Thank you to Steve Bush for directing
yet another awesome event. Will Scott deserves kudos as well, as he
took over direction to the evening events. Wendy and I didn't
happen to play in those since we had Iowans in town to hang with.
Rich Banker – thank you for introducing me to Peppermint M&M's. You're welcome to stay with us anytime!
Alphagram solutions are given at very
end of this entry.
Rd 1 v. Tracy Bowman
AABCDIRS (1), then slipped SUDARIAL*
(SUDARIA doesn't seem to go adjectival) by, then AAILLNSV (2). Blanks win!
474 – 291 1-0 +183 me: ??SS
Rd 2 v. Ken Dutch
I missed ACDEITY (3) for 102, he got
LEGENDS and UPSTART. My ZOECIA for 74 late only closed the gap.
376 – 420 1-1 +139 me: SZ
Rd 3 v. Cynthia Seales
I struck early with ABCEHRT (4) and
DENNORT (5), though I missed a double-double from an I (6) on the
latter play. ?AEINOU through a T (7) put this one away. ADEINRV was
nice late through an E (8), but through a Y (9) for 185 would've been
sweeter still. LADyKI(N) was a fun out-play.
527 – 278 2-1 +288 me: ??SSXZ
Rd . 4 v. Will Scott
ACINORT (10) and DEEORRTT (11) early
allowed me to play aggressively. He landed PRETTIES, but VIED set
up tws JUICE/I(VIED) for me, though I missed new EJIDO for 72. PADOUK I hadn't known 'til now. We traded ADEIGNR (12) and ORINASAL
late.
444 – 388 3-1 +344 me: ?JXZ
Rd 5. v. Jeff Clark
Good thing I kept making my big misses
in games I happened to be winning.
I opened with ADEFGNS (13) and also got
DEEIRNTT (14) before missing ?EGIORZ (15). Jeff took the lead with
back-to-back HEALERS and VIRAGOES. I got away with (S)IEGER* and
then salted it away with EINORSTY (16).
I learned TWERP seems to be the more common spelling of that word, as opposed to TWIRP, which I grew up
with. Only the former takes the Y-back hook.
455 – 435 4-1 +364 me: ?SSJXZ
Rd. 6 v. Jeff Fizbein
I went back-to-back midgame with one of
the four in ?ACEENN (17) - thought the “hot” anagram was the best
play by a hair – and then five-overlap AEEORSS (18). He hit
CINEMAS, but that allowed me ADEGIINR (19).
482 – 333 5-1 +513 me: ?SSSJQ
Rd 7 v. John Fultz
Think I've played more rated games with
John than anyone else, and he hasn't forgotten how to beat me. He
landed CREMATES early and then had a couple of positonally aggressive
moves pay off. I correctly turned down a bingo mid-game to save my
blank, but my ensuing ABEEILS (20) allowed him ZONES for 74 to cement
the win.
350 – 479 5-2 +384 me: ?SJX
Rd 8 v. Joe Roberdeau
ACEORRT (21) and EILNOPST (22) early
gave me a lead I'd never give up. Late, Joe played
SOLATED/(QUEENING)S to get close, but the only way I could lose was
to lose a challenge.
418 – 362 6-2 +436 me: ?SSJQ
Rd. 9 v. Liz Davis
ADEPRSS (23), AADEIPRS (24), DEEILNO
(25).
474 – 279 7-2 +631 me: ??SSSZ
Game 10 v. David Brown
After missing AEINQTTU (26) I struck
first with AEINNOTT (27). By the time I hit AEIILNRT (28), David had
gotten POSSIBLE, DOILIES and ANITGENS.
368 – 448 7-3 +553 me: JQZ
Game 11 v. Steve Krieger
We were stair-stepping the board so
much early on, Jeff Clark good-naturedly ribbed us from a board over. He landed NIFTIER midgame, but I got ACEILRS (29) hooking the first
and last letters to avoid creating any big new openings. The X for
50+ allowed me to pull away.
436 – 372 8-3 +617 me: SSSJX
Game 12 v. Joey Krafchick
I think Joey came in rated
#11 in N. America. And I may have let that get to me.
I struck first with
AAENRRT (30) with one blank, immediately picking up the other. And I
forwent bingos to save it for late if needed.. To see all those I
passed on – and more I missed and should've played for the bigger
scores – go to http://www.cross-tables.com/annotated.php?u=22511#0#
. DEILNPSS
(31) at the end sealed it for me. Joey had HOOTERS.
396
– 372 9-3 +641 me: ??SSSJZ
Game
13 v. Emily Brodeur
AEIPSTT
(32) and then DEIMNRTU (33) with one blank to open. Missed EGILRTTY
(34) with the other, but eventually landed CEIINRT (35). Her
out-play RELEASE mitigated the spread.
There's
a pneumonic phrase “chumpy lender turns bucks' where each letter
and only those letters make sevens with a high-probability six-letter
stem. Thus was I caught on CHUMPY* this game.
428
– 362 10-3 +705 me: ??SQZ
Game
14 v. Joey Krafchick
Joey
started with AMENDER, while I chickened out on ADEEHNV (36). We
traded CEEIRST (37) to RINSABLE midgame. This basically came down to
who would pick up the second blank.
428
– 410 11-3 +723 me: ??SJX
Joey lost four in a row after a 10-0 start. I suspect the all-night
drive from Georgia on Friday night/Saturday morning was taking a
toll. I managed to pass him at eleven wins with the Round 14 victory. He was miles ahead of me on spread though, so our KOH match
would be for the title.
Game
15 v. Joey Krafchick
Oh,
so this is what happens when a real expert finally draws blanks. Yikes!
I
unsuccessfully challenged his SWAGMEN early, got buried by ABLATED
and BREVETS. Quackle showed me no major misses at least. Regardless, Joey won the match handily.
269
– 479 11-4 +513 me: SSXZ
Stat
me, baybee –
Blanks: 17/30
Esses: 26/60
JQXZ: 28/60
TOTAL: 71/150
Bingos:
31 - 20
17
sevens, 14 eights
Games
in which I drew...
2
blanks: 6-0
1
blank: 4-1
no
blanks: 1-3
QUIZ ANSWERS
1) CARABIDS – predatory beeetles
2) VANILLAS
3) EDACITY – gluttony
4) BATCHER – one who brings
together (also BRACHET)
5) DONNERT – dazed
6) INDENTOR
7) EQUATION
8) REINVADE
9) VINEYARD
10) CAROTIN – a plant pigment (also CORTINA)
10) CAROTIN – a plant pigment (also CORTINA)
11) RETORTED
12) GRAINED (also DERAIGN,
GRADINE, READING)
13) DEFANGS
14) RETINTED
15) ZEROING
16) TYROSINE – an amino acid (also
SEROTINY)
17) ENHANCE (also CAYENNE)
18) SEROSAE – thin membranes of
certain bodily cavities
19) DEAIRING
20) BAILEES – people to whom
property is bailed
21) REACTOR (also CREATOR)
22) POTLINES – rows of electrolytic
cells (also TOPLINES)
23) SPADERS (also SPREADS)
24) PARADISE
25) ELOINED – to have removed from a
distant place
26) EQUITANT – ovrlapping
27) INTONATE
28) INERTIAL
29) SCALIER (also CLARIES,
ECLAIRS)
30) NARRATE
31) SPINDLES
32) PATTIES
33) UNMITRED – to have deposed from
the rank of bishop
(also RUDIMENT)
34) GLITTERY
35) NERITIC – pertaining to shallow
water (also CITRINE, CRINITE, INCITER)
36) HAVENED – to have sheltered
37) TIERCES – the third od seven
daily canonical periods of prayer and devotion, usu. consisting
of Pslams (also CERITES, RECITES)
