(This article appeared in the ABSP's Magazine, The Last Word - Issue No. 69 dated December 1999)
Day 1 of the World Championship
I get into the playing room bang on time. There are sweets on the table, and jugs of iced water. Nice. Lisa is already there. Needless to say, Game 1 doesn't start at 8:00. After waiting for late arrivals, we start around 8:30.
My aim on Day 1 is to finish with more wins than losses. 5-3 would be okay, 6-2 good, anything better would be terrific.
Game 1 v Lisa Odom (USA)
After playing 9 games without missing a bingo, I miss three in the opening game of the main event. LItURGIC and CARPALIA$ are forgivable, WEaRIFUL is poor (although I was running short of time). Fortunately, I pick well, and score steadily. ROLLoUTS is a nice way to secure the win, although Lisa cuts the deficit with a final move FREMITUS. W: 430-364
Game 2 v Rashid Khan (Pakistan)
My Game 1 win should have settled my nerves. Far from it. I play absymally against Rashid, missing an early bingo (IDEALOGY$), and playing two phonies, both successfully challenged. With three tiles left in the bag this is the situation:
Phil- ADEEINT
I have no idea what the best play is. Given the score, I need a huge bingo if I'm to snatch an undeserved win. The IS- hook at o6 is a possibility - I don't have the right tiles, but H, M and O are yet to come; there's a fair possibility I'll pick at least one of them. So I need to create a high-scoring spot on the left side of the board. I consider DIT at 3b or 3c, giving the ADIT/EDIT hook, but it seems I'm likely to find myself over 100 points adrift if Rashid has an A and a reasonable play down the A column. Eventually I decide on EDIT at 3a, which doesn't look to give *too* much away.
So holding AENT, which three tiles would you want to be in the bag? How about HIM? That's exactly how it turned out. The result is that I have HEMATIN$ at o6 for a mere 95, or HEMATINE$ at a2 for 98. Poor Rashid ponders hard, before playing OPAL at o6 for 21. Blocking the O column must be best;
it's more likely I don't know the -E hook on HEMATIN than the base word itself (NOPAL at o5 would have been slightly better). But either way I have a winning play. Very lucky. W: 415-398.
Game 3 v Robert Felt (USA)
A rematch with Bob Felt, after our Melbourne Cup Masters clash. I slip up on my opening move, playing DAKER for 24 instead of REDOX for 42, but generally play a solid game. But there's not a lot I can do about Bob's excellent start - STEAMING (94), UPTOwNER (80) and JApINGLY$ (68). I pull back to level with OUTDRIVE for 63, OUTDRIVEN/NINE for 54 and UNWRITES for 65. The critical moment comes on move 8. There's a floating E, and I'm sitting with ACCORST for ECTOSARC; but Bob does very well to spot FOTHERED# around the E for 82. My late MANTRAPS only reduces the deficit. L: 441-495.
Game 4 v James Cherry (Can)
I start with REDOWAS for 80. James responds with COWErING for 76 - game on! REFACED on move 3 gives me a decent lead, and I continue to score steadily. Despite James's excellent FONTANEL, I always feel I'm just about in control - at least until the penultimate move:
Eventually I play OB at 7b, which I believe is correct. James has bingos at b1 with BEIINR? (BRaINIER) or EIINRS? (INSpIRER). At 1h he has three bingos, but all with one rack (IRoNISED, RESINoID and INSpIRED). As it happens, the final tile in the bag is the blank!
Afterwards I discover that I've missed two bingos, UNIALGAL$, holding the unpromising AAILLNU, and the 9-letter PREVISION (around RE). W: 452-426
Game 5 v Peter Sinton (NZ)
Although I miss CORNeTCY early on, I play a very solid game, with a pleasing DuLOTIC as one of my two bingos. Peter never really gets into the game. W: 438-283
Game 6 v Michael Gongolo (Ken)
I'm now on 4-1, and going nicely. But I get back into bad habits against Michael, having a move disallowed early on (DERVE*, getting confused with PERVE). Later, holding DELORRW, I miss LOWRIDER$ around an I, but play a very pleasing endgame which I'll send out separately. W: 396-373.
Game 7 v Helen Gipson (UK)
My first game against a fellow Brit. It's a nice, flowing game and I play pretty well, but back-to-back bonuses late on (STATION and CREATION) take Helen into an unassailable position. L: 411-434.
Game 8 v Suresh Chinnaiyah (Sri)
My opening rack is ADIHOU?. I ponder for some time before playing HUIA at 8h. Is it the best word? And if so, is it the best position? It certainly doesn't feel like it when Suresh slaps down HANDIEST at h8 for 89.
My second move is also a difficult choice:
Phil: CDDOPW?
Possibilities include COWPED (which I wouldn't have been 100% sure of) at 19, DOWPS at 14c for 19, WAP at 9g for 22, and DeCAPOD at k5 for 48. I decide on WAP, keeping my only vowel. COWPED and DOWPS appear to simulate slightly better.
A little later I pick up the second blank:
Phil: IMNTT??
I have no hesitation in taking the 37 points for MIND at 11e, keeping TT??, rather than taking 73 points for sMITTeN at m7. My pickup is KQR! Suresh plays JIBED at l3, and things are in danger of going horribly wrong:
Phil: KQRTT??
Time to be bold, I decide, and play QUaRK at 12j, praying that Suresh doesn't have one of the two remaining S's. He doesn't. I pick up ELO, play TOLTERs/QUARKs for 85, and I'm back in the game. Approaching the endgame, I'm just about in control, but there's still a heart-stopping moment to come:
Phil: EFILRSU
Unseen: ADEEEGIIORSTY
If Suresh doesn't play a bonus, I feel that my lead will be sufficient to hang on to the win. 7a-7g is the obvious danger spot, so I play LIEF for 21, and pick up DEIY. Suresh plays RESITE at 8a for 28, leaving the following situation:
Phil: DEIRSUY
Suresh: AGO
To my horror, I see that Suresh has a gorgeous outplay, GOA at 2a for 30. Suddenly I'm sweating. Fortunately, I have a few minutes on my clock, enough to see that YIRDS at 12a is just enough to sneak a 3-point win. W: 404-401.
So all in all a good day's work, 6 wins, and a couple of well-played games to finish. As in the Melbourne Cup Masters I've been out-bingoed by my opponents (15-17), but I'm now 13-3 after two competitive days of Scrabble. All I need now is a good night's sleep...
WSC Day 2
All I needed was a good night's sleep... Instead, after going to bed around midnight I woke up at 3:30 a.m, and never managed to get back to sleep. So now I'm feeling awful, bit of a headache, and eyes that are already struggling to stay open. It's funny how, when you're desperately tired, but desperate to sleep, somehow sleep eludes you. Particularly when missed bingos and missing vocabulary are floating around in your head. Feeling as I am, I could have done without an opening game against the formidable Bob Felt. But that's what the computer has thrown up. Let's just hope I pick tiles that play themselves today...
Game 9 v Robert Felt (USA)
An opening rack of EHLNORS, and I make a horrible error on my first move of the day, playing HOLER* instead of HERON. After challenging it off, Bob changes one tile. I get it right second time round, and Bob plays PITHEADS through the H. He announces his score: "Seventy-four".
We each play two more bingos, BEANIES and GOLIARDS by me, ENCRATY and VArDIES by Bob. As we go into the endgame, Bob is in control. But (as he mentioned in his own account of the event) he mistracks and makes a blunder by using his last vowel in MAX/XU. The board now looks like this:
Phil: AAGILRZ
Bob: GLNR
It doesn't take me long to see a neat set-up play, RIA at 2b, setting up GAZAL/ARIA for 52. Bob can do no better than GAL at c13 for 8, giving me a 451-448 win. BUT - Bob had miscounted his opening move. It was only when I analysed the game a week later that I realised it should have been 78, not 74. So instead of losing by 3, Bob should have won by 1. I feel very bad about this. If I hadn't been feeling so brain-dead, I'm sure I would have checked the score at the time.
The lesson is, of course, to demand a recount on every game that you lose by less than 10 points. W: 451-448.
Game 10 v Randy Hersom (USA)
Randy has had a terrific first day, with a 7-1 record, but is coming off a loss against Joel Sherman. He starts well, with two early bingos, REMBLAI and SORDINI. He soon establishes a lead of 124 points. That's when I get very lucky. Following SALUTERS for 77, I immediately pick FROTIN?, with a floating H at l1. A few seconds later, after FROTHINg for 167, my 124-point deficit has been transformed into a 92-point lead. Randy fights back, but UNCAGiNG for 80 secures a high-scoring win. W: 544-450.
Game 11 v Roland Filio (Bahrain)
Despite my fragile physical state, I've moved up to 5th place with an 8-2 record. My reward is a game against Roland Filio from Bahrain. I'm hopeful of continuing my winning run, but Roland plays a brilliant game. His first five moves are GNEISSIC (86), QUIM (35), PINGLERS (78), UMTEENtH (78) and AX (56). I keep in touch with BAcKBONE (67), RELOADED (64) and SEAZE (74), but the much-needed follow-up bingo doesn't come until much too late. L: 436-500.
Game 12 v Jakkrit Klaphajone (Thailand)
For the first time in the tournament, I never have a look-in. Jakkrit plays four bingos to my none, and despite making no major mistakes, I get crushed. L: 356-470.
Game 13 v Rodney Judd (Pakistan)
Back in the pack at 8-4, and needing a win badly. We exchange early bingos, GERMAIN by Rodney, PArGETS by me, but he gains the momentum with REDACTS mid-game. Towards the end of the game, we reach the following situation:
Phil: BINRSTW
Unseen: DEILOOPRRU?
I spot the slot-in play WRITTEN at m9 for 28, but hesitated because I'm uneasy about emptying the bag and handing control of the endgame to Rodney. But I can see nothing better, so WRITTEN it is. Is there any reasonable alternative? My pick-up of OOP? secures the win. W: 402-384
Game 14 v Mark Nyman (UK)
Often, even after a heavy loss, you feel that you can trace the origins of the defeat to an early mistake. Against Mark, after the first three moves the situation is as follows:
Phil: GIILMNS
I'm not 100% sure of LIMINGS and play, too quickly, SMILING at i9. As soon as I've played it I realise that I could have played SLIMING at i8 for 13 extra points. But more importantly, Mark's immediate response to SMILING is VELOCItY through the L for 82. After SLIMING, there is no bonus play. Who knows how the game would have proceeded? Now I'm forced to go after bingos, but my attempts to open the board result in further bingos for Mark (AmUSETTE and ALAMORT), and a heavy defeat. L: 313-532.
Game 15 v Helen Gipson (UK)
This turns out to be a game in which I feel that I keep making the wrong decisions, whenever they are marginal. And even when I make the right decision, I get kicked in the teeth. Here's a classic example. Put yourself in Helen's place:
With Phil about to play, you have DIRECTS on your rack and nowhere to play it. [There is DERELICTS at 5g through EL, but that's very tough to see.] At this point, holding AHMNORV, Phil plays MHO at 1a (the best play). Suddenly DIRECTS slots in beautifully at 3c, making ORD, GI, AR and ONE, scoring a massive 94 points. I manage to slot a late bingo to complete another high-scoring, but losing, encounter. L: 471-525.
Game 16 v Amnuay Ploysangngam (Thailand)
Against Amnuay my opening rack is IIJSST?. I play JoIST for 38, and pick DEGNR. What happens next is one of the worst sequences of play I've ever made in a game of Scrabble, although credit to Amnuay for setting the trap. He plays IFF/IT, leaving the following position:
Best play at this point (unless anyone can tell me otherwise!) is:
Amnuay: CLUE at 1c for 17
Phil : ROVE at l3 for 14
The result is a win for Amnuay by 427-425. ALEC at b6 after MOULD would also give Amnuay the win. But there is a way of making life a little less straightforward for Amnuay. I play DROVE at l2 for 18, leaving me an out-play of MOL at j9 for 15. There are, of course, several possible winning moves for Amnuay at this point, but none are everyday words. There's CADEAU or CEDULA for 30 at 2j, or CADEE for 28, and there's also CLAQUE at 1e. I held my breath, hoping he doesn't spot any of them. Eventually he played CEREAL at 3j for 16, which of course wins against MOL - but not against MOLL at o1, which I duly play. After a recount, my narrow win is confirmed. W: 431-427.
The moral is - if you don't have a definite winning move, at least try to make life as difficult as possible for your opponent.
It hasn't been a good day. My record reads 4-4 -332. Once again I've been outscored on bingos (15-22), even though I've missed only one on the day (NOVELISH against Randy). But one of my wins was undoubtedly undeserved, and another (it turns out) wasn't a win at all.
I reject suggestions of going out for a meal, and spend the evening in my room instead. I watch the film "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" on TV - a perfect antidote to a serious case of Scrabble-induced exhaustion - and fall asleep very early. My chance of winning has pretty much gone, but a good day tomorrow and I could still come home with some money...
WSC Day 3
Thankfully, a decent night's sleep, so I'm raring to go for the final day of the event - the final day for most of us. Targets? 5 wins for a top-16 place, 6/7 for top-10, and a clean sweep might get me into the final...
Game 17 v Suresh Chinnaiyah (Sri Lanka)
My first game is a rematch against Suresh. In his previous game he'd beaten Joe Edley by 336 points - has anyone else *ever* beaten Joe Edley by 336 points?! So I'm hoping that his luck will run out against me. The game really comes to life late on. Suresh plays two bingos (ORBITeRS and REALTIES) to my CAIRNED, but high scores with the Z, Q and J give me a decent lead approaching the endgame, and my rack has matured nicely. With Suresh to play, this is the situation:
I have DEASOIL# and ISOLEAD$, but nowhere to play either. However given the remaining tiles on this board, my 47-point lead looks as though it should be decisive. At this point Suresh plays ENFOLDs at n4 for 73. After the initial shock, I realise that I can play ISOLEAD parallel to ENFOLDs, making EL/NE/FA/OD, for 90 points. Suresh puts his head in his hands. "Why didn't I play FONDLEs?" he asks? As it happens, provided I play sensibly I'll still win after FONDLEs. The best endgame is SOLDI at 7k, followed by DAE at a8, although the more everyday SLIDE and ADO in the same spots would also be good enough. I'd like to think that I'd have been up to the challenge! W:493-413.
Game 18 v Jeff Grant (New Zealand)
For the first time in the tournament I have one of those games where I can't go wrong. ACQUESTS, ENHEArSE#, SAUTEED, CONFLATE and sPIRULAE$ add up to my biggest win of the week. W:554-318.
Game 19 v Femi Awowade (Nigeria)
I'm back in the top ten, but not for long. Femi has the same type of game that I've just had against Jeff. He scores 275 points in 4 moves, including AMBOINAS$, NAIFeST, and LOcKING. I lose a move trying LOCKINGS* - it sounded reasonable to me; the locking of a door? These damned -ING non-nouns... L: 325-533.
Game 20 vs Pakorn Nemitrmansuk (Thailand)
A curious game. Pakorn takes a convincing lead following ESTRIDGE for 83 and CHADOR for 48. After four moves I'm 100 points adrift. But INcRUST gets me back into the game, and we reach this situation with Pakorn to play:
I'm sitting with a choice of nine-timers, but he's bound to block the O column... He puts down GRIP at o12, then picks it up again. Instead, he plays PIT at 12g for 13 - it turned out the I was his only vowel. I play SLAnGIER for 122 and follow it up with ARGUFIED at 6h the following move. A likely defeat turns into a big win. W: 500-324
So, lunchtime on the final day, and I'm just outside the top ten. Three more wins in the afternoon would be nice...
Game 21 v Odette Rio (Phillipines)
Odette and I had had a high-scoring game in Singapore, and this turns out to be similar. Odette starts the game with JUMPS at 8d for 48. I make a mental note to keep an eye out for OUTJUMPS. I lose a move early on with pITFACES* - greedy; there were other simpler bonus plays for 15-20 points less. But the bingos start to flow: FANCIEsT and GOLIASED for me, InEARTHS and SOLANINE for Odette. On my very last rack, I finally find myself looking at OUT, with the opportunity for OUTJUMPS still there.
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But more significantly, I can see TOURING at 11i for 69, surely a winning play. As in the game with Suresh, I get a rude awakening when Odette plays BANALEST# at m2 for 72. With a 47-point deficit and Odette holding EF, OUTJUMPS is no use to me now. Fortunately I don't need it. Not 100% sure of OUTGRINS$, I go out with TUTORING at j8. W: 467-443.
Game 22 v Ron Tiekert (USA)
Since Game 6 of the tournament, I've missed only one bingo. On move 2 against Ron, I miss another - or more accurately, I see FORGEMAN# but decide that I'm probably making it up. It turns out to be a tight, low-scoring game with Ron maintaining a solid lead. But after a late AErATES and a pickup (FHIKRRS) that has definite scoring potential, I feel that I'm still in with a chance. This is the situation from Ron's perspective:
Ron: DEEILRU
Unseen: FHIKLRRS
After some thought, Ron plays LURID at h1, and picks the L from the bag. I play KIF at a7, with Ron able to play out in several places. LURID looks best to me. Or is RUDIE better, leaving EL? Or possibly LUDE at a7 for 20, leaving EIR? Whatever, it's Ron's game. L: 349-360.
Game 23 v Naween Fernando (Sri Lanka)
This is a game in which I feel I play pretty well, playing solidly throughout and and spotting the two OSPD bingos, FRONTER$ and HENBITS$. A satisfying win against a very strong opponent. W: 488-371.
Game 24 v Adam Logan (Canada)
I reckon that if I win this game I'll finish around 6th/7th place. If I lose - hopefully in the top 16. I've never played Adam before, but of course I know he's very strong, so I'll have to be at my best... Unfortunately I end the tournament as I began, missing bingos. And, disappointingly, they're words I know. The first is CAESARS, the second VISIONAL - holding an unplayable VIOLINS on my rack, too quickly I play a nice slot-in play for 40. Adam bingos early with rADICAND, but the critical moment occurs a little later, when I open up a tight board with AXEL for 33 to take a 9-point lead. Adam immediately plays IMPINgED through the floating E of AXEL, and comfortably controls the game from that point onwards. L: 357-461.
I have to confess that, during the final game, my attentions haven't been fully focused on my own board. I've been keeping my eye on Table 1, where Mark Nyman and David Boys are playing. As soon as I've put my autograph in the "Loser's signature" box, I rush over to see what's happening. Mark gives me the thumbs up. Although he knows he's losing the game, he also knows that it's close enough to assure him a place in the final.
The rest, of course, is history. Obviously, I was rooting for Mark, as a fellow Brit and my best mate. But I like and respect Joel very much, and I also knew that he would be a tremendous ambassador for the game should he win. I think events have proved this to be the case.
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