (TWL & COLLINS)
11/10
WGPO
CHANDLER AZ
11/10
NASPA
GUELPH ON CAN (TWL & COLLINS)
11/10
NASPA
ROCKY RIVER OH
11/12
NASPA
LCT - INDEPENDENCE OH
11/15-17
NASPA
ESSEX VT (TWL & COLLINS)
11/16-30
WGPO
SOUTH CARIBBEAN ISLANDS CRUISE
11/16
NASPA
DALLAS TX
11/16-17
NASPA
LINDEN MI
11/16-17
NASPA
OSHAWA ON CAN
11/16
NASPA
MADISON WI
11/16
NASPA
RICHMOND KY
11/17
NASPA
BROOKLYN NY
11/17
NASPA
PORTLAND OR
11/17
WGPO
MOUNTAIN VIEW CA
11/22-24
NASPA
SAN FRANCISCO CA
11/23
NASPA
BAYSIDE NY
11/23-24
NASPA
TCC -- TORONTO VS. MONTREAL,
KINGSTON (GANANOQUE) ON CAN (TWL &
COLLINS
11/24
NASPA
WHITEHORSE VT
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11/24
NASPA
WILMINGTON DE
11/29-12/1
NASPA
STAMFORD CT
11/30-12/1
NASPA
ELMHURST IL
DECEMBER
12/1
NASPA
BERKELEY CA
12/7
NASPA
CALGARY AB CA
12/7-8
NASPA
FORT LAUDERDALE FL
12/7-8
NASPA
KNOXVILLE TN
12/7-8
NASPA
LAS VEGAS NV
12/8-13
WGPO
CABO SAN LUCAS MEXICO
12/8
NASPA
FLORENCE MA
12/8
NASPA
PHILADELPHIA PA
12/8
NASPA
STRONGSVILLE OH
12/15
NASPA
BROOKLYN NY
12/15
NASPA
GUELPH ON CAN (TWL & COLLINS)
12/15
WGPO
MOUNTAIN VIEW CA
12/21
NASPA
DALLAS TX
12/21, 22, 23
NASPA
WILMINGTON DE
12/23-25
NASPA
WILMINGTON DE
12/27-1/1/14
NASPA
ALBANY NY (TWL & COLLINS)
12/28
WGPO
CHANDLER AZ
JANUARY ’14
1/11
NASPA
KATONAH NY (TWL, COLLINS & YOUTH
DIVISIONS
1/12
NASPA
PHILADELPHIA PA
1/14
NAPSA
LCT - INDEPENDENCE OH
1/17-20
NASPA
DURHAM NC
84
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N
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N
D
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1/18
NASPA
BAYSIDE NY
1/18-19
WGPO
TWIN CITIES REDEYE, BLOOMINGTON MN
1/18-20
NASPA
AKRON OH (TWL & COLLINS)
1/18-20
NASPA
NEW ORLEANS LA (TWL & COLLINS)
1/25-27
NASPA
ATLANTIC CITY NJ
1/25-26
NASPA
CALGARY AB CAN
FEBRUARY ’14
2/1
NASPA
KATONAH NY (TWL, COLLINS & YOUTH
DIVISIONS
2/1
NASPA
HUDSON OH
2/8
NASPA
SAINT LOUIS MO
2/9
NASPA
PHILADELPHIA PA
2/13-17
NASPA
ALBANY NY (TWL & COLLINS)
2/13-18
NASPA
LAS VEGAS NV
2/14-17
WGPO
PHOENIX AZ (TWL & COLLINS)
2/14-17
NASPA
EASTERN CHAMPIONSHIP, CHARLOTTE NC
2/15-17
NASPA
PORT CLINTON OH
2/28-3/2
WGPO
INDIATLANTIC FL
MARCH ’14
3/2
NASPA
PHILADELPHIA PA
3/15
NASPA
BAYSIDE NY
3/21-23
NASPA
POUGHKEEPSIE NY
3/28-30
NASPA
PRINCETON NJ
3/28-30
NASPA
ST. AUGUSTINE FL
3/29-30
NASPA
CALGARY AB CAN
APRIL ’14
4/6
NASPA
PHILADELPHIA PA
4/11-27
WGPO
TRANSPACIFIC CRUISE
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4/12
NASPA
ATCO NJ
4/19
NASPA
BAYSIDE NY
4/26
NASPA
KATONAH NY (TWL, COLLINS & YOUTH
DIVISIONS)
MAY ’14
5/2-4
NASPA
BOSTON AREA TOURNAMENT, WESTFORD
MA
5/3-4
NASPA
EDMONTON AB CAN
5/9-16
NASPA
QUEEN MARY 2 WESTBOUND
TRANSATLANTIC
5/13
NASPA
LCT - INDEPENDENCE OH
5/17
NASPA
KATONAH NY (TWL, COLLINS & YOUTH
DIVISIONS)
5/17-18
NASPA
SASKATOON SK CAN
5/18
NASPA
BAYSIDE NY
5/23-26
NASPA
DOVER DE (TWL & COLLINS)
5/24-26
NASPA
IRVING TX
5/25-27
NASPA
SACRAMENTO CA
JUNE ’14
6/4-18
NASPA
TCC -- TORONTO ON CAN
6/7
NASPA
BETHEL CT (TWL, COLLINS & YOUTH
DIVISIONS)
6/7-8
NASPA
CALGARY AB CAN
6/8
NASPA
BETHEL CT (TWL & COLLINS)
6/14, 15
NASPA
KANSAS CITY MO
6/15
NASPA
PHILADELPHIA PA
6/20-22
NASPA
PRINCETON NJ (TWL & COLLINS)
6/27-7/7
NASPA
LAS VEGAS NV (TWL & COLLINS)
6/28-29
NASPA
KNOXVILLE TN
86
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N
A
M
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N
T
C
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L
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N
D
A
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JULY ’14
7/3-6
NASPA
ALBANY NY
7/8
NASPA
LCT - INDEPENDENCE OH
7/11-13
NASPA
MISSISSAUGA ON CAN
7/13
NASPA
PHILADELPHIA PA
7/18-20
NASPA
OLD GREENWICH CT (TWL & COLLINS)
AUGUST ’14
8/9-13
NASPA
NATIONAL SCRABBLE CHAMPIONSHIP,
BUFFALO NY (TWL & COLLINS)
8/15-17
NASPA
WILMINGTON DE MADNESS/MILDNESS
(TWL & COLLINS)
8/22-29
WGPO
ALASKA SAWYER GLACIER CRUISE
8/30-9/1
NASPA
NEW YORK NY (TWL & COLLINS)
SEPTEMBER
’14
9/9
NASPA
LCT - INDEPENDENCE OH
9/19-21
NASPA
WEBSTER NY (TWL & COLLINS)
OCTOBER ’14
10/1-5
NASPA
CALGARY AB CAN
10/16-19
NASPA
LAKE GEORGE NY (TWL & COLLINS)
10/25
NASPA
BETHEL CT (TWL & COLLINS)
10/27-11/10
WGPO
SPANISH TRANSATLANTIC CRUISE
NOVEMBER ’14
11/9
NASPA
ROCKY RIVER OH
11/11
NASPA
LCT - INDEPENDENCE OH
11/15
NASPA
KATONAH NY (TWL, COLLINS & YOUTH
DIVISIONS)
11/20
NASPA
BAYSIDE NY
11/28-30
NASPA
TARRYTOWN NY
87
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N
A
M
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N
T
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L
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N
D
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DECEMBER ’14
12/6
NASPA
CALGARY AB CAN
12/13-14
NASPA
KNOXVILLE TN
12/23-28
NASPA
WILMINGTON DE
12/30-1/4/2015
NASPA
ALBANY NY (TWL & COLLINS)
MARCH ’15
3/20-22
NASPA
POUGHKEEPSIE NY (TWL, COLLINS &
NEWCOMERS)
3/27-29
NASPA
PRINCETON NJ
MAY ’15
5/22-25
NASPA
STAMFORD CT
JULY ’15
7/17-19
NASPA
OLD GREENWICH CT (TWL & COLLINS &
NEWCOMERS)
AUGUST ’15
8/1-5
NASPA
NATIONAL SCRABBLE CHAMPIONSHIP,
RENO NV (TWL & COLLINS)
SEPTEMBER
’15
9/30-10/4
NASPA
CALGARY AB CAN
NOVEMBER ’15
11/15
NASPA
ROCKY RIVER OH
MARCH ’16
3/18-20
NASPA
POUGHKEEPSIE NY (TWL, COLLINS &
NEWCOMERS)
APRIL ’16
4/1-3
NASPA
PRINCETON NJ
JULY ’16
7/22-24
NASPA
OLD GREENWICH CT (TWL, COLLINS &
NEWCOMERS)
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Archives
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