Saturday, November 26, 2016

Lexington, KY 2016

Our local club's annual main tournament event. I went in rated 1755 and seeded 6th of 14 entrants in the top of three divisions. Two “grandmasters” came – reigning North American champion David Gibson of South Carolina and fellow 2000+-rated player Lloyd Mills of Ontario.

Rd 1 vs. Jeff Fiszbein       (#9 seed, rated 1644)
me: ADEEGNT (1) to open.  Missed ?ADJORR to an open S (2).
Jeff: DELISTS
Between us we were stuck with four unplayable letters at game's end.
381 – 365      1-0      +16                                                       me: ?J

Rd. 2 vs. John Jarowski     (#7, 1748)
me: AEHIRRST (3), and AEGLNRS (4) back-to-back, and then a dream play of mine-
?EEEINTX (5).
John: DIETHYLS*, RETINALS
John won 13 of 31 games in the top division at the National Championships this past August,  He had not played an official NSA/NASPA event in 17 years.   Impressive!
458 – 349     2-0      +109      +125                                       me: ?SSJXZ

Rd. 3 vs. Eric Cahanin      (#5, 1772)
me: EEIMRRR (6)
Paul: QUAIGH to open, which I challenged unsuccessfully.  He'd had the blank to make QUAICHS, but wasn't quite certain it pluralized with S as well as -ES.   (It does.)   Also had CHARQUI there.  TUNNELS.
362 – 395      2-1      (33)       +92                                       me: ?SSJ

Rd 4 vs. Paul Epstein      (#3, 1896)
me: AILMORST (7), but missed the two sevens without the I (8), DEEIPST (9), AAEIRST (10).
Paul: Opened with IMMORAL, but having to exchange twice in second half was a lot to overcome.
452 – 373      3-1      +79      +171                                      me: ?SSSJQ

Rd 5 vs. Will Scott (#14, 1500)
me: ACDISTUV (11) for 100+.
Will: Non-bingo EROTIZE for 72, SIB/S(POOFIER)* for 50+, KELTS/(AJEE)S* for 40 or so.
I blame my errors on not knowing how to keep my focus post-lunch :)
308-404      3-2      (96)      +75                                          me: ??SJQ

Game 6 vs. John Merlau (#12, 1518)
me: AEEIRSTT (12), ACIIMNRS (13) plus unsuccessful challenge, DEIIRST (14).
John: THERETO, INSULAE
456 – 333      4-2      +123      +198                                    me: ??SJQZ

Game 7 vs. Steve Krieger (#10, 1640)
me: METTLING*
Steve: STINGERS, ADVENTS, but caught him trying PHRENOID*.  His need to exchange three times signals that he got outdrawn, not outplayed here.
Right before his phony bingo attempt, he had fished and made nice open spot.  I made a play that mucked up effectively three different bingo areas in space at once that wasn't completely instinctual to me.  My fave play of the weekend perhaps.

On a side note, Steve is one of my favorite players.  He's agreed to send me a copy of a play he's written and is working to get produced in Cincinnati.  I'm sending him in access to see my rough draft hot mess of a partial movie script on my Google Drive.  It's such a work in progress, sharing it makes me more nervous than playing Gibson.
414 – 356      5-2      +58      +256                                     me: SJXZ

Rd. 8 vs. Jan Cardia (#8, 1675)
me: missed AEEEILNS (14).
Jan: GAUNTLY, UNHORSED
338 – 417      5-3      (79)      +177                                     me: SZ

Rd 9 vs. David Gibson (#1, 2180)
me: I had fun watching him
David: opened with GIFTEES and SPAROID
292 – 412      5-4      (120)      +57                                     me: SS

Rd 10 vs. Steve Bush (#4, 1874)
me: DARTLER*, BEHILORR (15), BGINRSTU (16)
Steve: TEOPANS, VENOMY*
The phony was intentional, desperate, as it only tied the game.   His phony was the reply, but I lucked out with the valid counter.  I missed BEKIRSTU (17).
384 – 341      6-4      +43      +100                                      me: ?SQ

Rd 11 vs. Lloyd Mills (#2, 2010)
me: AEGINSTU (18), AELMRSU (19), missed ABKNPRTU (20) and EIIRRPSU (21).
Lloyd: INGRESS.  Deftly Q-stuck me, too.
419 – 409      7-4      +10      +110                                      me: ?SSJQ

Rd 12 vs. Julia Bogle (#313, 1514)
me: AEENPST (22), AEGILRS (23)
Julia: RAIMENT, INFESTED. The former was with a blank, she “missed” OYSTERMAN.
Julia's opening rack, as she told me after, was AEENRTU – no bingos.   She passed the first three turns, hoping I would play a letter through which she could make an eight.  I exchanged twice, not willing to risk such a thing unless got to bingo myself.
Eventually I had to play BEG or risk making the sixth consecutive zero-score play – ending the game – and that she might have all one-point tiles and win with a higher negative score.   My BEG opener was no help to her. She exchanged three other turns as well.
515 – 272      8-4      +243      +353                                    me: ??SSSJQXZ

Game 13 vs. David Brown (#11, 1633)
me: AENOSTU (24), EINORSW (25)
David: GENTRIES to open, OGDOAD for 13, ENTHRALL
Late in this white-knuckled affair I - for the, oh, 2000th time in my career - tried PLICE* and it nearly cost me game.  Two plays later in the end game David had exactly one winning play and didn't happen to see it.
396 – 391      9-4      +5      +248                                       me: ?SSSQ

I didn't event know I was in 2nd place going into that round.  I'd assumed Lloyd must've somehow lost a couple more games and come down the ladder to meet me.  So if I'd miraculously managed to beat him a second time for the weekend, I'd have then played him a third time for the division title.

Game 14 vs. Lloyd Mills
me: CEEINORT (26) for 149
Lloyd: COVARIED, SUNFAST, DAMNERS, AKINESIA, SOYUZ for 60
Half of Lloyd's plays went for 51 or more.  These 2000+ rated players are -tough-.
409 - 547     9-5      (138)      +110                                    me: X

So instead of ultimately a higher finish and cash prize, what I'd earned those first 13 rounds was the chance to play the two grandmasters a second time each.  I'll take it!

Game 15 vs. David Gibson
me: BILORSST (27), AEFLRSTT (28), HYAENA – 47.  I missed BDELORTU (29).
David: VENDEES to open, DIZENING for 110, WRISTIER
388 – 501     9-6      (113)      (3)                                       me: SSSJQX

And so with that drubbing I was knocked down into a three-way tie for 4th-6th.  Steve beat me out for 4th and the last cash prize by a mountain of spread points.  But I came out with a 1791 rating and 101st-ranked in North America.

Congratulations to Lloyd on his championship, to Chris Sitler and our own club's Betty King on their Division Two and Three titles respectively!  Thank you to our club's and this tournament's lead director, Steve Bush, director Will Scott and to all the locals who helped make the event a big success.  And we all enjoyed having so many of our gaming friends from all over the continent visit us.

Stat me, baybeeee –

Blanks:      13/30
Esses:        25/60
JQXZ:       28/60
                          TOTAL: 66/150 (44%)

Avg. score: 398-391*
*This doesn't jive with most post-tournament spread counts, but is what is on the NASPA site.

Bingo count: 25 – 26

Games in which I got...
one blank      2-1
no blanks:     1-4
split blanks:   6-1

Bingo quiz
1) AGENTED – to act as a representative for
2) ADJURORS – to command solemnly
3) TRASHIER
4) ANGLERS – here, fishy fishy
5) EKTEXINE – the outer part of the exine (the outermost layer of certain spores)             (also EUXENITE)
6) MERRIER
7) MORALIST – a teacher of morality
8) MORTALS, STROMAL – pertaining to the substance that makes up the structure of an organ, cell
9) DESPITE – v. to treat with contempt
10) ATRESIA – absence or closure of a natural body passage                              (also ARISTAE, ASTERIA)
11) VIADUCTS
12) ITERATES                                                      (also ARIETTES, TEARIEST, TREATIES, TREATISE)
13) MINICARS
14) ALIENEES – one to whom property is transferred
15) HORRIBLE
16) BURSTING
17) BURKITES – one that murders bu suffocation
18) SAUTEING                                                                                                             (also UNITAGES)
19) SERUMAL – pertaining to serum                                                                              (also MAULERS)
20) BANKRUPT
21) SIRUPIER
22) PENATES – the Roman gods of the household                                                            (also NEPETAS)
23) GLARIES – to coat with egg white
24) OUTANE – a cassock, a long garment worn by clergymen
25) SNOWIER
26) ERECTION                                                                                                             (also NEOTERIC)
27) BRISTOLS                                                                                                              (also STROBILS)
28) FLATTERS

29) TROUBLED

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

ASHEVILLE, NC – autumn 2016

I came in with a rating of 1721, seeded 14th of 16 players in Division One. Top contenders would be two players rated over 2000 – reigning North American champion David Gibson and Joey Krafchick.
My win expectation was 6.1, and likely ended up a little lower since I played five games against the number one and three seeds.

Rd 1 vs. Clay Daniel (#3 seed, Rating 1846)
Me: ADDERST (1) to open, BESPENT* (was thinking of BEERPNST) (2)
Clay: SECONDI and LEGATOS, both of which I held, waiting for caffeine to kick in I guess.
365 – 450       0-1         (85)                                                           me: ?SSZ

Rd 2 vs. Kate Fukwa-Connelly (#8, 1793)
me: EINORSTV (3), ADDEEPRT (4).
Kate: FIANCEES and TEASING back to back.
She also made really sweet ANOR(A)K / O(BA) / R(EM) / K(A) for 44.
Behind with one in the bag, Kate finished for bingo, creating a second lane. I missed AILNPST (5), a top 5.000 prob bingo. She had picked up the Z, and so most -any- play I made that blocked her TRIAZO(L)E also would've won for me. Instead, I took the highest-scoring non-bingo for a soul-crushing defeat.
423 – 434       0-2         (11)       (96)                                             me: ?SSX

Rd 3. vs. Ken Kasney (#10, 1770)
me: ACELPPRS (5) with a blank, though I missed ACEELNPRS (6) through AN. ADELOTU (7) with the other blank, missing ABDDELOT (8).
Ken: EARNEST and BANTERER back-to-back, plus MOIETY for 53.
462 – 417       1-2         +45        (54)                                            me: ??SSJXZ

Rd 4 vs. Kevin Bowerman (#7, 1795)
me: EINOSTT (9), ADEHIRST (10). Missed ?ADEFMS – 2 (11)
Kevin: LEXES for 57
452 – 293       2-2         +159      +105                                          me: ??SSJQZ

Rd 5 vs. Jeff Cook
Me: RETAX for 60, GAZEBO for 84, ABEEILS (12).
Jeff: TUSSLING, LAITIES.
Blanks or no, any game I can come back from 100+ down is a rare treat.
422 – 408       3-2         +14        +119                                          me: ??SXZ

Rd 6 vs. Randy Hersom (#4, 1845)
me: AEGNRST (13). Missed ADGOPRST (14).
Randy: REFUTES
418 – 291       4-2         +127       +246                                         me: ?SSSJXZ

Rd 7 vs. Aaron Finkel (#16, 1536)
me: ABDERST (15), but missed the eight with a W. Found one of the two in ?AABBCST (16)
Aaron: ONERIEST, JUTTER*
388 – 379      5-2            +9        +255                                         me: ?SSSSQ

Rd. 8 vs. David Gibson (#1, 2143)
Me: AEIOMTZ (17) for 106 to open. Turn three missed ADGIILLO to an I (18). Turn four slipped
FIRELOGS* by with a blank, which David only let go because I'd had other options and he thought was a tiny chance it was new. AEIRSTT (19).
David: BROUGHT, TRASHING, COLLEGE
455 – 475      5-3           (20)      +235                                          me: ?SSJZ

Rd. 9 vs. Paul Erland (#6, 1826)
Me: AEGNORY (20) with a blank, but missed better AENOPRWY (21).
Paul: LAYWOMEN, INEPTEST, INERTIA
Any tie game is likely filled with lots of tough decisions, and this was no exception.
385 – 385     5-3-1           0       +235                                           me: ?SSSQX

Rd. 10 vs. Ellis Roy Reynolds (#12, 1740)
me: AEINSTZ (22), BCEIMNO (23), ADILNOOR (24)
Ellis: TOGGLER, tried UREDIAS*, WANIEST, tried OVERGONE*
Had Ellis found RESIDUA either turn, this would've been a very different game, as he'd have been ahead by over 100.
482 – 399     6-3-1        +83       +318                                          me: SSXZ

Rd. 11 vs. Clay Daniel
me: ADEIILR (25)
Clay: WARTIME
May have hinged on me missing BOUTON midgame, allowing him WENNY for 60.
388 – 404     6-4-1         (16)    +298                                           me: ?SJQZ

Rd 12 vs. David Gibson
me: ANESTRI (26)
David: RELYING, GUTTLES
321 – 498    6-5-1          (177)    +121                                         me: SQ

Rd. 13 vs. Aaron Finkel
me: AEFIRST (27), ACEIORT (28)
Aaron: DARNEST, RATLINS
Excellent comeback from over 100 down by Aaron.
389 – 374    7-5-1           +15     +136                                         me: ?SSSZ

Rd. 14 vs. Clay Daniel
me: BEOORST (29), FGIINRTU (30), ABEEENTS (31)
Clay: CAMERALY*, AVIATION, ARGUSES
The sweet-looking, plausible phony nine w both thought was likely valid aside, this came down to a 25% chance at an out-bingo draw for Clay after he'd brilliantly made himself a second lane late while also blocking a 50+ point J-play of mine.
466 – 473     7-6-1          (13)     +123                                        me: ?SSJZ

Despite seemingly blowing at least a couple very winnable games, I came away with a 28 point rating gain, putting me at 1749. I finished in 6th – one spot out of the prize money positions. I had two losses with over a 450 score, but someone else won high loss prize seeing defeat despite a 479. A deserving Aaron Finkel – seeded 16th – won the class prize by finishing one more spot of his seed than I managed. So like always, some ups and some downs, but always good times. After all – Scrabble money isn't exactly poker-sized money. There's nothing I'd rather be doing.

Kudos to Director William Snoddy and everyone from the Asheville club for putting on a fabulous event. They hold multiple tournaments a year and it is always worth the 250-mile drive and weekend stay.

Stat me, baybeeee –
Blanks: 15/28
Esses: 30/56
JQXZ: 27/56
TOTAL: 72/140

Avg. score: 415 – 406

Bingo count: 26 – 26

Quiz Answers
1) ADDREST
2) BESPRENT – sprinkled over
3) INVESTOR
4) DEPARTED
5) SCRAPPLE – a seasoned mixture of ground beef and cornmeal
6) PRECLEANS
7) OUTLEAD
8) DEADBOLT
9) TONIEST
10) HARDIEST
11) DEFAMES, DEFOAMS
12) BAILEES – a person to whom property is bailed
13) GAARNETS (also ARGENTS, STRANGE)
14) POSTGRAD
15) DABSTER – one that dabbles, involves himself in a superficial interest
16) BACKSTAB (also SABBATIC)
17) ATOMIZE
18) GLADIOLI – segments of the sternum
19) STRIATE (also ARTISTE, ARTIEST, ATTIRES, IRATEST, RATITES, TASTIER)
20) ORANGEY
21) WEAPONRY
22) ZANIEST (also ZEATINS)
23) COMBINE
24) DOORNAIL
25) DELIRIA
26) ANESTRI (and eight others)
27) FAIREST
28) EROTICA
29) REBOOTS (also BOOSTER)
30) FRUITING
31) ABSENTEE