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
