Nigel Richards vs. Ronald Credo, Round 6 at 17th Brand Crossword Game King's Cup 2002

King's Cup 2002: Ronald Credo vs. Nigel Richards – Squeezing a Win Against the G.O.A.T.

Beating Nigel Richards requires a mix of aggressive offense, fearless tactical choices, and surviving a masterclass endgame. In Round 6 of the 2002 King's Cup in Bangkok, the game exploded early as I capitalized on drawing both blanks separately, dropping bETAINES for a massive four-timer, followed by EXPIrED. Nigel mounted an unbelievable counter-offensive, pulling off a breathtaking 8-to-9 letter word hook by playing TRUG onto RUTHLESS, and later dropping UNT(AM)ING at b1. Standing at a crossroads leading 310-268 with a clunky ABILOQT rack, I bypassed the safer Q(U)AIL at 1a for a bolder, high-stakes choice: QIBLA at 12a for 53 points. Predictably, Nigel executed a flawless, surgical endgame to slash the spread, but my early momentum held just enough to secure a historic 425-390 victory.