Knoxville June, 2017
What a treat to carpool with clubmates Steve Bush and Will Scott.
Together, we comprised half of Division One. The field is
highlighted by David, the reigning national champion. I am seeded a
distant third.
Rd. 1 vs. Winter
Winter got TOTTLEd* by me with TOILETTE
and STILETTO available. My ADILNORT (1) netted a challenge. I
missed the playable seven in ACEEHRT (2), plus the eight to a D (3). I also hickened out on one of the eights through an I and missed the
other entirely (4). Challenging off his R-hook to OBLIQUE wasn't
nearly enough.
323 – 428 0-1 (105) my power
tiles: SS
Rd. 2 vs. Steve Bush
EEILSST (5), though missed better
through an E (6). REINFUSE and OUTDONE were easily enough for him to
outpace my attempts to plow through bad racks, like HOOVER (U leave),
VODOUN and BOTCHER double-double non-bingo. We both missed front
extensions for FOILS.
320 – 467 0-2 (252) mine: SSSQ
Rd 3 vs. Cynthia Seales
One of the two in ?ELLNOP (7) to open
for me, followed by AEGORTUU (8). She landed MANAGERS, but I also
for BDEIILRT (9).
443 – 401 1-2 (210) mine: ?SJXZ
Rd 4 vs. David Gibson
TURNIPS midgame, INSNARE and OVERPAST
back to back late for David. I can't complain about my blank being
the last tile in the bag if I'm going to try phonies like CHIVED*.
318 – 438 1-3 (330) mine: ?SJQ
Rd 5 vs. Will Scott
EINNRSS (10) early, AEELPRS (11) and
ABCDEOR (12) for me late back-to-back. Extending TINE with EEMNR
(13) would've been fun.
430 – 300 2-3 (200) mine: ??SSSJQ
Rd 6 vs. Winter
Winter isn't afraid to phony or
challenge, a refreshing style of play. CHURNIER* seemed plausible to
me and stood, plus he had ENTOILED and the double-blank DOORCASE. This last move was interesting to sim individually (see the
annotated game for notes). I replied with DEOPRST (14) for 101. The difference might've been his unsuccessful challenge of MAUD.
427 – 407 3-3 (180) mine: SJQXZ
Rd 7 vs. Steve Bush
REEVOLVE* for Steve, but I used it to
get out of a bad rack, hooking ERUVS late. I got ADENOOST (15) in a
tight spot late.
370 – 361 4-3 (171) mine: ?SSSSQX
Rd. 8 vs. Cynthia Seales
Cynthia got PLATTEAU* past me, and
scored Q(u)INO(L) for 68 later. In between, I earned a challenge
with AEELNRST (16) and landed AEEILNRT (17).
This game got nutty late. Down what I
thought was 22 and with six consonants and a blank in hand, I played
T(ABO)R(I)C for 24. We both laughed, knowing it wasn't good. I was
desperately hoping she might let it stand instead of even the
slightest risk of a challenge, that I might get close enough for a
recount. And so it was.
Had she next blocked an S-hook spot
with one of three plays available to her, she wins. And this is
despite her having overscored her bingo by 11 and I having
underscored one by 3. And so the 14 recount-points I netted ended up
being enough to turn a seeming seven point loss around.
395 – 387 5-3 (163) mine: ?SSSZ
Rd. 9 vs. David Gibson
DEEMOST (18) merely caught me up, and
he replied with ROARING. I managed to fish for EINPRTTU (19) for an
out-play to save a little face.
404 – 441 5-4 (203) mine: ?S
Rd. 10 vs. Will Scott
IMAGINED for him, CEEINRT (20) for me. Maybe I win this one if early I'd gotten DEIILNXY (21).
335 – 361 5-5 (229) mine: ?Z
Rd 11 vs. Winter
ACEELNRP (22) midgame for me, but he
went back-to-back with AIRIEST and GLORIOUS late while I couldn't get
a vowel.
333 – 396 5-6 (292) mine: ?SSJX
Rd 12 vs. Steve Bush
ACEEIRSU (23) for me early, plus phony
GOOPED*. AIRINGS and GRANDEST for Steve. I also played IWAT*,
accidentally grabbing an I instead of another of my three T's.
331 – 460 5-7 (421) mine: ?SZ
Rd. 13 Cynthia Seales
Cynthia opened with INEDITA. I got
away with TOPPABLE* as a non-bingo, yet missed the double-double
AABELLPY (24) through AY lane over. I also missed CEELRSSU (25)
before landing AELRSST (26).
One of the few things I got right was
non-bingo AKIRTUZ (27) for 60+ points. I only knew it because one of
the Reinke's nearly playing it on me a tournament ago. Cynthia
outplayed me easily this game.
395 – 355 6-7 (381) mine:
?SSSJQXZ
Rd. 14 vs. David Gibson
Missed ACDEHIRV (28) while David landed
INTAKES to open, plus PEARLING and LENITIES.
327 – 424 6-8 (478) mine: SX
Rd 15 vs. Will Scott
First two turns, missed BDEOORY (29)
and ADEMORTW (30). DEMNORT (31) and IIGLNTT (32) back-to-back later
though. I landed (33) AALNNOST with a blank and earned a challenge,
though Quackle liked many non-bingos better. I hadn't known CERSSUUX (34).
418 – 340 7-8 (400) mine: ??SSSX
Despite the losing record, I actually
ended up in 3rd place and lost only five rating points. I
was a whopping -five- games out of first and second place. Congrats
to David on his division title and to Winter,who ended up being
the only person in the division to actually gain in rating. And
thank you to directors Trish and Vicki on a fabulous event as always!
Stat me, baybeeee –
Blanks: 13/30
Esses: 29/60
JQXZ: 25/60
TOTAL: 67/150 44%
Avg. Score: 371 – 397
Games in which I had:
2 blanks: 2-0
1 blank: 4-5
0 blanks: 1-3
Quiz Answers
1) TRINODAL
2) RECHEAT –
hunting call, made on valveless metal horn
(also
HECTARE, TEACHER, CHEATER, RETEACH)
3) RACHTED (also DETACHER)
4) HETAERIC –
concubine, esp. highly-cultured one in ancient Greece
(also
AETHERIC)
5) TIELESS (also TELESIS, LISTEES)
6) STEELIES –
steel marble
7) POLLENS (also PLEONAL)
8) OUTARGUE
9) [skipped a number,
whoops]
10) SINNERS
11) PLEASER (also RELAPSE, REPEALS, PRESALE)
11) PLEASER (also RELAPSE, REPEALS, PRESALE)
12) BROCADE
13) NEMERTINE – from the phylum comprising ribbon worms
14) SPORTED (also DEPORTS, REDTOPS)
15) ODONATES – order of predatory aquatic insects like damsel- and
dragonflies
16) ETERNALS (also TELERANS)
17) ELATERIN – a chemical used as a purgative (also ENTAILER,
TREENAIL)
18) DEMOTES
19) INPUTTER
20) ENTERIC – pertaining to the G.I. Tract (also ENTICER)
21) XYLIDINE – chemical used mainly in dye manufacture
22) PRECLEAN
23) CAUSERIE – an informal chat, conversation
24) PLAYABLE
25) RECLUSES (also CURELESS)
25) RECLUSES (also CURELESS)
26) SALTERS (also ARTLESS, LASTERS, SLATERS)
27) ZIKARUT – variant of ZIGGURAT, a pyramidal temple tower, prob.
like Tower of Babel
28) ARCHIVED
29) OREBODY – mass of ore-bearing rock
30) DAMEWORT – herbaceous plant of the mustard family
31) MORDENT – musical ornament indicating a note is to be played
in rapid alternation with the one next to it
32) TILTING (also TITLING)
33) SONANTAL – pertaining to a syllabic sound
34) EXCURSUS – detailed discussion of some point in a book, esp.
in an appendix
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