2015 Lexington, KY tournament

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)

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)