Arden Cup 2017
Memorial Day weekend in Chicago, a special event for me. My now wife
and I started seeing each other there, and we got engaged there. She
and our daughter, Abby, came for the Marty Gabriel finely-directed
annual event. Wendy would not be playing this year, but took Abby to
the Pier and spent lots of time in the hotel pool together.
I came in seeded 6th of ten. My good friend and clubmate
Ken ended up playing up into Division One with me, even though he had
been originally seed towards the bottom of Two. Another good friend,
Avery arrived seeded in 4th. And one of North America's
top ten ranked players, Mack Mellar, was also in.
Rd. 1 vs. Jonathan Lindh
TENDONS and LIGATES for him, EFLNORTT
(1) for me.
313 – 441 (128) 0-1 me: SSS
Rd. 2 vs. Charles Reinke
CREASES for Charles. I nearly tried
MUFFiNS/(GADJO)S* (plural is GADJE), but instead played MUFFS played
for 50+. I got one of the two in ?AABNNO (2) to an S, but that
gave Charles DICTATE as an underlap.
Check out the
annotated game for interesting late game decision on HUE.
354 – 396 (170) 0-2 me:
??SSJX
Rd. 3 vs. Ken Dutch
Early I missed ?AALLNOV (3). My tws
AEINNOTV (5) gave him a corner tws non-bingo reply of 60. Late
FINORST (6) for me. My AMA gave him an out-bingo lane, as
I'd fallen asleep on G hook, but had he seen it his score would've
been just short.
466 – 379 (83) 1-2 me: ?SX
Rd 4 vs. Avery Mojica
RETILED for Avery early, me right back
with AEGLNORY (7). He aggressively slotted an E in a tws lane, on which I blocked trip-trip. Avery still hit CRISPENED! PASTILLE for
Avery. My ADEIORS (8) gave him TIX on a tls-tls.
He let me get away with MINGE* at the
end since he could only lose risking an unsuccessful challenge. I'll
never chase that phony out of my head thanks to a certain South Park
episode.
417 – 432 (98) 1-3 me: SJQZ
Rd. 5 vs. Mack Meller
ADEEILRT (9) midgame for me, AEGIORSV
(10) later. My last play was AEIMRSTU (11), but he found TENOURS- one of only two winning out-bingos possible, which hooked five
different places.
408 – 415 (105) 1-4 me: SS
Rd. 6 vs. Steve Hartsman
Steve was my first mentor in the game
and I love seeing him. Playing him hurts my brain though!
MALTEDS for him, me right back
with ADEINRTU (12) and DEILFORU (13) for a double-double. He took
lead with TROPICAL and INCITING. Not sure where I picked up AENNRSWY
(14).
512 – 461 (54) 2-4 me: ?SSJQZ
Rd 7. vs. Thomas Reinke
AAEINORX (15) early for me with blank,
but missed far better AAEIMOTX (16) and AAEIMNOX (17). He landed
INDULGE and then later blocked my EHILORPS (18). I had the blinders on, missing AEILOPRS (18) to
blow this one. He went out with OUTLIER on the tws lane.
336 – 446 (164) 2-5 me:
??SSSJ
Rd. 8 vs. Nedd Kareiva
AEGILNR (19), DEELNORT (20), and
ADEINOTV (21) for me. We were both surprised to learn later his
REDEVOTES* wasn't valid.
455 – 325 (34) 3-5 me: ?QJX
Rd. 9 vs. Doug Lundquist
NAPULII for his start, but I came back
right DEEMORV (22) with a blank, though missing DEIMOPRV (23).
409 – 364 +11 4-5 me: ??XJ
Rd. 10 vs. Jonathan Lindh
CDEEITX (24) with a blank for me early,
but missed DEEISTX (25) for dws-dws He came right back with PENSILE
for said dws-dws. I countered on the other open dws-dws with
AEILMORT (26). I caught him on VIBER* and REVUEING*, hitting
DDGILNOO (27) in between.
498 – 357 +152 5-5 me:
?SSSQXZ
Rd. 11 vs. Charles Reinke
I missed ?AIOSUY (28) to open, but
managed AAEIRST (29) later. He hit WISENTS late, but had exchanged
three times.
398 – 296 +254 6-5 me:
??SSJXZ
Rd 12 vs. Ken Dutch
I missed AEKMNRSU (30). DDEEHNRTU (31)
for me, but he landed VARSITY. I got away with NONNY* and then hit
BEIRSTU (32). At the end, I blocked the only of three open lanes he
could -not- have bingo'ed on with the eight tiles unseen to me, and
so was lucky to win.
420 – 357 +317 7-5 me: ??SSQX
Rd. 13 vs. Avery Mojica
AEENRSTU (33) for me with a blank, but
missed ACENRTUY (34) from a tws. We traded my BDEHIRT (35) to his
CANFIELD. ADEINSST (36) salted this one away, but he did get 60 for
hooking XED/(WEAL)D. I'd forgotten the five entirely.
450 – 364 +403 8-5 me: ?SSQ
Rd 14 vs. Mack Mellar
SACHETED for him for nearly 100 early,
but I came right back with ADEIRTY (37). He challenged my OORARIS*
off. Something like 14 variants of CURARE, but this is only similar
to valid ones. Then I missed AEIKNNRS (38). I did manage AEGNNRSU
(39). I didn't see AGEFLSTU (40), but luckily landed a
better-simming non-bingo.
Mack saw my winning outplay out-bingo
from ?DEESTW through an AR (41) (SMARTWEED was possible, but didn't
fit). I even had a winning non-bingo of ADEEMSWY (42) through AY.
Instead, I tried FEETWARDS*.
362 – 420 +345 8-6 me: ?SSSJX
Rd. 15 vs. Steve Hartsman
AACLPTTU (43) with a blank for my first
move, but hadn't known AADPSTTU (44) for more. PANDOURS and REZ for
51for him, AGEORRT (45) with the other blank for me. In a messy end
game, I'd lost track of an S and Steve hadn't marked off one of the
blanks. The game would've hinged on an interesting pickle he'd put
me in with the world WEIGH midgame.
398 – 371 +372 9-6 me: ??SSJX
Rd. 16 vs. Thomas Reinke
Nothing like missing a bingo right out
of the gate – EFISTTY (46). He answered my ADIMNST (47) with
STALLED, CREATES and PLATONIC. My BDENORW (48) only served to save
spread.
397 – 456 +313 9-7 me: ?SJZ
Game 17 vs. Nedd Kareiva
AEILMORT (49) for me early with a
blank, though missed better BEEIMORT (50). He came right back with
DISHFUL. I hit CDEEGIOS (51), but a magnificent ten was available
through LO_A (52). BEELINES for him, ACELORSS (53)for me, though ACELORS
(54) would've served better had I known #51 took an S-hook. The
other blank gave me AAELRNTT (55), but I missed AAEINRTT for a tws (56).
479 – 420 +372 10-7 me: ??SSZ
Game 18 vs. Doug Lundquist
AEILNRTV (57) for me. Quirky: the next
three tiles I turned over were U's, and the last was the Q.
He replied with double-double LINEAGES. After I chickened put on blocking play of FARCI, he got trip-trip
PALINODE. Even had I blocked, he'd seen PALINODES through AL
elsewhere.
He slotted an X in another trip-trip
lane with XENIA for 42 that was fateful. I thought I'd mucked up a
little with an E over the X, but he landed the non-bingo trip-trip
REEXPOSE!
It was his first ever game with two
3x3's. Sometimes all one can do is sit back, admire and smile.
354 – 597 +129 10-8 me: QZ
Game 19 vs. Thomas Reinke
I started with ADEINNOV (58), but he
got INTERTIE and MOISTEN back to back. I hope it was just fatigue when missing ACEEOST (59). Feel less badly about not getting AESSTUY
(60). Thomas had PANFIsH for an out-play for 116, but wasn't quite
100% sure, and FisH alone was easily enough for the win.
PANFISH is a verb. I want it to mean
something akin to fly-fishing, standing in the river in waders with a
frying pan whacking at jumping salmon or some such. But it does not.
323 – 413 +39 10-9 me: SSSXZ
Round 20 – bye
A player had earlier left the
tournament unexpectedly, and so my gaming was done.
And so I finished where I was seeded -
6th – with a small gain in rating. Getting to spend
time with my former clubmates from Des Moines, Dan Heck and Rich
Banker, was pure joy. May we forever be weirded out by the sports bar
and restaurant at which we all dined that was so clearly a former
gentleman's club...
Stat me, baybeee –
Blanks: 15/38
Esses: 34/76
Heavies: 34/76
TOTAL: 83/190 43%
Avg. score: 408 - 406
Games in which I had –
2 blanks: 5-2
1 blank: 5-2
0 blanks: 0-5
QUIZ ANSWERS
1) FRONTLET –
a decorative band worn across the forehead
2) ABANDONS,
BONANZAS
3) FLAVANOL –
organic compound in red wine, said to protect against heart disease
4) Whoops.
Skipped a number.
5) INNOVATE (also VENATION)
6) FORINTS –
Hungarian standard unit of currency; conversion to the euro not
likely 'til 2020's
7) YEARLONG
8) ROADIES (also RADIOES)
9) RETAILED (also DETAILER, ELATERIN)
10) VIRAGOES –
noisy, domineering woman; archaic: manlike maiden, amazon, brave and
strong
11) MURIATES –
any chloride used as a fertilizer
12) INDURATE –
to harden, as stone
13) FLUORIDE
14) SWANNERY –
place where swans are raised
15) ANOREXIA
16) TOXAEMIA –
condition of having toxins in the blood
17) ANOXEMIA –
lack of oxygen in the arterial blood
18) REPOLISH
aaaand used the
same number twice
18) POLARISE (also PELORIAS)
19) REGINAL (also ALIGNER, REALIGN, NARGILE, ENGRAIL)
20) RONDELET –
rondeau (poem) of five or seven lines (also REDOLENT)
21) DONATIVE –
a donation
22) REMOVED
23) IMPROVED
24) EXCITED
25) EXISTED
26) AMITROLE – non-cropland herbicide (also ROLAMITE)
26) AMITROLE – non-cropland herbicide (also ROLAMITE)
27) DOODLING
28) OUGIYAS –
currency of Mauritania, one of just two in world not decimally based
29) ARISTAE –
bristle-like appendage or structure (also ATRESIA, ASTERIA)
30) UNMASKER
31) THUNDERED
32) RUBIEST (also BUSTIER)
32) RUBIEST (also BUSTIER)
33) SAUTERNE –
a French sweet wine, using grapes raisined by noble rot fungus
(botyrized)
34) CENTAURY –
a medicinal herb
35) BIRTHED
36) DESTAINS (also SANDIEST)
37) DIETARY
38) SNARKIER
39) GUNNERAS –
a plant with enormous leaves, up to just over 6.5 feet long
40) STAGEFUL –
as much or many as a stage can hold
41) STEWARDED
42) MAYWEEDS –
stinky plant
43) CATAPULT
44) DUPATTAS –
a shawl-like scarf of south Asia
45) GARROTE –
among related def.s, a method of capital punishment of Spanish origin
with which an iron collar is tightened around someone's neck until he
is strangulated or killed by injury to the spinal column at the base
of the brain. You're welcome.
46) TESTIFY
47) MANTIDS –
mantis
48) BROWNED
49) ROLAMITE – ball bearing mechanism with incredibly low friction (also AMITROLE)
49) ROLAMITE – ball bearing mechanism with incredibly low friction (also AMITROLE)
50) BIOMETER –
device for measuring CO2 given off by living matter
51) GEODESIC –
pertaining to curved plane-geometry
52) LOGAOEDICS
– poetry composed of a variety of feet so as to suggest a prosaic
rhythm
53) ESCOLARS –
a food fish, from Spanish for “scholar” due to spectacle-like
rings around the eyes
(also
LACROSSE, SOLACERS)
54) CLAROES,
COALERS, ORACLES, RECOALS (also ESCOLAR, SOLACER)
55) TARLETAN –
an open-weaved cotton fabric used for stiffening garments
(also
ALTERANT)
56) REATTAIN (also ATTAINER)
57) INTERVAL
58) DEVONIAN –
the part of the paleozoic era in which amphibians appeared
59) ACETOSE –
tasting like vinegar
60) EUSTASY –
a worldwide change in sea level
