TLW April 2012

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The Last Word
The Independent Tournament SCRABBLE® Newsletter
A Monthly Newsletter
Issue 28 - April 2012
SCRABBLE® Strategy
New England SS Championships
WWF? Ask the duck!
SCRABBLE® Fundraisers
CONGRATULATIONS TO 2012 NATIONAL SCHOOL SCRABBLE CHAMPIONS ANDY HOANG & ERIK SALGADO!
The Last Word is an independent publication for tournament SCRABBLE® players. It is not
affiliated with Hasbro, Mattel, the North American SCRABBLE® Players Association (NASPA),
the Word Game Players’ Organization (WGPO), or the National SCRABBLE® Association (NSA).
Our mission is to provide content of interest to all SCRABBLE® players, so please let us know if
there are topics you would like us to add. We welcome contributions: stories, artwork, etc.
For the time being, we are hoping to provide this Newsletter at no charge; however, since it is a
100% volunteer effort, we would appreciate any donations. Advertisers are encouraged, too. If
you would like to have The Last Word emailed to you, please send a request with your email
address to [email protected] and we will add you to our mailing list.
Editor in Chief: Cornelia Guest
Columnists: Jan Cardia, Timothy Cataldo, Judy Cole, Joe Edley, Stu
Goldman, Jeff Kastner, Joan Mocine, Tony Rasch, Lester Schonbrun,
Larry Sherman, Chris Sinacola, Siri Tillekeratne, Linda Wancel
Editors-at-large: Robin Pollock Daniel, Joe Edley, Stefan Fatsis, Ted
Gest
The Last Word is a volunteer
effort. We appreciate your
donations.
(PayPal or snail mail--contact
[email protected])
Photographer-at-large: Betsey Wood
Contributors: Robert Andersson, Doug Brockmeier, Don Hake, Jack
Lavin, Jessica Meller, Jack Mitchell, Art Moore, Stephanie Steele,
Sonya Thomas, Ron Ulicny, Joel Wapnick
For advertising rates,
please email
[email protected]
Copyright © 2012 GuessWhat! Some data copyright ©1999-2012 NSA; copyright © 2010-2012 NASPA; and copyright © 2005-2012 Seth Lipkin and Keith Smith.
SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark of Hasbro, Inc.in the USA and Canada. Elsewhere it is the trademark of J.W. Spear & Sons, Ltd.
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Table of Contents
From the Editor 3
Emails to the Editor 4
Advertising Section: Equipment, Tournaments, Organizations, Books 5
Tournament News 9
Mack Attack in Norwalk by Cornelia Guest 9
WGPO Beach Blanket Bingo by Stephanie Steele 10
2012 New England School SCRABBLE® Championship by Cornelia Guest 11
Tournament Results 14
New Faces: Sonya Thomas 16
SCRABBLE® Strategy by Joel Wapnick 18
Robert Andersson, the Man behind Wordlist Pro by Jeff Kastner 19
Know the Rules by Jan Cardia 22
Word Trivia Quiz by Siri Tillekeratne 23
SCRABBLE® and Scrabblers in the News edited by Judy Cole 25
One Up! Cup for April by Timothy Cataldo 34
Crossing Words by Judy Cole 35
The Wordsmith by Chris Sinacola 36
Scrab-doku by Jeff Kastner 41
A SCRABBLE® Lesson with Doug Brockmeier by Cornelia Guest 44
Linda’s Library by Linda Wancel 48
What’s Your Play? 50
The Secret World of School SCRABBLE® by Jack Mitchell 52
Word Star by Jeff Kastner 60
Going to Pot by Tony Rasch 63
The Hake Rating System by Don Hake 71
SCRABBLE® Resources 74
Tournament Calendar 77
Archives 87
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From the Editor
2012 National School SCRABBLE® Champions
Andy Hoang and Erik Salgado. These two 8th
graders from North Carolina also won as 5th
graders in 2009. (Photo credit: Patricia A. Hocker,
National SCRABBLE® Association)
The 2012 National School SCRABBLE® Championship is
over, and there’ll be complete coverage of the event in the
next issue of The Last Word. As a coach, it made me very
proud to see so many teams trying their best, showing
good sportsmanship in victory and defeat, and welcoming
both old and new friends. One of my favorite moments
was watching some of my teams playing an enthusiastic
game of beach volleyball with a group of kids from Indiana
they’d met just a few days earlier. SCRABBLE® is a
wonderfully bonding game, and I give kudos to Jane and
John Williams, Hasbro, John Chew, and all the officials
and volunteers who made this year’s Nationals the
success it was. To see the results and Patty Hocker’s
great photos of the event, go to the NSA website: http://
www.scrabble-assoc.com/tourneys/2012/nssc/build/
index.html
I always get a special treat out of bringing new players and their parents to the NSSC. It’s inspiring
for them to see so many other kids excited by SCRABBLE®, and I find they return with a renewed
energy to study their words, play with new friends on ISC, and enter other tournaments. Once
again, Chris Cree generously gave all participants a 6-month NASPA membership--so hopefully
many new young faces will give rated tournaments a try.
A bittersweet aspect of Nationals is knowing that for the many 8th graders who were there, this is
their last NSSC. While increasingly more of these players are continuing in regular tournaments, a
number prefer playing with other kids, and vanish from the SCRABBLE® scene. I’d love to see a
high-school competition offered--perhaps with a college scholarship as the top prize--to keep these
teens involved. Some of the parents have been talking about ways these kids can stay in touch and
keep playing together. It would be nice to see the great connections they’ve made in School
SCRABBLE® continuing--and not just online.
In this issue of The Last Word you can read press coverage on some of the teams that went to
Nationals in Judy Cole’s excellent column “SCRABBLE® and Scrabblers in the News.” There’s also
a write-up of the New England School SCRABBLE® Championship, one of a number of regional
tournaments that students used to prepare for Nationals. In addition, we’ve included Jack Mitchell’s
interesting essay on School SCRABBLE®, which examines the history and possible future for youth
players in SCRABBLE®.
I wanted to close with a special thank-you to the unsung heroes of School SCRABBLE® — the
parents who support their kids’ love of the game, bringing them to clubs, tournaments, and lessons.
What a great choice you’re making for your children!
Cornelia Guest
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Emails to the Editor
Should you wish to send an email to the editor comment on any of the Newsletter articles—or make
suggestions or corrections—please email Cornelia Guest at [email protected]. Snail mail
is welcome at 135 Codfish Hill Road, Bethel, CT 06801. Emails chosen for publication may be
edited at the editor’s discretion.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Cornelia.....
Hi, I forgot to show you these...I made these Scrabble "X/O" earrings for a
friend right around the time I was making "Spew"....enjoy!....Thx again....Ron Ulicny
:)
For those of you who did not get a chance to see Ron’s work in the March issue of The Last Word,
visit the archives to read the story on the artist who created the remarkable “Spew,” below.
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Mack Attack in Norwalk
By Cornelia Guest; photographs by Jessica Meller
Forty players attended the 3/10 Norwalk Tournament, including
seven Youth Players and one first-time player. At the end of the day
it was a Youth Player, 12-year-old Mack Meller, who took top honors,
winning Division A with a 6-2 +358 record, on the way posting the
608 tournament High Game, and beating the three top-seeded adult
experts: Joel Sherman, Evans Clinchy, and Stefan Rau.
Neck and neck with 5 wins each going into the final KOH round,
Mack and Stefan had an exciting final game, with Mack prevailing by
5 points. Stefan finished second in the division with a 5-3 +270
record, and Andrew Friedman was third (5-3 +3).
Norwalk winners (l-r): Peter Barkman,
Division B; Mack Meller, Division A; Kevin
Gauthier, Division C
Division B was closely contested, with five players in contention
going into the final game. Peter Barkman ended up the winner, with
a 5-3 +310 record, narrowly nosing out Nancy Konipol, who finished
5-3 +299. Brandon Randall was third with a 5-3 +7 record, with Paul Avrin (5-3 -43) fourth.
Kevin Gauthier started off like a rocket in Division C, winning his first 5 games and amassing a considerable
spread. Going into the final game he was 6-1 +525, versus his opponent, Judy Cole, who was 5-2 +128.
Judy won that game, but only by 13 points, not enough to dethrone Kevin. The final results were Kevin first
(6-2 +512), Judy second (6-2 +141), and Joan Kelly third (5-3 +342). Judy Cole had the tournament High
Play (OUTDRIVE, 131); however, since she’d won the Best St. Patrick’s Day word for INSANITY, the High
Play award went to 7th grader DeeAnn Guo for the double-double FONDLER, 96.
Four adults played in the unrated 3-game “Novice Adult” tournament in
the morning, including newcomer Peter Morris (not the former World
Champion!) The winner of this tournament was Julie Leff, who finished
2-1 +185. Miriam Mennin was second (2-1 +50), and Peter third (2-1
-12). Julie also took the prices for High Game (417), High Play
(DETOXER*), and Best St. Patrick’s Day Word (NUN).
Novice Youth tournamant players
Four Youth Players (under 18 as of
1/1/12) competed in the morning “Novice
Youth” tournament, also unrated. The
Novice Adult tournament players
winner was 4th grader Jared Tilliss, who
finished with a perfect 3-0 +695 record.
Second went to 5th grader Noah Kalus, competing in his first solo
tournament. Noah finished with a 2-1 +556 record, his only loss in the final
round to Jared. The two also battled for the smaller prizes, with Jared
winning High Game (508) over Noah’s 438, and High Play (FALSEST, 98)
over Noah’s BUILDED, 86. Noah won the Best St. Patrick’s Day Word for
GREENS.
Only two Youth Player stayed for the afternoon “Novice Youth” tournament,
which was shortened to three games and run as an unrated tournament.
Noah Kalus won all his games to take the prize over 5th grader Stephanie
Adams, playing in her first solo tournament. Noah also won the prizes for
High Game (528), High Play (MOTIVITE*, 136), and Best St. Patrick’s Day
Word (GAGS). Stephanie showed superb good sportsmanship and was
awarded a copy of Tony Rasch’s excellent word guide Brow-raisers II.
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WGPO Beach Blanket Bingo
By Stephanie Steele
Many thanks to Susi Tiekert for organizing
and running a wonderfully relaxing and fun
16-game tournament in Melbourne, Florida
March 16--18.
The tournament was held at the Doubletree
hotel, situated right on the beach, every room
a suite overlooking the ocean. We were steps
away from the white, sandy beach and
gorgeous Atlantic ocean.
The tournament began on Friday evening at
7pm (4 games), and resumed at 9am on
Saturday morning, when we played 4 more
games, then took a break until 7pm, so there
was plenty of time to enjoy good eats,
sunshine and dips in the ocean. I personally enjoyed reclining on a lounge chair and watching the
surfers and sea birds play. We played 4 games Saturday night and 4 more on Sunday, finishing up
around 2pm, leaving plenty of time for players who needed to catch flights or drive home.
Division 1 had 8 players, and Division 2 had 10 players. We were a cozy group, and I very much
enjoyed getting together with old friends and meeting new players.
Top honors went to Ian Weinstein, who took 1st place in Division 1. Minnesota represented with Lisa
Odom and Steve Pellinen (you think they play a game or two together now and then?), taking 2nd
and 3rd place.
Larry Gradus and Elaine Patterson took 1st and 2nd in Division 2, with yours truly placing 3rd.
Gretchen Cowen and Charlene White split the class prize in Division 2, with Mary Capalbi clinching
the coveted class prize in Division 1.
I arrived a week early with my daughter to celebrate her spring break and relax before the
tournament began, and this was a wonderful mix of vacation and SCRABBLE®. Jo was happy
sunbathing by the pool while I played a few games (the playing room was only steps away), and
Susi's schedule allowed for plenty of time to sightsee or just chill on the beach.
We're hoping Susi will organize this event again next year, so please mark your calendars if you are
interested in competitive tournament SCRABBLE® combined with pristine beach time and
wonderful dining!
Hugs to Susi and Ron, and congrats to all the winners.
I think we were all winners this tournament!
Click here for complete results.
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2012 New England School SCRABBLE® Championship
By Cornelia Guest; photographs by Jessica Meller
Twenty teams of 4th-9th graders competed at the 2012 New England School SCRABBLE®
Championship on March 31st, held this year for the first time at the Yerwood Center, in Stamford,
CT. Because of the wide range in experience among the players, team played in three divisions: A,
for advanced players, many bound for the National School SCRABBLE® Championship in Orlando;
B, for intermediate players, most with some tournament experience; and C, for novice players,
several playing in their first tournament. Cornelia Guest and Kieran O'Connor co-directed, with
Cynthia Fordham from Massachusetts graciously assisting.
Division A featured some of the nation's top Youth Players,
and game results showed the depth of talent in this division.
Entering the final KOH round, Massachusetts brothers Sam
and Ben Heinrich, undefeated with a 4-0 +361 record, faced
defending champion Mack Meller and his partner DeeAnn
Guo, who trailed 3-1, but had a huge spread of +620 (all
game spreads were capped at 250 points). Mack and
DeeAnn won the final game by 39 points, becoming the
2012 New England School SCRABBLE® Champions. Sam
and Ben finished second (4-1 +222), with Burlington &
Woburn Tournament winners Skye Stanton and Nathan
Ikeda third, just 41 spread points ahead of fourth-place
finishers Nat Jones and Zach Dietz. Mack and DeeAnn won the division prize for High Game (568),
and were also the 6th and 7th Grade Champions. The division prize for High Play went to New
Jersey player Thomas Draper, who played FESTERED on a triple-triple for 147 points. Thomas
played solo, as his usual partner, Nicky Vasquez, was playing at the Princeton tournament.
Division B was a runaway for the youngest team at the tournament: 4th
grader Jared Tilliss and 5th grader Sheng Guo. The boys had a perfect
5-0 +937 record, with 9th graders Riley Pearsall and Cindy Prado
second (3-2 +174) and Priya Pai and Kristen Brodeur a close third (3-2
+166). Fourth, also with a 3-2 record but a lower spread, were Santi
Alvarez and Jordan Dowd. Jared and Sheng won the division prizes for
High Game (579) and High Play (ADMIRES, 93)--plus the prize for Best
"April Fool's Day" Word for GOOF. They finished as the 4th and 5th
Grade Champions. Riley and Cindy were the 9th Grade Champions.
Division C was a fight to the finish between two teams: the
brother/sister team of John Paul and Emma Baughman and the
team of Drew Gregory and Jack Lavin, two players joining forces
for the first time. In the final game John Paul and Emma won by
14 points, giving them the win at 4-1 +475 over Drew and Jack's
4-1 +327. Third were Matthew Cerullo and Jack Marshall, and
fourth Jahnavi Patel and Nolan Doherty. Jack and Drew won the
division prize for High Game with a 442, and John Paul and
Emma won the High Play prize for the phony QUITERS*, 98.
Jack also won the prize for 8th Grade Champion.
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Prizes were given to three teams that did not have a win, but remained in good spirits. Michael
Cerullo and Kevin Dukas in Division A won copies of "The Official SCRABBLE® Puzzle Book;" Nick
Fenney and Ryan Feyre in Division B won copies of "Everything SCRABBLE®;" and Jahnavi
Patel and Nolan Doherty in Division C won copies of Bradley Robbins' "The Official Kids' Guide to
SCRABBLE®." In addition, all tournament competitors were awarded elegant Certificates of
Participation prepared by the Yerwood Center.
A raffle was held to benefit the Yerwood Center's fledgling School SCRABBLE® program, with many
prizes including a Watermelon SCRABBLE® board and long racks from Gene Tyszka; ProTiles from
Bob Schoenman; tiles bags from Carolyn Boyd and Debbie Scholz of IncredibleTileBags.com;
copies of "The Fingertips of Duncan Dorfman" from the Penguin Group; and a copy of the new
edition of "Word Freak," an "RU Game?" T-shirt, large-print SCRABBLE® dictionaries, tote bags,
and stainless steel water bottles from the National SCRABBLE® Association.
Possibly the most pleasant part of the day was during the lunch break, when a group of players
started an impromptu basketball game (the venue was a gymnasium). Watching the young
wordsmiths shooting hoops, passing the ball, and weaving through tables was a true delight!
Division A’s top finishers (l-r): Ben Heinrich & Sam
Heinrich (2nd); Mack Meller & DeeAnn Guo (1st).
Complete results follow:
DIVISION A
1. Mack Meller & DeeAnn Guo: 4-1 +659
2. Sam Heinrich & Ben Heinrich: 4-1 +222
3. Skye Stanton & Nathan Ikeda: 3-2 +38
4. Nat Jones & Zach Dietz: 3-2 -3
5. Kyle Imperato & John Schuman: 2-3 -20
6. Matthew O'Connor & Seth Tilliss: 2-3 -44
7. Thomas Draper: 2-3 -167
8. Michael Cerullo & Kevin Dukas: 0-5 -785
High Game: Mack Meller & DeeAnn Guo: 568
High Play: Thomas Draper: FESTERED, 147
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DIVISION B
1. Sheng Guo & Jared Tilliss: 5-0 +937
2. Riley Pearsall & Cindy Prado: 3-2 +174
3. Priya Pai & Kristen Brodeur: 3-2 +166
4. Santi Alvarez & Jordan Dowd: 3-2 +31
5. Ethan Fox & Joey Barcomb: 3-2 -46
6. Max Marshall & Abigail Marshall: 2-3 -166
7. Kevyn Martins & Kathryne Watkins: 1-4 -337
8. Nick Fenney & Ryan Feyre: 0-5 -656
High Game: Sheng Guo & Jared Tilliss: 579
High Play: Sheng Guo & Jared Tilliss: ADMIRES, 93
DIVISION C
1. John Paul Baughman & Emma Baughman: 4-1 +475
2. Drew Gregory & Jack Lavin: 4-1 +327
3. Matthew Cerullo & Jack Marshall: 2-3 -99
4. Jahnavi Patel & Nolan Doherty: 0-5 -703
High Game: Drew Gregory & Jack Lavin: 442
High Play: John Paul Baughman & Emma Baughman: QUITERS*, 98
4th Grade Champion: Jared Tilliss
5th Grade Champion: Sheng Guo
6th Grade Champion: Mack Meller
7th Grade Champion: DeeAnn Guo
8th Grade Champion: Jack Lavin
9th Grade Champions: Riley Pearsall & Cindy Prado
Best "April Fool's Day" Word: Sheng Guo & Jared Tilliss: GOOF
Shooting hoops at the 2012 NESSC
(photo by Cornelia Guest)
Squaring up at the 2012 NESSC
(courtesy of Jack Lavin)
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Tournament
Results
MARCH 1-31
VANCOUVER BC CAN 3/2
1. Rafi Stern
2. Wayne Clifford
3. Judy Smith
PITTSBURGH PA 3/3
1.
2.
3.
4.
Thomas M. Hall
James Rizzo
Joyce Stock
Sonya Thomas
VANCOUVER BC CAN 3/3-4
1. Nigel Peltier
2. Jill Turney
3. Sudhir Padmanabhan
LAGUNA WOODS CA 3/4
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GUELPH ON CAN 3/11
1.
2.
3.
4.
Mark Edelson
Yvonne Lobo
Alex Rodriguez
Sharmaine Farini
DALLAS TX 3/16-18
1. Winter
INDIATLANTIC FL (WGPO)
3/16-18
1. Ian Weinstein
2. Larry Gradus
BAYSIDE NY 3/17
1. Adam Townsend
2. Chris Tsigos
3. Pat Nahaczewski
BRATTLEBORO VT 3/18
Stefan Rau
Jeffrey Nelson
Bob Becker
Andrew Malaby
Sara Corbin
NORWALK NOVICE YOUTH
MOUNTAIN VIEW CA
P.M. (UNRATED) 3/10
(WGPO) 3/18
1. Noah Kalus
1. Bennett Jacobstein
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Peter Armstrong
KC Frodyma
Peter Dolgenos
Jack Norman
CAMBRIDGE ON CAN 3/24
1.
2.
3.
4.
Evan Berofsky
Lilla Sinanan
Kevin Turner
Ann Elwood
HOMER AK (WGPO) 3/24-25
1. Mike Gracz
1.
NORWALK NOVICE YOUTH 2.
3.
A.M. (UNRATED) 3/10
4.
1. Jared Tilliss
5.
1.
2.
3.
4.
S
1. Mervet Heartberg
2. Jeri Diamante
1. Jason Idalski
2. Lisa Brown
BERKELEY CA 3/11
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1. Lisa Brown
NORWALK CT 3/10
1. Julie Leff
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FORT LAUDERDALE FL
3/24
ELYRIA OH 3/17-18
NORWALK NOVICE ADULT
(UNRATED) 3/10
U
INDEPENDENCE OH (LCT)
3/13
1. Gary Moss
1. Mack Meller
2. Peter Barkman
3. Kevin Gauthier
R
PHILADELPHIA PA 3/18
1.
2.
3.
4.
Richard Popper
Paul Mistrette
Eric Siciliano
Ruth Brower
CALGARY AB CAN 3/24-25
1. Juraj Pivovarov
2. Betty Bergeron
LONG BEACH CA 3/25
1.
2.
3.
4.
David Whitley
Richard Strick
Arna Schutz
Kevin Belinkoff
PALM HARBOR FL 3/25
1. Timothy Bottorff
2. Sam Rothbart
3. Jason Rothbart
PORTLAND OR (WGPO)
3/25
1. Dave Johnson
2. Gunther Jacobi
MYRTLE BEACH SC 3/30
1. Ryan Fischer
2. Flora Taylor
3. Cathy Poole
AUSTIN TX 3/31
1. Doug Riblet
2. Jason Randolph
3. Joey Titzman
DANVILLE IL 3/31
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Marc Broering
Samuel Smith
Troy Thompson
Avery Mojica
Penny Sitler
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LINDEN MI 3/31
1. Stephen Knapp
2. Margaret Sutherland
MYRTLE BEACH SC
3/30-3/31
1. David Gibson
2. Denise Mahnken
3. Brenda Davis
NEW ENGLAND SCHOOL
SCRABBLE®
CHAMPIONSHIP,
STAMFORD CT 3/31
1. Mack Meller & DeeAnn Guo
2. Sheng Guo & Jared Tilliss
3. John Paul Baughman &
Emma Baughman
ROCHESTER (WEBSTER)
NY 3/31-4/1
1. Lou Cornelis
2. Sharmaine Farini
3. Peggy Tartaro
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New Faces
Since our last issue, 27 new faces have competed at NASPA, NSA, WGPO, and novice
tournaments. One player won her division first time out: Sonya Thomas, who won Division 4
at the Pittsburgh PA Tournament on 3/3 with a 5-1 +353 record to earn an initial NASPA
rating of 933.
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Sonya Thomas
Sonya Thomas, 25, relocated to Pittsburgh from Rochester, NY, to pursue
graduate studies at the University of Pittsburgh. A fan of many word
games, including Smart Mouth, Bananagrams, and Pathwords, she
decided a year ago to look for a SCRABBLE® club in the area. “I grew
up playing SCRABBLE® with my parents and possessed a love for
learning new words and reading from a very young age.”
She’s now a regular at the Squirrel Hill SCRABBLE® Club [Pittsburgh PA
NASPA SCRABBLE® Club #352]. “I have met some very friendly and
talented individuals who share my love of SCRABBLE®. The more
seasoned members of the club have been more than willing to share their
experience, strategies, and word knowledge.” On her last visit with her
parents, Sonya eagerly showed them some of the new “Scrabb words”
she’d learned. “My father exclaimed that he has spent all this money on
my education only for me to come back alleging that all these three- and
two-letter ‘words’ are part of the English language!”
Sonya finds studying new words for SCRABBLE® games fun and rewarding. “I utilize Zyzzyva all
the time as a study tool. I am able to look up anagrams and anagram hooks for common stems such
as STRAIN, and extensions for common prefixes: UN, MIS, RE, IN, OUT.” She likes to organize
words into categories. “For example, in my ‘SCRABBLE® Binder’ I have created lists of words in the
following categories: Animals, Colors/Pigments, Minerals, and Foods.” She’s found the categories
for prefixes/suffixes particularly helpful, such as "Words ending in -ING that take an 'S' (coursings,
talkings, wettings),” or “Words taking the RE, OUT, or IN/EN prefix.” When she has time, she looks
over the lists in these categories to expand her vocabulary.
Sonya found her first tournament a little unsettling. “We played in a room at a nearby library and
were sitting fairly close to each other. It was a little difficult to focus. I did not know that we would be
assigned opponents for each game and to look at the assignment sheet to know who to pair up with
next.” She suggests that other first-time tournament players familiarize themselves with the rules.
She learned some as she played; “I had not been holding the tile bag at eye level when taking tiles
from the bag, for example.”
But Sonya loved the tournament—and hopes to play in more. “I lost only one game of the
tournament, my 5th game. I was very upset about this because without that game, I would have 6-0.
However, I found out that the person I lost to only lost one game that day as well--to me. That at
least took the sting out of the loss for each of us.”
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Sonya suggests that directors reach out to new players to keep them informed of upcoming
tournaments. “The co-director of the Squirrel Hill Club, Terry Schroeder, told me about the
tournament, and informed me of what to expect. Terry has been instrumental in my growth as a
SCRABBLE® player."
Sonya looks forward to playing in more tournaments, and in increasing her vocabulary. She is
eager to participate in the next Pittsburgh tournament June 2-3. Get ready, Pittsburgh!
____________________________________________________
Welcome to Sonya Thomas and the following other new faces:
VANCOUVER BC CAN 3/2: David Nelson
PITTSBURGH PA 3/3: Ward Burgess, Ken Unico
VANCOUVER BC CAN 3/3-4: Mike Burri, Kendall Hanson, Tammy Hanson
NORWALK CT NOVICE ADULT (UNRATED) 3/10: Peter Morris
NORWALK CT NOVICE YOUTH P.M. (UNRATED) 3/10: Stephanie Adams
BAYSIDE NY 3/17: Fran Stein
PHILADELPHIA PA 3/18: Fredrick Omete, Curtis Smith
CAMBRIDGE ON CAN 3/24: Kathy Orr
LONG BEACH CA 3/25: Jem Burch; Jae Lee, Jr.; Michelle Townsley
PORTLAND OR 3/25: Devin Elgert
DANVILLE IL 3/31: Tim Batz, Wendy Edwards, John Gleaves, Kay Gleaves, Eric Loy, Marcie Noel
MYRTLE BEACH SC 3/30-3/31: Adam Hopkins, Tomazz James
ROCHESTER (WEBSTER) NY 3/31-4/1: Jonathan Black, Melissa Coleman, Clara Weinert
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SCRABBLE® Strategy
Time to Pass
By Joel Wapnick
NOTE: Everything in pink is not TWL.
The Q was in the bag, as it turned out. I still would have won, but with a point spread of about 100
points less than it turned out.
Quackle's best strategy was probably to take its lumps and pass back. I knew it wouldn't.
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Robert Andersson, the Man behind Wordlist Pro
By Jeff Kastner
This is Part 2 of my review of Wordlist Pro from last
month’s issue of the Last Word. [click here to go to
Archives, March 2102 issue, page 52, to see Part 1]
Wordlist Pro creator Robert Andersson is 38-years-old.
He lives in Gothenburg, Sweden’s second largest city,
with his wife Pernilla, her son Jonathan, and their 2year-old-son, Gustav (pictured).
It was hardly shocking to learn that Robert loves
computers and programming. But I was surprised to find
out he has a full-time job, as well. Since 1994 Rob has
worked for SKF Sweden, a ball-bearings factory, as their
heat treatment operator.
When not at the keyboard, Rob keeps in shape with
frequent workouts at the gym. He loves travelling,
especially in Asia. His favorite country is Thailand, which
he has visited at least 10 times. Rob also enjoys
listening to synthpop and Commodore 64 music.
I compiled the interview below from our recent
exchange of emails. (JK)
Rob Andersson and his son, Gustav
Rob, do you play SCRABBLE®?
Sorry to say, I don’t. I do enjoy playing Wordfeud with my coworkers, just for fun.
Actually, my favorite types of computer games are “Tower defense” real-time strategy games. I also enjoy
“first-person shooter video games,” like Crysis and Half-Life.
Tell me about your company: ernell software
It’s really more of a partnership that two of my closest friends and I started 15 years ago. We use the name
for whatever project we happen to be working on, whether it’s programming or selling bike parts. We came
up with “ernell” as an acronym for our three names: “er” (the Swedish “R”) stands for Robert, then “N” for
Niclas, and finally “ell” (the Swedish “L”) for Linus. Niclas is a very talented C-programmer who does iPhone
applications. Linus is the owner of a bicycle company, where I also work part-time as a network
administrator.
Tell me about your background in computer programming
I got my first Commodore 64 when I was 12 years old, and I was hooked! Shortly after, I got into assembler
programming and some years later moved on to Amiga 500.
Back then I was a member of “The Silents,” a well-known group of nerds.
At age 16 or 17 my focus began to shift. I left the computer scene and got into mountain-bike riding instead.
By 1996 my interest in computers returned and I bought my first PC. I began to explore the programming of
this new machine and did some graphics design work.
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In 2000, I took courses in C and Java programming, and also network administration with Windows and
Linux. I also learned some HTML. That year I registered the domain ernell.com, which later became
ernell.se. I built my own Linux server and started running my own “domain,” complete with website and
email. I learned about the languages PHP and SQL and built my own website with photo galleries and link
archive. In 2010, I shut the server down and started using Google Apps instead.
An interesting resume. But how did all this evolve into your creating Wordlist Pro?
Last year I got interested in Android app programming, especially since I had a Droid cell phone. Using my
knowledge of searching databases, as well as extracting and filtering data, I developed the Swedish app
“Ordlistan,” a simple word-search database. It’s still on the Android market today. After that, I converted
Ordlistan into an English-language version and eventually renamed it Wordlist Pro.
I couldn’t have done it without your help, Jeff. Thank you so much for being my guide through the world of
words, and offering me your expert advice and lengthy wish list of features to include into Wordlist Pro.
Additional thanks to both you and Laurie Cohen for performing the beta tests before release. I hear Laurie
found the app very useful when analyzing her games from the February Phoenix Tournament, where she
won the Collins Division.
Yes, that’s true. And thanks to you, too, for teaching me a few basics about the world of apps. Maybe
someday you could design one for my Word Star or Scrab-doku games? Speaking of which, what
are your plans for the future?
First and foremost, I will keep on adding features and improvements to Wordlist Pro to make it an even more
powerful tool for word-game lovers. To help achieve this goal, I invite all users to write me ([email protected])
with any suggestions they may have to make this program even better. Anyone who downloads it now will
automatically receive all future updates to the app.
Now that I’ve had some great experience developing an app from scratch and bringing it to the Android
market, I plan on designing a few more that, hopefully, could generate some extra income for my family.
There may very well be another word-game or two included in these plans!
[END OF INTERVIEW]
______________________________________________________________________________________
Wordlist Pro 2.0 made its sensational debut on the Android market last month and I’ve been testing it
extensively. In my opinion, it’s by far the best word-finder app available for Android smart phones. It is also
quite compatible with Android tablets, as shown by testing done with the Galaxy Tab. All devices require
Android version 2.2 or higher.
The free, ad-supported “Lite” edition of Wordlist Pro can be downloaded now from “Google Play” or “Play
Store” (which are Google’s latest names for the Android market). However, I highly recommend you upgrade
to the “Paid” edition. For a mere $2.98 you rid yourself of the banner ads, get lots of very useful added
features, plus receive free future extras as they become available.
As of this writing, the most recent update is Version 2.063. The “Paid” edition now includes the familyfriendly OSPD4 dictionary, thus expanding Wordlist Pro to the school and home markets. The bargain price
also includes the added benefits of “In app” definitions, CSW12 “Unique” (#) words, and the “Word Judge”
feature.
Following are a few screenshots from the “new and improved” Version 2.063.
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The latest version of Wordlist Pro features
a more colorful graphic interface. In this
example from the ‘Paid’ edition,
ENDOENZYME was short-clicked from a
list of all 2- to 10-letter words in CSW12
containing ‘DO’, and the In-app definition is
displayed in a colorful pop-up box. In-app
definitions (including parts of speech,
inflections and alternate spellings) are
unabridged through 8-letter words in CSW
or TWL. Quite often, as in this example,
longer words are defined as well.
The “Word judge” feature of the
“Paid” edition is now more colorful
and easier to read. In this
example, 4 words from a single
play were challenged in
“Tournament mode,” which is the
standard used at most clubs and
tourneys. “Word judge’”can be
preset for your preferred dictionary,
and also for the new “Fun Mode.”
After you press the “Judge” button,
the pop-up box shows the “Not
acceptable” result.
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Same search list as on left, but the latest
version of Wordlist Pro (in either “Lite” or
“Paid” edition) now supports “landscape,” as
well as the standard “portrait” mode. Rotating
the Droid device allows users who have
slide-out keyboards to take full advantage of
the app.
After you close the “Word judge”
pop-up box, the innovative “Fun
mode” shows the “Acceptable”
words in green and the “Not
acceptable” word in red. The “Fun
mode” option will undoubtedly prove
to be popular among casual players,
and can double as a handy tool for
postgame word lookups.
Jeff Kastner, originally from New York City, has been living in Phoenix, AZ since 1985. Jeff is one of a
handful of players who has ever been ranked in the USA-top-50 in both SCRABBLE® and chess. He is the
2010-2011 Phoenix SCRABBLE® Club champion as well as the 2011 Scottsdale SCRABBLE® Club champ.
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Know the Rules
By Jan Cardia, NASPA Rules Committee Chair
Jan Cardia, a longtime expert player and chair of the NASPA Rules Committee,
writes this monthly column on rules for The Last Word. We are thrilled to have
Jan sharing her rules expertise with our readers, and we encourage you to
email any questions you may have about tournament and club rules to
[email protected]. (Photo credit: Jill Jarrell)
________________________________________________________________________
Question:
My opponent made a five-letter play. In this play, two letters were placed upside down, two
were right-side up, and the printed blank was upside down. Is this a legal play or can it be
challenged off the board under the rule, III.F.3 Misoriented Tiles?
Answer:
This is a legal play. The blank, by virtue of its name, is not a numbered tile. A number of
specialty tiles have images on their blanks. These images are not relevant in deciding the
legitimacy of the play. This will be spelled out more clearly in the next rules update.
Jan Cardia has been playing competitive SCRABBLE® for 32 years and in tournaments for 29
years. She has been a member of the Rules Committee since its inception. She divides her time
between New York City with her husband, Aldo, and Delaware, where her children and
grandchildren all reside.
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Word Trivia Quiz
By Siri Tillekeratne
The following words whose unique meanings are given were added to the OSPD in 2006. What are
those words?
1. One who has been perverted
2. One quadrillion bytes
3. The production of pharmaceuticals from genetically altered plants or animals
4. Withdrawal of blood from a donor, removing some components, and returning the remaining
blood to the donor
5. A symbiotic relationship between some anthropods and fishes
6. To gain access to a long-distance telephone service to avoid tolls
7. A calcium-magnesium salt
8. Prepared with a spicy sauce
9. Prepared with a sauce of lemon, white wine and butter
10. A piece of jewelry attached to pierced flesh
ANSWERS on next page.
Siri Tillekeratne is a director of the Calgary NASPA SCRABBLE® Club #374 and a former Director
of the Year.
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ANSWERS
1. One who has been perverted
2. One quadrillion bytes
PERV/S
PETABYTE/S
3. The production of pharmaceuticals from genetically altered plants or animals
PHARMING/S
4. Withdrawal of blood from a donor, removing some components, and returning the remaining
blood to the donor PHERESIS/RESES
5. A symbiotic relationship between some anthropods and fishes
PHORESY/SIES
6. To gain access to a long-distance telephone service to avoid tolls
7. A calcium-magnesium salt
PHREAK/S/ED/ING
PHYTIN/S
8. Prepared with a spicy sauce PICANTE only
9. Prepared with a sauce of lemon, white wine and butter PICCATA only
10. A piece of jewelry attached to pierced flesh PIERCING/S (only the plural is new)
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SCRABBLE® and Scrabblers in the News
Edited by Judy Cole
See something about SCRABBLE® or a SCRABBLE® player in the news? Let us know! Send your
stories to Judy Cole ([email protected]).
_______________________________________________________________________________
Back to School
Teams heading to the National School
SCRABBLE® Championship in Orlando (FL) on
April 13-14, 2012, and other school SCRABBLE®
players are in the news:
• Indiana School SCRABBLE® Championship
– Teams from the Eastern Greene School placed
3rd and 5th in the Indiana School SCRABBLE®
championship on March 3, 2012. The
tournament’s host, St. John’s Lutheran School,
took the top two spots at the championship.
MARCH MILESTONES
DOUG BROCKMEIER reached 2000 for
the first time at the Berkeley (CA)
tournament.
JASON KELLER reached 1900 for the first
time at the Princeton (NJ) tournament.
MARK EDELSON reached 1800 for the first
time at the Guelph (ON) tournament.
ELIZABETH RALSTON reached 1700 for
the first time at the Long Beach (CA)
tournament.
JEFFREY NELSON reached 1700 for the
first time at the Brattleboro (VT)
tournament.
KC FRODYMA reached 1600 for the first
time at the Berkeley (CA) tournament.
Eastern Greene School will sent 4 ½ teams to the National School SCRABBLE® Championship
in Orlando (FL) in April. One player, Lily Haines, will be paired with a Los Angeles (CA) player,
Cooper Komatsu, who does not have a local team.
Greene County Daily World (03/05/2012) http://www.gcdailyworld.com/story/1822595.html
• Philly Plays SCRABBLE® - The After School Activities Partnerships (ASAP) hosted a free event
at Drexel University's Bossone Center on March 17, 2012, as part of its Philly Plays
SCRABBLE® program. ASAP was established to help children stay productive in the hours
directly after school.
Over 100 SCRABBLE® enthusiasts participated in several varieties of
SCRABBLE®, including SCRABBLE® and SCRABBLE® Alphabet Scoop, and
matched words with tournament players such as John Green.
Philadelphia Inquirer (03/18/2012) http://articles.philly.com/2012-03-18/news/
31207760_1_scrabble-enthusiasts-national-scrabble-association-scrabblecompetition
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• Springfield (IL) High School – Sophomore Harrison Williams and
his father, Derrick, who serves as the club’s adviser, have been
playing SCRABBLE® since Harrison was 8 years old.
The club meets twice weekly at lunchtime and aims to enhance
vocabulary and give students a chance to enjoy the game.
State Journal-Register (04/02/2012) http://www.sj-r.com/features/
x760616565/Teens-play-board-game-the-old-fashioned-way
• Northampton (MA) – Nathaniel Jones and Zachary Dietz will again be representing
Northampton at the upcoming National School SCRABBLE® Championship in Orlando.
The team, who had last year’s high score – 533 – for seventh graders,
recently placed 4th out of 20 at the New England School
SCRABBLE® Championship on March 31, 2012.
Nathaniel and Matt find that their other interests - martial arts and soccer help with concentration and knowing when to go on the offensive.
Daily Hampshire Gazette (04/05/2012) http://www.gazettenet.com/
2012/04/05/young-scrabble-champions-mind-their-p039s-and-q039s
• Westchester (NY) – Seth and Jared Tilliss and DeeAnn and Sheng Guo will be representing
New York at the National School SCRABBLE® Championship in Orlando. While Seth and
DeeAnn, both 7th graders, have competed at Nationals before, Jared (4th grade) and Sheng (5th
grade) will be competing for their first time. Their team, the Tornadoes of Terror, won Division B
at the New England School SCRABBLE® Championship and will be one of the youngest teams
competing at the 2012 NSSC.
http://www.lohud.com/article/20120412/NEWS/304120028/Kids-go-Scrabble-gold
• Ridgefield (CT) – John Paul and Emma Baughman won Divison C at the New England
School SCRABBLE® Championship and will be heading
to Orlando for the National School SCRABBLE®
Championship.
http://www.acorn-online.com/joomla15/theridgefieldpress/
people/119750-baumans-shine-at-scrabblechampionship.html
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The Name of the Game
SCRABBLE® players had an edge in other brain games this month.
Jeopardy! (03/23/2012) featured the following Final Jeopardy question:
The answer was not “What is Monopoly?” as one contestant
guessed.
The clue for 29-Across – a 15-letter entry – in the New York Times
(03/30/2012) crossword puzzle is Great red spot? You can find the
answer at the end of this column.
!
Clean Slate
Word Freak author Stefan Fatsis is interviewed on Slate’s Lexicon Valley
podcast (03/12/2012) about how a math game disguised as a word game –
SCRABBLE® - nevertheless unlocks the essential beauty of the English
language.
http://www.slate.com/articles/podcasts/lexicon_valley/2012/03/
lexicon_valley_the_role_of_language_in_scrabble_.html
Anagram Games
The 21st annual Gulf SCRABBLE® Championships won a bronze prize at the Dubai (UAE) Lynx
advertising awards for its use of direct response digital media.
Players registering online needed to unscramble letters into
words rather than just type a computer-generated phrase to
prove that they were “MORE than human” and to
demonstrate the power of words.
http://www.dubailynx.com/winners/2012/direct/entry.cfm?
entryid=1881&award=4
!
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Quackle Me This
GeekDad Garth Sundem learned from Quackle co-creator Jason Katz-Brown that the basic tenets
of good play apply to all levels of Words With Friends players:
• Know your words
• Be aware of the likely value of letters you leave in your rack
Your best leaves are:
•1 tile – The blank (?) followed by S, Z, X, R, and H
•2 tiles - ?-?, ?-S, ?-R, ?-Z, and S-Z if you’re blankless
•3 tiles – ERS, along with E-S-T, E-S-Z, R-S-T, and E-R-Z
Wired (03/29/2012) http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2012/03/words-withfriends/
Raising the Roof
Raising the Roof
A West Hull (UK) couple, Gwen and Norman Staveley, were playing SCRABBLE® when the ceiling
of their house built in 1923 fell in on them.
The couple suffered minor injuries, but the SCRABBLE® board
needed to be replaced.
Hull Daily Mail (03/30/2012) http://
www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/West-Hull-couple-s-luckyescape-roof-falls-game/story-15669576-detail/story.html
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A Feel for the Tiles
The latest Daniel Jacobus mystery, Death and the Maiden, by Gerald Elias
features a SCRABBLE® game between blind violinist and amateur sleuth
Daniel Jacobus and a couple of his friends.
“Using his fingernails, Jacobus read the grooves of his SCRABBLE® tiles:
M-O-O-O-R-X-Y, which he considers terrible, but is ready to play ROOMY,
hooking ANT with RANT. But it is now Nathaniel’s turn, who plays SAVANT,
bragging that the S is on a double letter! Daniel is furious that his spot was
taken, but several seconds later he calls out …”
You can find the play that Jacobus made at the end of this column.
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SCRABBLE® Fundraisers
SCRABBLE® tournaments and events as fundraisers are in the news:
•Fleetwood Neighborhood Association – On March 3,
2012, the Fleetwood Neighborhood Association held its
second annual SCRABBLE® tournament to raise funds
to send a Mount Vernon (NY) public school student to the
Scripps National Spelling Bee in May.
The 18 participants paid $40 to enter the tournament and
play words such as JINXER* and POO.
http://www.lohud.com/article/20120305/NEWS/
303050059/Scrabble-tourney-raises-funds-spelling-bee
• Green Bay (WI) Literacy – Faculty from Globe University – Green
Bay competed in the 10th annual SCRABBLE® Bee to benefit
Green Bay Literacy on March 6, 2012.
http://blogs.globeuniversity.edu/2012/03/06/scrabble-bee-benefitsliteracy-green-bay/
•Frontier College – On February 29, 2012, the
2012 SCRABBLE® Corporate Challenge raised
$380,000 to support the literacy programs of
Frontier College, Canada’s orignal literacy
organization.
Sixty corporate teams took part in the challenge.
The winning team, Canada Newswire, and
Frontier College opened the Canadian stock
exchange on March 12, 2012.
Canada Newswire (03/12/2012) http://
www.newswire.ca/en/story/936137/scrabblecorporate-challenge-has-a-record-breaking-year
• Reading Connections – Marcy Ray, assistant director of
Reading Connections, appeared on WMFY’s Good Morning
Show to promote the 12th annual SCRABBLE® Challenge
Fundraiser to be held at the West Market Street United
Methodist Church in Greensboro (NC) on March 27, 2012.
http://www.digtriad.com/video/default.aspx?
bctid=1523681781001&odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext
%7CFRONTPAGE%7Cfeatured
!
http://www.digtriad.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=222116
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The event drew over 140 participants, including the Three Gs team,
and raised about $25,000 to benefit Reading Connections.
News & Record (03/28/2012) http://www.news-record.com/content/
2012/03/28/article/
nonprofit_funds_literacy_services_with_scrabble_contest_in_greensboro
•Literacy Volunteers of Greater New Haven (CT) – In a tiebreaking year, Meriden (CT) officials topped Wallingford (CT)
officials on March 27, 2012, during the annual SCRABBLE®
Challenge hosted by the Literacy Volunteers of Greater New
Haven.
Each town had won three previous challenges – with this year’s
victory, Meriden will have its name engraved for a fourth time on
the trophy.
Record-Journal (03/28/2012) http://www.myrecordjournal.com/meriden/
article_61e9b562-78cd-11e1-a4a2-001871e3ce6c.html
• Blue Ridge Literacy - The seventh annual Blue Ridge Literacy SCRABBLE® Tournament
brought more than 225 players to the Jefferson Center’s Fitzpatrick Hall.
The tournament was expected to raise $10,000 to support the literacy tutoring offered by Blue
Ridge Literacy in the Roanoke Valley (VA).
The Roanoke Star-Sentinel (03/29/2012) http://newsroanoke.com/?p=15798
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• Letters for Literacy – The Letters for Literacy SCRABBLE® Scramble took place on April 1,
2012, at the Cabell County Public Library in Huntington (WV).
Herald-Dispatch (04/01/2012) http://www.herald-dispatch.com/multimedia/galleries/
x1480984750/Gallery-Letters-for-Literacy-SCRABBLE-Scramble
QI to Tweet
WebProNews highlighted this musing on morality and 2-letter words as one of the funniest Tweets
on March 12, 2012:
!
http://www.webpronews.com/nacy-grace-scrabble-and-corona-2012-03
Table Talk
SCRABBLE® tiles share a surrealistic cityscape with a
genie, an astronaut, a skateboarder, and creatures great
and small in a commercial that ends with the tagline,
“What words will you bring to the table?”
http://vimeo.com/39053630
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SCRABBLE® Celebrities
Celebrities share our love of the game.
• In a recent interview in Sunday You (03/17/2012), actress Sophie Winkleman revealed that the
Queen’s cousin, Freddie Windsor, proposed to her via a SCRABBLE® board at a picnic.
The couple, known as Windy and Winky in society circles, have written
and star in a short film, Love Letters, about the early stages of a
relationship played out over a game of SCRABBLE®.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2119988/
Sophie-Winklemans-night-tiles-Actress-films-Scrabble-love-storyinspired-Freddies-proposal.html#ixzz1rJ8e4On5
Daily Mail (03/17/2012) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/
article-2116587/Freddie-Windsor-proposed-Sophie-Winkleman-usingScrabble-letters.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
Daily Mail (03/24/2012) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/
article-2119988/Sophie-Winklemans-night-tiles-Actress-films-Scrabblelove-story-inspired-Freddies-proposal.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
•Country singer Kix Brooks, who is now embarking on a solo
career after 20 years as ½ of the duo Brooks and Dunn, is
described as the kind of guy who will probably beat you at
SCRABBLE® but won’t cheat to do it.
The Tennessean (03/26/2012) http://blogs.tennessean.com/
tunein/2012/03/26/peter-cooper-on-music-kix-brooks/
•
Kiernan Shipka, who plays Sally Draper on AMC’s Mad Men, imagines that her character would
have given her father, Don, and his new wife, Megan, a SCRABBLE® set as a wedding gift
“since Megan was so much fun to play with when she was Sally's nanny.”
TV Guide (04/02-04/08/2012) http://www.tvguide.com/
News/Kecks-Exclusives-Mad-1045292.aspx
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British pop artist Ellie Goulding declares SCRABBLE® to be an awesome date activity.
!
Idolator (04/02/2012) http://idolator.com/6238732/ellie-goulding-bjork-30-rock-favorites
•
Former Saturday Night Live regular Amy Dratch reveals that she is pretty good at crosswords
but not at SCRABBLE®.
US Weekly (04/05/2012) http://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/25-things-you-dontknow-about-me-rachel-dratch-201254
The Name of the Game -- Answers
The answer to the Jeopardy! question is “What is SCRABBLE®?”
The answer to 29-Across is TRIPLEWORDSCORE.
A Feel for the Tiles -- Answer
Jacobus put down MORON but then changed his mind and played OXYMORON.
Judy Cole is co-director of the Lexington (MA) NASPA SCRABBLE® Club #108 and solves
crossword puzzles when not playing SCRABBLE®.
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One Up! Cup for April
By Timothy Cataldo
Calling all vocabularians! Just like last year, we'll post a One Up!® “game situation” every month so
all you doubledomes out there can show everyone how brilliant and quick you are.
Here's all you need to know now to play: Take one or more letters from the center and add them to
an existing word to make a new word.
Since there won't be a 'right' answer, we'll be looking for originality, wit and wow! The winner will
receive a One Up!® and have his or her name put in the drawing for the Grand Prize at the end of
the year.
MARCH’S WINNER
March's winner, Laura B., sent this single word entry in: "Tholed". I thought it was a typo, until I
looked it up. Nice. Hat tip to David Nylin, who also listed this as one of his entries.
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Crossing Words
By Judy Cole
Jason Keller and Judy Cole took a tile break to
compete in the 35th annual American Crossword Puzzle
Tournament (ACPT) in Brooklyn (NY) on March 16-18,
2012.
Jason continued in the tradition of fellow Jeopardy!
champion Ken Jennings and made it to the Division C
Finals this year. Rocking a pair of Roberta Borenstein
headphones, Jason competed onstage with the other
top two Division C players in a final puzzle to determine
the division champion. Jason placed 3rd in Division C
and 65th overall in the field of 600 solvers.
Visit http://www.crosswordtournafment.com/2012/
for additional coverage and pictures from the
competition.
Foiled by two incorrect squares, Judy placed 84th
this year but did manage to be featured in the
New York Times slide show (http://
wordplay.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/23/
tournament/ - Slide 7) as she consulted with
Kathie Conarck on Words With Friends during a
break.
On March 30, 2012, Jim Kramer and Andrea
Carla Michaels competed in Minnesota’s first
crossword puzzle championship in St. Paul (MN).
Sponsored by the Friends of the St. Paul Public
Library, the tournament attracted around 100
solvers competing as individuals or in teams.
Pioneer Press (03/30/2012) http://
www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_20295063/
crossword-puzzle-lovers-go-pen-pen-st-paul
Judy Cole is co-director of the Lexington MA NASPA SCRABBLE® Club 108 and solves crossword
puzzles when not playing SCRABBLE®.
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The Wordsmith
“Oh, Shoot! Confessions of an Agitated Sportsman”*
By Chris Sinacola
I stole the title from Rex Beach.
Mind you, I’d never met Rex until the other night. Tuesday night. AKA ignore-the-wife night. Or,
“Honey, popcorn IS dinner” night.
SCRABBLE® night.
I met Rex because our host and playing venue, the NuCafe, is only the latest incarnation of the old
mill building at 335 Chandler St. Before that, it was a bookstore.
Thus the books. Used books. Good prices. Thus Rex’s book. 1921. Harper & Brothers Publishers.
New York and London. Imported by Chas. E. Lauriat Co., Importers & Booksellers of Boston. $12.50
at one time. Mine for $4.
That’s Rex on the cover. With hat and gun. Pipe clenched between his teeth. Sitting atop a very
dead black bear.
“Most men enjoy hunting,” Rex begins, “or would, if they had a chance, but there is a small
abnormal minority who are hopeless addicts to the chase…”
Hmm, this sounds vaguely familiar.
For starters, it sounds very Worcester. If by the chase, we mean the hunt for the American dream,
well, that’s Worcester.
For ours is a city built on the production of wire, steel, abrasives, machine tools, knives and all
manner of industrial products. A city of 4,300 or more three-deckers, which have housed immigrants
from throughout the world for more than a century. Irish, Swedes, French, Italians, Lithuanians and
Poles for a long time, and lately, lots of others, including Vietnamese, Hmong, Cambodians,
Russians, Mexicans, Ecuadorians, and, of course, the Albanians.
No SCRABBLE night is complete without the Albanians. This is their neighborhood.
They are almost invariably men, broadshouldered, with salt-and-pepper hair, mostly in their 50s and
up. They gather over tiny cups of strong coffee and speak rapidly and enthusiastically, with an
occasional glance at our boards.
I think they are reminiscing about Enver Hoxha, but who knows? My Albanian is limited to words for
their monetary units.
Sometimes I think we annoy them by taking all the best tables. At other times, I figure they can
dominate the place the other six days of the week, or just go to Dunkin’ Donuts where it seems all
their wives and girlfriends work. Maybe that’s why they come here.
Whether they know some English or none I cannot say. They do not play SCRABBLE. They do play
dominoes once in a while.
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I would kibitz. I would learn “Hello” and “Excuse me, but when does the autobus leave for Tirana?”
But then, maybe they’re Serbs or something.
The Albanian (presumably) along with some Spanish, Mandarian and much else helps establish the
white-noise ambience that makes our club’s atmosphere special. Let’s put it this way. If you need
quiet to find BUTEONINE, well, good luck doing that at our club. But if you like to play in public, and
particularly if you are single and want to impress young collegians of either gender, well, it’s just
perfect for that.
It’s OK for SCRABBLE, too. There was a time when we met at the library on Sunday afternoons,
going head to head with the Patriots games. That didn’t work out so well. Now, we draw a dozen or
more players, admiring glances from timid living-room players and tournament wannabes, and get
to eat wraps and quaff caffeine AND watch ESPN and never have to do the dishes.
I grab a tiny table near some of the imposing East Europeans and set up my board.
Rex titles chapter 2, the one that I presume refers to the dead bear on the cover, “The Chronicle of a
Chromatic Bear Hunt.”
This aptly describes my first two games of the evening, Collins matches with John Cheras and
Richard Buck. The games are colorful, interesting, discordant, unpredictable.
Why do I agree to play a version of the game whose twos and threes remain unstudied in a binder
upon my library shelf? Because I am a big-game hunter.
As Rex explains: “The biography of the average big-game hunter is a bitter hard-luck story.”
Indeed. With the chance to close down an OR spot near a DWS, I decline, figuring that only JOR or
something can hurt me, and that can’t possibly be a word. John has the J and makes JOR for 49
points and I give him 5 more on the challenge.
Sometimes the bear gets you. And sometimes, such as when you play (G)UTTeRAL* and get away
with it, you richly earn the loss.
But there’s other quarry. Specifically, there’s Richard, who has brought his new board and his deep
and impressive word knowledge, which is why I always back him in the BAT roto. When I beat the
deadline for the BAT roto.
Still, I figure I can do a kind of chromatic bear hunt here. I can switch keys. I can DO this Collins
thing, provided I draw well.
And suddenly I am Rex on the Copper River Railroad in Alaska, and the bears are just sitting there
with targets affixed, and I’m blasting away: tUNEABL(E) for 80, play off Y(O)WL, then Q(U)EASIeR
for 86, MASTING, and the X for EX and another 52. I don’t even need the Collins list, because, as
we all know, SCRABBLE is a very easy game when you draw ??SSXQZ in a perfectly calibrated
way with just the right balance of consonants and vowels.
Have a Z? Sure. Here’s FIZ/ZOO for a bucketful of points.
I even send Seth Lipkin to get me some tea, because anytime you can make an 1823 NASPA rating
word maven act as your personal chai wallah, well, you should do it. He obliges. The game rolls on.
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Richard, with his usual good humor and consummate sportsmanship, has put down ELASTIN and
INDARTS# and a late TOEJAM* for 48 more, which is about as likely as JAMTOE*, but he’s Richard
and it’s Collins, and I have no idea, and I’m so happy with my 537 points that I leave TOEJAM* right
there and we have a good laugh about it afterwards.
The Americans playing OWL2 SCRABBLE just shake their heads in disbelief and mild disgust.
Heck, I think even some of the (presumably) Albanians are a bit skeptical.
But far more interesting stuff is unfolding at one of the booths, where Doug Chapel, our champion
jehu cab driver who knows the streets of Worcester so well that he actually saves fares money by
suggesting shorter routes, is sitting on REISSUE and just waiting for Ben Harrison to decide what to
do about it.
Ben’s dedication to our club and the social niceties its offers is so deep that he is creeping up on
100,000 points for the season, has far more wins than anyone else, and is, by my informal count,
Gibsonized for the title of Most Ridiculous Phonies Played, single season.
I peek at Ben’s rack, which bears some resemblance to the Tirana city phone book, and decide that
this just might be the upset of the night. Doug -- who in addition to his cabbie duties manages to
promote our club by calling local radio talk show hosts on Tuesday mornings and saying things like
“Oh yeah, the city council… and didja realize it’s SCRABBLE night?!” and printing up club cards for
distribution in other, SCRABBLE-impoverished areas of the city -- is hoping that Ben doesn’t block
the H hook.
Ben does not. Doug plays the bingo and wins 382-335. It’s not quite the 1980 Olympic hockey upset
over the Russians, but it’s pretty nice, and it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.
Ben then compounds his misery by doing much the same in his next game, failing to block his
opponent’s winning play. But before the night is out, he will play GOADERS*, thus securing his hold
on the phoniest phonies title.
I would stay for the post-mortem, but then, quoting Rex, page 53: “‘What luck!’ I thought, wildly, as
the rifle sights cuddled together, but in that fraction of a second before the finger crooks, out from
the brush behind him scrambled another bear…”
That would be Seth and Bob Becker, who are sitting down to what will be the last of their 12 games
in our club’s round-robin championship. Seth has wrapped up the title with a win earlier in the
evening – the man serves tea AND plays brilliant SCRABBLE – and as club director, I feel it is my
responsibility to do what I can, prior to play, mind you, to see to it that no one gets out of here with a
perfect record.
“Hey, check this book out!” I call out, bringing over a 1921 copy of Rex Beach’s Oh, Shoot!
Confessions of an Agitated Sportsman. (But you saw that coming, didn’t you?) “And check out these
photos!”
Rex and friends are standing knee-deep in some Panamanian river of death with the San Blas
people, displaying some very ancient, very frightening, and very dead creature.
“The crocodiles are incredibly thick and very sizable,” I read.
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Seth and Bob look at the photo and are mildly impressed.
I read the photo caption below: “We supplied the village with fish, too, for the streams were choked
with giant snappers, jewfish, and tarpon.”
This is irresistible to Seth.
“Jewfish is good, right?” Out comes the little electron slinger dohickie he carries.
(Of course, he knows it’s good. I know he knows it’s good. He knows I know he knows it’s good.
Heck, when I later lament how I did not play AUGURA(L) against Mike Wolfberg, Seth immediately
informs me that AUGURAL has an anagram. So he HAS to know jewfish is good. I wonder,
however, whether he knows the Albanian anagram, SHJWIFE, meaning a wife or girlfriend who
works at a coffee shop?)
In any case, this seems to have established the proper atmosphere for the final round-robin game,
which Bob wins by 463-331, in part by playing the lovely and completely phony APHAGI(C)*.
Having too much time before a trip to the train station – a lovely early 20th century Union Station
lovingly restored after years of neglect and hosting the exploits of pimps, prostitutes and murder
victims – but too little time to play another game, I walk about with Rex’s book, taking notes on
games, and doing my part to help. Megan McMahon, for example, club treasurer, has decided
FUGU will be her next play, keeping VU and something else useless in the rack. Not a bad thought,
but I helpfully slide the VU to the left, offering the very powerful FUGUVU* option, which I think is an
excellent vowel dump in the Republika e Shqiperise.
Megan doesn’t think so.
On page 175 of Rex’s book I find the chief reason that the World Wildlife Fund exists. The photo
shows a man and his dog, with the caption: “Uncle Jim Owen and Pot-Hound, with inset picture of
Pot-Hound’s silver-mounted collar.” And that collar reads: “I have been at the killing of 450 lions. My
name is Pot Hound.”
POTHOUND* has no anagrams. But 450 lions! If he was agitated before, I trust that Pot Hound had
his fill and is agitated no longer. Of course, this was published in 1921. I suppose he’s doggone by
now.
After the Albanians have cleared out and the waitstaff have flicked the lights to warn us SCRABBLE
addicts to head for new terrain, a few of us usually head to Applebee’s in Webster Square to
resume the hunt.
On the night in question, I just went home, and when the imploring texts began – Seth’s “We are
very odd” being the best of them – I steadfastly refused, pleading the need to write this column, and
the fact of my already being clad in my pajamas.
Happily, on page 254 of Rex Beach’s wonderful if somewhat agitated book on hunting, there is a
photo of three men, presumably in Mexico at this point, and the caption: “Eddie would have made a
fairly convincing aborigine had he not insisted upon wearing his red-flannel undergarments.”
See, that’s exactly why I don’t go to Applebee’s late at night!
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And then, I’m also fairly tired at this point, and figure, what better way to end the evening than
leafing through Rex?
Having ignored my hunger pangs throughout my 1-2 SCRABBLE evening, I proceed to do just that,
then scarf two pieces of Papa Gino’s Meat Lovers pizza and a Camus short story.
“Hunger and apprehension somewhat relieved,” as Rex writes in the chapter titled “The Cowardly
Cougar,” “we crept into our wet blankets, only to hear our guides engaged in a heated argument
regarding hydrophobia skunks.”
I know HYDROPHOBIA is good. But what other HYDRO- words are good? What about in Collins?
And that, as I drift into dreamland, is approximately what goes on at Worcester SCRABBLE club. At
least in the mind of this sometimes agitated sportsman.
Oh, shoot! I was going to study more eights…
Chris Sinacola is director of the Worcester (MA) NASPA SCRABBLE® Club #600, and has never
shot a bear. Or a lion.
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Scrab-doku
By Jeff Kastner
In a standard Sudoku, your object is to fill in every square of the grid so that all nine rows across, all
nine columns down, and all nine 3-by-3 boxes contain the numbers 1 through 9, with no repeats.
Same rules apply to this Scrab-doku, but I’ve added a few twists to help you solve it. First of all, I
use letters to replace the numbers. These letters are part of a “Keyword” which I’ve scrambled
below. I’ve also provided a clue to help you find the correct anagram. Once you’ve unscrambled the
Keyword, one of the rows or columns will contain all of its 9 letters in the proper order.
This week’s “Scrambled” Keyword: BO SEALIFT
Clue:
Unlike the Titanic, modern-day cruise ships have plenty.
SOLUTION on the page after next.
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Word-Finder Challenge:
Here’s an additional test of your anagramming ability. Your object is to find as many words as
possible of 6 or more letters, using only the 9 letters of this month’s (Scrambled) Keyword:
BO SEALIFT.
Words must be at least 6 letters long (or longer), and must be OWL2 acceptable. Each letter of the
Keyword may be used only once within any word you find. So, for instance, TABLES is acceptable,
but not TABLET.
Par Scores for this month’s Word-Finder Challenge:
24 Words (Novice); 36 Words (Intermediate); 48 Words (Advanced)
Once you’ve compiled your list, check out my SOLUTION on the next page.
See you next month with another Scrab-doku puzzle and Word-Finder Challenge! …Jeff Kastner
Jeff Kastner, originally from New York City, has been living in Phoenix, AZ since 1985. Jeff is one of
a handful of players who has ever been ranked in the USA-top-50 in both SCRABBLE® and chess.
He is the 2010-2011 Phoenix SCRABBLE® Club champion as well as the 2011 Scottsdale
SCRABBLE® Club champ.
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SOLUTION
Word-Finder Challenge Solution:
Keyword (Unscrambled): LIFEBOATS (64 Words Total)
ABLEIST
ABLEST
ABSEIL
ALBEIT
ALBITE
ALBITES
ASTILBE
BASTILE
BEFITS
BESTIAL
BIOTAS
BLASTIE
BLEATS
BLITES
BLOATS
BOATEL
BOATELS
BOITES
BOLETI
BOTELS
BOTFLIES
FABLES
FALSIE
FESTAL
FETIAL
FETIALS
FIESTA
FILETS
FILOSE
FLIEST
FLITES
FLOATS
FLOTAS
FOETAL
FOIBLE
FOIBLES
FOLATE
FOLATES
FOLIATE
FOLIATES
ISOLATE
ITSELF
LIFEBOAT
LIFEBOATS
LOBATE
OBELIA
OBELIAS
OBLAST
OBLASTI
OBLATE
OBLATES
OSTEAL
SALTIE
SEALIFT
SOBEIT
SOFTIE
SOLATE
STABILE
STABLE
STELAI
STIFLE
TABLES
TOBIES
TOILES
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A SCRABBLE® Lesson with Doug Brockmeier
By Cornelia Guest
After the March 11 Berkeley (CA) Tournament, Doug Brockmeier’s rating
jumped to 2004, making him NAPSA’s 10th ranked player.
A few months back I read the following intriguing post on cgp:
Hi folks,
I am newly available for Scrabble tutoring on ISC at a cost of $20 per session.
This includes one regulation 25-minute game and detailed analysis of every play after the game.
You will learn many advanced techniques for moving up in the ranks and excelling at Scrabble.
This service is for sharing my time and expertise and will improve your Scrabble game.
You will improve or your money back - that's a guarantee! There's no risk involved, only reward!
To book your session or inquire further, please email me at [email protected].
Discounted packages for multiple lessons are available as well.
Thank you and as always: Scrabble on! Cheers!
Best regards,
Dr. Rating
Doug Brockmeier
NASPA 1998 and going up and up and up
I decided to give it a try--and had a terrific online lesson with Doug! Not only was it fun to play a toprated player (I am in the low 1200s), I also found his postgame analysis very helpful. Later I
uploaded the game to Quackle and was not surprised that most of Doug’s plays were Quackle’s top
picks. I was fascinated to see that when the game ended, Doug had about 20 seconds left on his
clock while I had over 17 minutes. He demonstrated to me just how much more thinking goes on
before he makes a play!
I also realized how little I consider probability when making my plays, while probability weighed
strongly in most of Doug’s choices, particularly near the end of the game. I look forward to playing
in my next tournament and trying my new “Brockmeier strategies”!
The game analysis follows. The game may also be followed on crosstables at http://www.crosstables.com/annotated.php?u=10682.
1. CG: ADEIOPS POD +12 8G T: 12
DB: Oh no, ADIPOSE!
1. DB: ELRRSST EXCH. LRS 0 T:0
DB: I like my decision to trade the S then. I figured that only trading two would have allowed you to
block the board up more easily, and maybe I wouldn’t have been able to play my bingo if I got one
anyway. Plus I only would’ve drawn two tiles. Ordinarily I think ERSST is a stronger leave though.
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2. CG: ADEIRST ASTRIDE 9C +73 T: 85
DB: All else being equal, ASTRIDE was a good play. I like that placement, keeping the board tight.
2. DB EINRSTY YIN 8A +20 T: 20
DB: I thought about TYNE. The consideration was leaving IRS vs. ERST for 9 points, which seems
like a lot when behind, but I figured that the point sacrifice could be worthwhile because I needed to
start bingoing quickly to get back into the hunt on the board. Keep one more tile in the bag and
leave more strongly.
3. CG ABCGINS SCAB D9 +16 T: 101
DB: I like SCAB, but I think CAB at 10G for 24 may be better.
3. DB EIORRST RIOTERS J2 +68 T: 88
4. CG AFGINSW WAFTING 5G +28 T: 129
DB: WAFTING is good, but I think there are two other plays I
would like to consider: WAIF E11, 34, setting up the S, and
WIFING 3I, 34. There is only one more S in the pool with 70
tiles unseen, so WAIF looks like the play I would make. It
doesn’t necessarily look like a setup and it’s hard to block. I
think I’d play that even with a lead.
4. DB AALOSVW AVOWALS 10H +78 T: 166
DB: AVOWALS I think was my only real option there.
5. CG EIORRST ROISTERS N7 +66 T: 195
DB: How funny that you drew the very same rack as me.
Great strategy ;)
5. DB EEHKLUY KEY O6 +47 T: 213
DB: KEY seemed like the best option there. Thought about WHELK K10 to set up the Y for a huge
next turn.
6. CG EIJNNOV VENIN L1 +24 T: 219
DB: I think I might’ve played to J before VENIN, maybe JO 6F or JIVE 12K--or JIVER 2F.
6. DB CEEHILU HEIL O12 +46 T: 259
DB: Almost missed this!
7. CG EIJLMNO JINNI 31 +40 T: 259
DB: JINNI was a fantastic play.
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7. DB CEELPUX LUXE 6D +32 T: 291
DB: I debated on the LUXE play a lot. I didn’t want to keep
the U with 3 to be drawn. I considered playing EX 11K to set
up my other E underneath for AXE. But I decided against it in
a tie game. As it happened, you did have 1 of the remaining 4
Es, but no other tile to play along with it. Regardless, I
thought using F line was good; playing 4 tiles was good; and
playing the X was give-or-take good or bad. But I did see
those blanks out and wanted a shot at them, so it seemed that
we were racing to a bingo. Still, with all the Us left, I
disregarded EXPECT or EXCEPT at E4. I also thought about
CUPEL 6D but wanted to play the X this turn.
8. CG AAELMOQ AQUA E4 +26 T: 285
DB: AQUA looks very good, and it opened up that top quadrant and set up a 2 with your deficit.
8. DB CDEEPTU CUP D2 +22 T: 313
DB: CUP looked to get rid of another U and leave well.
CG: Did you worry about opening up the triple lane with for an S front hook?
DB: I saw that possibility but wasn’t terribly worried because with only a few turns left each and the
blank having to be an S in that position, it didn’t seem to be a tremendously huge percentage spot
with the pool of tiles left. That was the risk I took for leaving DEET. I though of playing PUD/CUD
and DJINNI too, but was hoping to draw the Z for ZED there.
9. CG BEILMOT VIBE 1L +27 T: 312
DB: I think MOB 11J for 32 is better than VIBE.
9. DB ?DEEGRT RETAGgED L7 +70 T: 383
DB: I was thinking there was something better than
RETAGgED but didn’t see it.
10. CG ?LMNOTT OM 4G +20 T: 332
DB: Instead of OM I think I’d try something like MOLT E11, 24,
leaving NT?.
CG: I played OM since I thought you’d make a play with the D
to make DJINNI.
DB: I think that being behind by 71 with 9 tiles left, you can’t
afford to keep 4 consonants in that spot. MOLT would be my
play.
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10. DB DEFGHOU FAUGH 11C +24 T: 407
DB: I got really low on time at the end but should have
thought harder about my plays. I maybe should’ve played
OUCHED 2B, 28, to block the bingos ending in Y at 1A. I also
could have played DOUGHY A3 for 15 to completely block the
Y, leaving EF, with 2 in the bag, which looks to be strong,
forcing you to bingo immediately, and even if you do bingo
now, I think my lead is big enough to withstand any bingo
regardless of my draw. So I think that was better than
FAUGH, but it took me longer to think about it.
11. CG ?ALNTTZ FAT C11 +16 T: 348
CG: Was FAT OK?
DB: I think it was brilliant. It gives you another spot.
11. DB ADENOOU DEACON 2A +22 T: 429
DB: DEACON was clearly wrong, too, but you had two spots to bingo at that point. I should not
have allowed that to happen, but the time got to me. So I lucked out at the end with my draws. It
easily could’ve (and should’ve probably) turned out that you bingoed out on me!
12. CG ?ELMNTZ MEZe 1E +48 T: 396
CG: I missed NERTZ, 14B, for 73 points! I was too focused on a play on that top lane. Not enough
to catch you, but a better spread...
12. DB OOU UDO A1 +12 T: 441
13. CG LNT TAN C1 +10 T: 406
13. DB O BO N1 +8 T: 449 +2 (L) = 451
Final Score: DB: 451 CG: 406
DB: I would say you outplayed me and I only survived to win because I outdrew you when it
counted. Great game, Cornelia!
CG: That’s kind, Doug. I really appreciate your comments. You showed me that there were a lot of
things I should have been thinking about and wasn’t.
DB: This is a good reminder for myself, too, that it’s very hard to keep all aspects of the game in
mind during those 25 minutes. I played pretty well all game and then almost gave it away at the last
minute.
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Linda’s Library
By Linda Wancel
As an avid reader and book lover, I have found that many other Scrabblers also share my passion
for books and for reading. So I am happy to have this opportunity to share some of my favorite
books with you. These reviews, for the most part, were written for Amazon.com, where I have been
writing reviews under a pseudonym for over ten years. I hope that the book lovers among you may
find your interest piqued by some of these books.
______________________________________________________________________________
Fiction:
The Season of Passage
By Christopher Pike
This is a totally absorbing book. A veritable page-turner, it will entertain
anyone who enjoys horror, science fiction, or fantasy books. It combines all
three genres successfully.
The book involves a trip to Mars by a group of Americans who seek to
unravel a mystery intimated by a Russian expedition to Mars, which never
returned to Earth and seemingly vanished. Part of the American team
includes Dr. Lauren Wagner, who leaves behind a thirteen-year-old sister,
Jennifer, who has premonitions of disaster on Mars. Dr. Wagner leaves her
sister in the care and custody of her boyfriend, reporter Terry Hayes.
Central to the book is a story of fantasy written by Jennifer about two
ancient races, the Asurians and the Sastra. To simplify, the Asurians are
evil and the Sastra are good. Their tale of conflict is spellbinding and
allegorical to the central, yet parallel, story of the expedition to Mars.
Suffice to say that what is encountered on Mars is chilling and terrifying. The Americans come
across an ostensible survivor of the Russian expedition. It turns out that he is something else. It is
something from the beginning of time which has lain dormant for eons and now threatens Earth
itself. It makes human beings not human anymore. It turns them into something very, very scary.
The apparent survival and return to Earth by Dr. Lauren Wagner and Major Gary Wheeler, pilot of
the mission to Mars expedition, raises questions by those who know and love them. They sense that
Lauren and Gary are not quite who they purport to be. They are now different somehow.
The clue on how to stop the potential destruction of the human race lies in the allegorical tale. This
fantasy (or is it?) has the answers. This book is unbelievably creative and imaginative. Yet somehow
the author manages to make the combination of genres work flawlessly, weaving them all into an
enthralling novel. This is an old-fashioned, page-turning, must-read book. It is simply one of the
most entertaining and engrossing books I have ever read.
The Season of Passage is available at Amazon.com.
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Nonfiction:
Scream at the Sky: Five Texas Murders and One Man’s Crusade for Justice
By Carlton Stowers
In 1980s rural Texas, over a span of seventeen months, five young women
would have their lives cruelly snuffed out at the hands of a serial killer.
Unfortunately, many years would pass before justice was served. This was
due in part to tunnel vision on the part of the investigators and District Attorney
involved. That tunnel vision caused them to focus on individuals that were
actually innocent of the crimes.
It was not until fourteen years later that a new investigator, John Little, took a
new look at some of the cases and, with no preconceived notions, was able to
review the evidence and discover just who the serial killer was. Of course, his
investigation was greatly aided by the use of DNA. Still, he was able to discern
quite quickly what former investigators had failed to see.
This is a very well-written true-crime book. Various perspectives are explored, including the effect of
the crimes on the victim's families and friends, as well as on those who were falsely accused or
suspected of these crimes. The book is written in a clear, concise fashion and will keep the reader
turning its pages. Aficionados of the true-crime genre will greatly enjoy this book.
Scream at the Sky is available at Amazon.com.
Linda Wancel loves reading, writing, watching films, traveling, and Scrabbling. She is the mother of
28-year-old twins and has recently retired after having been a criminal prosecutor for nearly 25
years.
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What’s Your Play?
Art Moore presents an interesting dilemma this month!
I'm down 21 points, approaching the middle of the game. My opponent, Wanda Evelyn
Fleming, plays me pretty well, and we've split the last 8-10 games. What would you play in
this situation?
ANSWER on next page.
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ANSWER
I saw ANTIQUe first, using the M in BERM. Didn't really like dangling an E in the TWS lane. I
considered QUOTA at N6. 36 points, INT? is a nice leave...but I didn't like how that left the
board for (presumably) my later bingo. QUINTAs works for 85 points, but I'm being greedy. I
went with QINTA(R) for 48 points.
Quackle’s picks
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The Secret World of School SCRABBLE®
By Jack Mitchell
Jack Mitchell wrote this award-winning essay last spring, when he was a senior at Milton Academy.
It’s past seven o’clock now, and noise soon fills the small room on the second floor of the Ridgefield Public
Library in Connecticut. And you notice that the noise, while at first indiscriminate, begins to separate into
different kinds of noise. First there is the clicking sound of tiles – plastic “ProTiles” being laid onto boards,
tiles shuffling against each other in gorgeous tile bags as hungry hands reach in hopes for blanks and S’s.
Next there are the numbers, usually in the twenty-to-thirty range: 38, 23, 46, 35. You also hear the laughing
– girly giggles from the left, and an excited high-pitched laugh punctuating one player's good play. Finally,
you listen to the conversations: “I got 608 against my dad recently.”
That would be Mack Meller speaking. He's pale, with dark brown hair and eyes, and wearing a striped
turtleneck and blue grass-stained “cargo” sweatpants. He's ten years old, homeschooled, and takes highschool-level math courses online. He also won't keep still in his seat. “I played 'CLOTHING' against Matthew
O'Connor for 73 points,” he tells Cornelia Guest, the coach. Matthew is one of the most promising youth
players in the country and has four years of tournament experience on Mack. When the two boys play
online, Mack often wins.
Mack is only one of the twelve kids coming out tonight to the library for Cornelia Guest's School
SCRABBLE® class. But he definitely seems the brightest and the most energetic, with a great sense of
humor as well as a brilliant SCRABBLE® mind. Cornelia Guest asks me – as there is an odd number of
players and School SCRABBLE® is played in teams – to partner with Mack, even though I came here as an
observer. She and another ten-year-old boy are our opponents. After the first couple of plays, I realize how
good my partner is. His word knowledge, at ten, is far superior to mine: He spots words like “ZINEB,” “GAE,”
and “TEW.” He also plays, on our sixth turn, the bingo “BOTHERED” for 62 points. I notice that Mack is
doing all the math in his head long before I can finish counting the points of a play. Our opponents, now
largely relying on the skill of the coach, fail to catch up. Mack's skillful placement of the word “JUMP” nets 56
points. For our last play, with several minutes on the clock to spare, we bingo out with “ARRAIGN” for 69
points. My only contribution to the game was “MAGI,” which Mack had never heard before and pronounced
like the name “Maggie.” The final score is 449 to our opponents' 266. Several weeks later, three-time (adult)
National SCRABBLE® Champion Joe Edley writes in an email to Cornelia Guest after Mack wins first place
in Division Three at Albany, a three-day fully rated adult tournament, “If he keeps studying and playing in
tourneys he'll be into Division 1 before 2012...which might just make him the youngest expert ever!” [Editor’s
note: Joe was correct, and Mack is now rated 1862!]
This SCRABBLE® class in Southwestern Connecticut is one example of the growing but largely unheard-of
network of School SCRABBLE® clubs, where kids anywhere from fifth to eight grade and high school play at
their libraries, at their schools, and even at School SCRABBLE® tournaments. School SCRABBLE® is like
competitive adult tournament SCRABBLE® (which is to say there is a clock), except in America it is played
in teams of two, and it uses an official, censored dictionary. The National SCRABBLE® Association, the
organization that created School SCRABBLE® in America, is funded by Hasbro, the company that owns the
North American rights to the game. Its international counterparts are funded by Mattel. Moreover, there are a
number of coaches and organizers – devotees of the game – who have started programs for School
SCRABBLE®.
But even in a world as small as the tournament SCRABBLE® community, multiple sides fuel debate over the
direction of School SCRABBLE®. Should it be different from regular tournament SCRABBLE®? What
should be done to help it get a better grip in town libraries and public schools? Why do these controversies
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exist? Why is School SCRABBLE® not more widely developed in spite of the efforts of the people who love
the game, as well as the financial efforts of the multinational companies Hasbro and Mattel? Does School
SCRABBLE® have the potential to get bigger?
SCRABBLE® is a crossword game played using 100 tiles. Each letter is given a point value, determined by
its frequency in written English (E has a value of 1, whereas Z has a value of 10), and there are two blanks
(they can be anything) worth zero points. At the beginning of the game, you draw seven tiles and place them
on your rack. You try to form a word out of your tiles for the greatest number of points, and certain spaces on
your board (15X15 spaces) double or triple the value of the word placed on it or just the letter placed on it. A
bingo (a word played using all seven letters on your rack) nets an additional fifty points on top of the word's
point value. Unacceptable plays (words not in the dictionary), or “phonies,” are legal as long as they go
unchallenged. “Challenging” off a phony results in the opponent losing the word and his/her turn, but a
challenge of an acceptable word results in the loss of the challenger's turn.
SCRABBLE® was born in 1931 in Poughkeepsie, New York, where Alfred M. Butts invented a crossword
game he called “Lexiko.” In 1938, Butts decided to play the game on a board, calling it “Criss-Crosswords.”
Ten years later James Brunot of Newtown, Connecticut transformed the game into what it is today,
eventually selling the rights to a larger company. Finally, through the process of conglomeration, Hasbro
acquired the North American rights to the game and Mattel the rights in the rest of the world. Today, it is
estimated that one in three American homes has a SCRABBLE® board, according to Wikipedia. And yet,
according to John Williams, Jr., Director of the National SCRABBLE® Association, while “40 million
Americans play leisurely, only around 10,000 have played in a tournament.” Tournament SCRABBLE®
follows the same rules as regular “living-room” SCRABBLE® except it is played one-on-one, and limited in
time to twenty-five minutes per side. Tournament SCRABBLE® also uses specified dictionaries to check
plays. SCRABBLE® – English-language SCRABBLE® – is played all around the world, including countries
like Thailand where little English is spoken.
School SCRABBLE®, unlike ordinary tournament SCRABBLE®, is played in teams of two. And while it is
played in clubs and schools and libraries across the country, it is played at drastically different levels.
Perhaps the most telling story of the disparity among School SCRABBLE® players comes from the 2007
National School SCRABBLE® Championship, in a game Aune Mitchell and her partner Matt Silver played
against a relatively inexperienced team of fifth graders from the South.
Matt says, quite bluntly, “The first team didn't know the two-letter words.” (Knowing one's “twos” is the most
basic foundation of word knowledge in SCRABBLE®, and to say someone doesn't know them is more or
less to say someone is not a real SCRABBLE® player.) Aune and Matt's coach had instructed them to win
biggest in the easy early games of the tournament to get the highest spread (because that's what separates
the multiple teams with perfect records as the tournament goes on), so they “started playing phony words all
over [the board],” as Matt puts it. “Whenever we saw seven letters that formed some kind of word we’d play
it.” At one point they had the word “LOUNGES” on their rack. They played “SLOUNGE,” a phony (though a
rather colorful one – I'm picturing a manner of sitting something between lounging and slouching) for the
three more points it gave them. They ended up having a score of 791 to their opponents' 146, the largest
spread in SCRABBLE® history, a record they still hold to this day. “We destroyed them,” Matt says in his dry
humor – his voice betraying no smugness whatsoever.
Actually, there's more to the story. When nearby spectators saw a 791, which was then the second-highest
score ever recorded in a SCRABBLE® game, a crowd formed around the table. Two middle schoolers were
surrounded by such SCRABBLE® greats as Stefan Fatsis, author of Word Freak, the best-selling book
about tournament SCRABBLE®, and Joe Edley (three-time Nationals champion). “I thought, 'What an
honor,'” Matt says. But oddly enough, many of these figures hadn't approached the kids to compliment them
on their plays. Stefan Fatsis said, “This is not how you play SCRABBLE®.” Then John Williams came and
asked to have a word with the two victors. He gave what Matt describes as a “talk about sportsmanship.”
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This story provides us with another aspect of School SCRABBLE® that separates it from the game adults
play. The directors and administrators and those responsible for the well-being of children see the game as
more than just a game: they want there to be an educational component. Often, the educational component
can be lost if a team or a player becomes demoralized or discouraged. If you look at the issue that way, then
you can see the need for good sportsmanship. At most middle-school sports games, a team will back off if
they are beating the other team by a certain number of points. Even in professional sports, teams will bench
their top players after obtaining a large enough lead against their opponents. That being said, in a
SCRABBLE® tournament a good “spread” is the next most important thing after a good record. Matt and
Aune were competing fairly in that sense.
Matt explains that he and Aune were acting upon the advice of their coach, Kevin McCarthy, who had
advised them to punish the weak players in the beginning to get ahead as much as possible (though he
might not have expected a +645 spread). Part of Kevin's coaching style was preparing his players for the
conditions of Nationals, which include the importance of spread. He told them about words not acceptable in
School SCRABBLE® (words like “JEW,” a word Matt and Aune challenged off the board in their final game
of the tournament). Matt says that Kevin told them how to “work the system.” Playing phonies against people
with poor word knowledge is a common, legal, and effective strategy, even if Stefan Fatsis and John
Williams viewed it as morally questionable.
Evidently, John Williams and the NSA did not appreciate players “working the system,” as legitimate as that
seems to some adult players and team coaches, and the following year the NSA established a cap on how
much one team could beat their opponents by in each round. In an email reply to my inquiry about the
incident, Williams writes:
“As I recall, the problem was that the opponents were two fifth graders who were almost complete novices
and clueless. They completely deferred to the superior team to the point that they would not challenge a
thing. We felt it violated the spirit of School SCRABBLE®. Sure, getting a large spread is the idea, but this –
as in previous times – got out of hand. Not to say I didn't understand Matt and Aune's motivation.”
It's hard to say what exactly Williams means by the “spirit of School SCRABBLE®.” Possibly, the justification
behind his definition of sportsmanly behavior at a School SCRABBLE® tournament is the same justification
behind one of the other crucial differences between adult and School SCRABBLE®: teams. When Jane and
John Williams founded School SCRABBLE® in 1994 after three years of testing and research, they decided
to have School SCRABBLE® played in teams, an idea that was a nod to the American institutional ideal of
“cooperative learning.” It's about students “working with others in reaching a common goal,” Williams says.
Another reason the NSA decided to create SCRABBLE® teams comes from that same spirit of togetherness
that sportsmanship is supposed to be about. “We determined that there was something of an intimidation
factor in terms of spelling, vocabulary, and math skills,” Williams says. “If we teamed [kids] up in pairs they
were much more comfortable playing.”
And yet, when it comes down to it, the only people who feel “uncomfortable” at tournaments are the people
who don't want to be there. And the people who don't want to be there are usually the people who know they
are going to lose because they're not very good. The NSA – and by extension, Hasbro – would like every
school in the country to have a School SCRABBLE® program, and they would like full participation. Hasbro
has a clear incentive to expand the School SCRABBLE® program to create lifelong SCRABBLE® players
(i.e., purchasers). John Williams would be happy to see the program he designed grow, and Hasbro would
be happy to see its revenue grow. But there is a conflict between full participation and excellence. Perhaps
one reason tournament SCRABBLE®'s following is small is that its most successful devotees are intellectual
anomalies – math whizzes and word freaks, as Fatsis unapologetically called them – who so outperform
their peers as to render teamwork useless.
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John Williams admits that many teams have a leader and a follower. Ben Greenwood, a School
SCRABBLE® coach and director who directed Nationals for five years, also says he observes that trend.
“Often one teammate simply draws the tiles and watches.” Those are the people who would be better
spending their afternoon differently. But, Williams rightly points out, some teams fulfill the vision of teamwork,
shifting between plays like doubles tennis players between service and base line. Aune Mitchell, who admits
that her partner (who went on to win the Championship the following year with a different partner) was the
better player, can still point to memorable contributions. The last play that brought them from being down 40
points to win their final game against Joey Krafchik (the leader) and Dorian Hill (the follower), was the bingo
TABLOIDS (the B was already on the board). Matt spotted the play, and then asked Aune if “tabloids” was a
word (his instincts told him it sounded word-like, but for whatever reason he hadn't encountered the word
before). Aune immediately told him that the word was good (she might have told him its meaning, but of
course in SCRABBLE® the definition is always secondary). Greenwood agrees with Williams: “Teams that
really work well – that’s sort of the magic piece about School SCRABBLE®.” According to Greenwood, what
makes School SCRABBLE® different is that School SCRABBLE® is “not just about individual talent....That
interaction is really valuable.”
Cornelia Guest, who Williams describes as “certainly the most successful School SCRABBLE® coach in the
country,” and who Matt Silver describes as “the biggest School SCRABBLE® organizer right now,” disagrees
on the subject of teams. “I think that usually one-on-one is better,” she says, asking, “Can you imagine team
chess?” She explains that in SCRABBLE®, when you have a distinct strategy, and when you want to “set
something up, doing it yourself is much easier.” She also makes the argument that the team system is unfair.
“Many of the teams have one player who's very very good and another player who is not good, and yet when
they get prizes they get equal recognition.” In response to Greenwood's description of teams often being
magical, Guest says, “There are very few even teams.”
In Guest's experience, teams can be fun for the kids (especially her third- and fourth-grade students), but at
times they prove problematic. She described an incident where a fourth grader and an eighth grader teamed
up. The two fought so much about decision-making that they ended up accumulating large time penalties,
losing the game. And advancing a weaker player in the context of a team does not do the weaker player a
service in the long run. That player's inflated ego might later be crushed if the player attempts to play solo.
Or, since in all likelihood the player is perfectly aware of his status as the hanger-on, the player is using his
partner as an excuse for slacking or as a chance to win prize money. Either way, intra-team relationships are
more complicated than Greenwood and Williams make them out to be. Teamwork is something of a
misnomer.
The conflict beneath the surface of the issue of teamwork in School SCRABBLE® is a familiar one. The “all
for one, one for all” mentality that parents and teachers try to foster in children clashes with what we know to
be true about competition. Williams understands the “motivation” behind Matt and Aune's annihilation of their
opponents, but he simultaneously asks for restraint. Perhaps Williams's fear is the same one shared by
educators who try not to give a student a grade so bad that he/she will simply stop trying. Once again, the
conflict between full participation and excellence comes into play. But what, if the losers usually are weeded
out anyway, does a cap on spread accomplish besides making the tournament appear less lopsided? The
officials would like to project that their base is broad enough to bring only skilled players to Nationals, when
in reality complete novices are encouraged to play to get an impressive attendance.
Another oft-cited case against having teams for School SCRABBLE® involves the continuity between youth
and adult play that many – including Guest – would like to create. If adults play competitively and on their
own, why should kids be used to a different kind of play, especially if they are using their teammate as a kind
of crutch?
The same argument about continuity continues into the surprisingly controversial subject of dictionaries.
There are two important American dictionaries: the OSPD and the OWL. The OSPD (Official SCRABBLE®
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Players Dictionary) was once the only official SCRABBLE® dictionary used in North America; but several
people expressed concern over offensive words, including the definition of “JEW” as a verb meaning “to
bargain.” Controversy boiled as the issue received media attention, and the powerful Anti-Defamation
League threatened legal action against Hasbro. To avoid a lawsuit, officials bowdlerized the dictionary, which
is why it is now used primarily in School SCRABBLE® and home games. The OWL (Official Tournament and
Club World List) was conceived after Hasbro censored the OSPD, as a compromise to avid players who
were angered that perfectly valid words were declared unacceptable because of their definitions.
To make a long story short, the controversy centers on usage: some contend that the “official” censored
OSPD should be used in adult tournaments to eliminate the barrier between School SCRABBLE® and adult
tournament play. Others wish to be able to play all acceptable words in a dictionary, regardless of whether or
not they are offensive, even in School SCRABBLE®. Williams confesses, “I’m actually kind of a first
amendment buff and think at the end of the day there should be no censorship. It's naïve to say that if you
take a word out of a dictionary it’s not going to exist in culture.” But since his hands were tied by Hasbro, he
“was happy to go along with having the censored dictionary.” On the other side, Greenwood says, “I do think
it makes sense for the School SCRABBLE® program to have a clean source, because I think it would just be
too hard to make those ‘offensive’ words acceptable in school play.” Guest agrees that “the OSPD is good
for School SCRABBLE® because there are certain words that are totally offensive.” What she does not like
is having two separate dictionaries for the different tournament levels, because her players ironically end up
having to learn those offensive words “they might not have learned otherwise,” in order to play in regular
tournaments. School SCRABBLE® coaches have to give their players the “POO List” that literally lists all the
offensive words that the editors of the OSPD went to such great lengths to excise. “They'll ask me why
'WOG' is offensive, and then they'll learn that it is a racist slur possibly originating from 'wily oriental
gentleman,'” says Guest.
The international SCRABBLE® community uses a third dictionary: Collins. But, in another example of irony
in the SCRABBLE® world, the dictionary that is ostensibly the most international is ignored by
SCRABBLE®'s number one participant: Thailand. Most Thai players speak little or no English. But what
does that matter in a game that's more about logic and numbers and anagramming than it is about language
skills? Even American players could not tell you the definition of perhaps half the words they play. At a high
level, word knowledge must come from memorization – either from practice on computer programs like
Quackle or with good old-fashioned flash cards. But Thailand, in addition to fielding numerous winners and
finalists at the World SCRABBLE® Championships, also has a huge Youth SCRABBLE® program. Why
Thailand?
According to Williams, in Thailand, “‘SCRABBLE®’ is almost mandated in a way....The government has a
giant tournament and everyone goes.” John O'Laughlin, the co-creator of the SCRABBLE® computer
program called “Quackle” and one of America's top-ranked players, recently visited Thailand and told me the
full story. First, he pointed out that the Thais don't actually play SCRABBLE®. “Copyright laws aren't really
respected down there,” he says. What they play is the “Brand's Crossword Game,” which is, of course,
exactly the same thing as SCRABBLE®. O'Laughlin said that an entrepreneur came to Thailand to sell his
plagiarized “Crossword Game” and marketed it to the government as an educational tool for Thailand's
schools. He portrayed the game as a fun way for kids to work on arithmetic and English. Of course, the
English skill development is dubious, since definitions don't matter in the game. Nevertheless, a countrywide
Youth SCRABBLE® program developed and, as in America, the top players quickly outshone their peers,
creating two layers of Youth SCRABBLE® play in Thailand – the huge state-mandated program for all
students, and the tournaments and online play of the smaller group of skilled players. According to Cornelia
Guest, the Brand's Crossword Game King's Cup attracts around 7,000 players, the largest participation by
far of any tournament in the world. The winner accepts the trophy from the King of Thailand himself.
One interesting difference about Youth SCRABBLE® in Thailand is that players are not in teams. As in adult
SCRABBLE®, the games are one-on-one. They also don't call it “School SCRABBLE®.” This fits the model
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for the “Youth SCRABBLE®” Guest envisions: complete with tournaments with elementary, middle-, and
high-school divisions, where kids would play solo. Guest's “Youth SCRABBLE®” ideal is shared by Williams,
who would also like to change the program's name from the overly academic “School SCRABBLE®” to
“Youth SCRABBLE®.” But beyond a name change, Williams's vision offers little new. His wife Jane has been
working with the Girl Scouts to engage them in the School SCRABBLE® program, and the couple has gone
to numerous educational conferences to promote the program, but it remains essentially unchanged: a
program primarily based in clubs, libraries, and schools, founded on the assertion that children should play
the game in teams of twos.
On Wednesday, November 17, I find myself on the campus of Buckingham Browne and Nichols School in
Cambridge to meet with Mark Fidler, a math teacher and SCRABBLE® coach who has been running the
only School SCRABBLE® program in the ISL [the Independent School League, made up of 16 New England
prep schools] for nearly a decade. Coincidentally, the Milton Girls Varsity Soccer has advanced as the wild
card in New Englands and today they are playing the undefeated ISL champions: BB&N. So while I watch
the beginning of the soccer game, a friendly BB&N history teacher points me in the direction of Mark, who
watches the game from the other side of the field. Jogging over to him, I suggest we wait until halftime to talk
about School SCRABBLE®, as it quickly becomes apparent that the game is going to be an exciting one.
Mark is on the same page, his eyes glued to the field as he shakes my hand. The wind is blowing, and the
wind strongly favors BB&N, whose star player scores a slightly sloppy goal. Milton's strong defense keeps
the game interesting, and at halftime, with the score still 1-0, Mark and I head into the school's student
center for a talk.
Mark Fidler, who coaches BB&N Girls Hockey and Little League in Waltham, also writes children's novels
about sports. He wears a dress shirt but no tie, and he speaks with a slight Boston accent. He has been
working at BB&N for twenty years. He started coaching SCRABBLE® so that his son could learn the game,
and the program has existed in various forms since then. He works with fifth and sixth graders. Between five
and ten kids sign up each year, a dramatic decrease in size since the days his program was taught within
the confines of the academic day as an elective. Pushed after-school by school policy, his program has
struggled to compete with numerous other activities, including sports. But he stuck with the age group: “I like
working with those kids because kids who get serious about the game can work and do something on their
own because they have the foundation.”
Fidler's teams have been extremely successful: in 2003, at the first National School SCRABBLE®
Championship ever, one of his sixth-grade teams won the event: Nick Amphlett (now a sophomore at
Vassar) and John Ezekowitz (Harvard). In Cornelia Guest's e-newsletter The Last Word, she profiled former
Nationals winners: John Ezekowitz proudly displays the giant novelty check for the $5,000 first-place prize in
his dorm room, and he still plays online with his younger brother – a skilled player in his own right. For his
part, Nick still plays the odd SCRABBLE® game with his girlfriend. 2009 was the first year Fidler did not
send any teams to Nationals, and while he admits he was “disappointed,” he understands that since the new
venue is in Orlando, it is a huge commitment (the financial support must come from parents) for teams to go
all that way. For Upper School seniors, Fidler offers a SCRABBLE® program in the spring that students sign
up for as their eight-week long “Senior Project.” Twelve kids signed up for his program last year, including
some who had worked with him in Lower School, making it one of the most popular Senior Projects of the
year. The Upper School School SCRABBLE® lessons are the same as in the Lower School, but they are
taught at a much faster pace and the upper schoolers retain much more, according to Fidler.
Fidler believes in the importance of a good “curriculum.” “The trick,” he says, “is to make it fun.” Fidler
cautions that there is “a fine balance between not just playing games and not just being lectured to.” An
example of how he incorporates his lessons into fun games is the Bingo Game, Fidler's own creation: “The
kids play two-on-two, and to encourage them to play bingos, I let them turn any tile over and make it a blank.
No player can exchange or draw new tiles unless he plays a bingo.” Fidler stresses that in this game his kids
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have to use the same strategies as in real games, but the point is to show them that bingos are attainable:
“They think, 'Wow, I can really play bingos.'” Another game involves practicing parallel play, where players
can only place their tiles parallel to a word already placed on the board by Fidler. The goal is to find the bestscoring play.
Mark Fidler pays a lot of attention to his teaching style. “I don't rush them too much,” he says. “You have to
let an idea sink in so they take ownership of it.” And he says what gets a player “hooked” on SCRABBLE® is
precisely that feeling of ownership. Unlike in chess, where a play is literally just moving a piece to a different
location on the board, in SCRABBLE® plays are real words that can be imaginative and singular. “The
people who like the game the most are the people who actually are pretty good at it,” Fidler says. The game
is “interesting enough” for inexpert players, but “if they meet the game halfway it's just sort of a natural
appeal.... A beautiful play – making a great play – is an incredibly emotionally charged experience,” and
those emotional experiences keep the SCRABBLE® player coming back for more. “I try to give the kids the
skills so they can get to that level.”
Fidler and I have talked for too long, missing the first few minutes of the second half. The teams switched
sides after the first half, so the wind now favors Milton. We arrive at the field and, to my delight, Milton has
tied the game 1-1. My voice nearly drowned out by the screams of dozens of BB&N students cheering their
team on, I manage to squeeze out a question about School SCRABBLE®'s future. How can School
SCRABBLE® expand? Can it reach the same level in America as it has in Thailand? Fidler points out that
the big coaches in the Northeast – Cornelia Guest, Ben Greenwood, and he – are all experienced with
educating and teaching as well as being SCRABBLE® enthusiasts. “The advantage I have (and my kids
aren't different from kids anywhere else; they aren't super genius kids) is that one, I'm a SCRABBLE®
player, and two, I'm a teacher, so I know how kids learn and I can craft my SCRABBLE® lessons like I craft
my math lessons.” He explains, “I just happen to be one and the same, but it doesn't have to be one and the
same.” The way that School SCRABBLE® is going to get “bigger and better is if you have adult
SCRABBLE® experts combine with teachers,” Fidler suggests. “That's the winning combination.”
Mark Fidler, unnerved by the tied score but grateful that BB&N's defense is making it very difficult for Milton
to make shots on goal, tells me more about his vision. Ordinary teachers who do not have the necessary
SCRABBLE® expertise and try out the School SCRABBLE® program cannot get their kids hooked because
their kids will never really make the full step to advanced play (Fidler says that “living-room SCRABBLE®
gets them half a step but that's all”). In Fidler's opinion, the natural solution is to pair those teachers with
adult SCRABBLE® players who know the game very well but who have no teaching experience. But, he
laments, “It hasn't happened yet....Why hasn't a school come to the Lexington SCRABBLE® Club and said,
'I need a volunteer to come once a month or once a week or once every other week and we could work
together’?” He believes the NSA has the responsibility to put together a program that can be exported to
schools in areas where there are no Cornelia Guests or Ben Greenwoods or Mark Fidlers. “If the NSA is
supporting School SCRABBLE®, they should be trying to connect teachers with players....and draw upon
the people who've been running successful programs to send out a prepackaged program,” he concludes.
He says that he'd be more than willing to share his materials and give the NSA a document that explains his
curriculum, but the NSA has never asked him. “No one has tried to take my curriculum and Ben's and
Cornelia's and put them together for teachers to use with their kids.”
The second half ends and the score is still tied. Mark and I wait in a state of suspension. Like the outcome of
the soccer game in front of me, School SCRABBLE®'s future seems unpredictable. This is what the NSA
offers: a $95 kit that includes six boards with tiles and tile bags and a copy of the OSPD. People who visit
the NSA website may use all of the NSA's web resources (there are worksheets and exercises), and they
might in the future participate in John Williams's intelligent and novel idea of a virtual forum (basically, a
social network) for members of the School SCRABBLE® community, where they could ask questions and
communicate with each other. But, of course, starter kits and web resources cannot alone ensure the
survival, let alone the success, of a SCRABBLE® program. Fidler says, “I can't say, 'Rah, rah, rah,
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SCRABBLE®' because that's not gonna do anything. The game will make [the players enthusiastic], but only
if the players hit a certain level of skill.”
Milton's defense has been playing well, fending off BB&N's star player Steph. But the momentum is shifting.
BB&N gets a corner kick, nearly scoring. Steph breaks away, and shoots right at the upper left corner. The
Milton goalie starts moving – it seems – at the exact time the ball lifts from Steph's cleat and manages to
make contact with the ball, steering it from its course with the tips of her fingers. The BB&N fans go silent.
Minutes later, overtime ends with a 1-1 score. The game heads into double overtime. The interview is over.
SCRABBLE® is the ultimate math game. Every expert will tell you that it's about probability, about weighing
variables, about sequences, about logic. The gravitational pull to SCRABBLE® for math lovers is immense.
And few board games can match the emotional experience of finding and playing a beautiful word. Youth
SCRABBLE® continues to grow in Southeast Asia. New Internet programs make it easier for young players
to practice at home. But SCRABBLE® is a game about commitment – time spent memorizing words and
practicing online. Technology as well as the visions of individual coaches can assist in spreading the game,
and if it grows then the competition will get fiercer. But maybe true SCRABBLE® players will always remain
on the fringe of society, bizarre athletes willing to sacrifice Friday nights to study flash cards. Even so, by
taking certain steps School and Youth SCRABBLE® may be able to achieve greater name recognition and
acceptance.
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Word Star
By Jeff Kastner
Play Word Star, a word game with similarities to Boggle, created and presented each month by Phoenix, AZ
expert Jeff Kastner.
The puzzle grid is in the shape of a hexagram…also known as the “Star of David.”
Your object is to find and list as many words as possible, using only the 7 letters contained in the Word Star
puzzle. All words must be OWL2 or Long List acceptable.
There are 3 basic rules to finding words within a Word Star puzzle:
1. Words must be at least 3 or more letters long (with no limit on how long the word can be).
2. Words are formed by using letters that adjoin each other. For example, the words JAM and
BORE are acceptable, but not MORE, because the “M” and the “O” are not neighboring letters.
3. Letters within a word may repeat as many times as possible, as long as such letters are
repeated twice (or thrice) in a row, or as long as Rule 2 is followed. So, for example, MAMA and
BOO are acceptable. But, AJAR would not be acceptable because the “A” and the “R” are not
adjoining.
•
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Note that the Center Star, located in the white middle portion of the puzzle, is the most important
letter. It is the only letter that adjoins each of the 6 others in the puzzle. In addition, there are bonus
points awarded for using the Center Star as often as possible. The Center Star in this month’s puzzle
is the letter “B.”
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Multiple forms of the same word are acceptable (for example, RATE, RATED, RATER, RATERS, and
RATES would all be fine, if they were in the puzzle). No points are awarded (and no penalty points are
assessed) for any entries on your word list that are not in OWL2 or the Long List, or that do not adhere to
the above rules.
Points are scored as follows:
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2 Points for each WORD found.
5 Bonus Points for each BINGO (7 or more letters) found.
1 Point for each LETTER of every word found.
1 Bonus Point for each CENTER STAR of every word found.
Example of Points Scored:
Let’s say a Word Star puzzle has an “S” as the Center Star letter, and your list consists of the following
words:
ATTIRE
ATTIRES
SAT
SATE
SATIRE
SATIRES
TIRE
TIRES
Your score would be:
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16 Points for the 8 WORDS found.
10 Bonus Points for the 2 BINGOS (ATTIRES and SATIRES) found.
42 Points for each of the 42 LETTERS used in the 8 words.
7 Bonus Points for each CENTER STAR used (the letter “S” is used 7 times).
TOTAL SCORE in this imaginary example = 75 Points.
Par Scores for this month’s Word Star:
200 points (Novice); 325 points (Intermediate); 425 points (Advanced)
Once you’ve compiled your list, check out my SOLUTION on the next page.
See you next month with another Word Star puzzle! …Jeff Kastner
Jeff Kastner, originally from New York City, has been living in Phoenix, AZ since 1985. Jeff is one of a
handful of players who has ever been ranked in the USA-top-50 in both SCRABBLE® and chess. He is the
2010-2011 Phoenix SCRABBLE® Club champion as well as the 2011 Scottsdale SCRABBLE® Club champ.
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Word Star Solution for: The Last Word Apr 2012
ABA
ABBA
ABBE
ABO
AMA
AMBEER
AMBER
AMBO
AMEBA
AMEER
BAA
BABA
BABE
BABOO
BAM
BAMBOO
BEE
BEEBEE
BEER
BEMA
BOB
BOBBER
BOO
BOOB
BOOBOO
BOOR
BORE
BORER
BREE
BRO
BROO
BRR
BRRR
EBB
EMBER
EME
EMEER
EMMER
ERE
ERR
ERROR
JAB
JABBER
JABBERER
JAM
JAMB
JAMBE
JAMBOREE
JAMMER
JOB
JOBBER
JOJOBA
MABE
MAJOR
MAMA
MAMBA
MAMBO
MAMMA
MAMMEE
MAMMER
MEM
MEMBER
MEME
MERE
MERER
OBA
OBE
ORB
ORE
REB
REBBE
REBORE
REE
REM
REMEMBER
REMEMBERER
ROB
ROBBER
ROBE
PAR SCORES: 200 points (Novice); 325 points (Intermediate);
425 points (Advanced)
BEST SCORE:
2 Points for each WORD found:
79 Words = 158 points.
5 Bonus Points for each BINGO found:
4 Bingos = 20 points.
1 Point for each LETTER of every word found:
352 Letters = 352 points.
1 Bonus Point for each CENTER STAR of every word found:
75 B’s = 75 points.
TOTAL = 605 Points
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Going to Pot
By Tony Rasch
What do BOX, CASE, CUP, GLASS, PAN, and POT have in common? Well, they are all containers. But, from a
SCRABBLE® perspective, think “Compound Word?” A number of surprising compounds contain one of these
containers. Plus, the containers can all be used as verbs and are the roots of many words with common extensions.
This article will consider all of the words that either begin or end with these containers. If the word is a noun, it can be
pluralized in a normal manner, unless marked with an “*”.
BOX
5-Letter Nouns
BOXER
6-Letter Nouns
BOXCAR
BOXFUL
7-Letter Nouns
BOXBALL
BOXFISH
BOXWOOD
8-Letter Nouns
BOXBERRY
BOXBOARD
BOXTHORN
HATBOX
HOTBOX
ICEBOX
PEGBOX
SKYBOX
TEABOX
BANDBOX
BOOMBOX
CASHBOX
COALBOX
FAREBOX
FEEDBOX
FIREBOX
GEARBOX
HELLBOX
JUKEBOX
LOCKBOX
MAILBOX
PILLBOX
POSTBOX
SALTBOX
SANDBOX
SHOEBOX
TOOLBOX
WOODBOX
WORKBOX
BREADBOX
ECONOBOX
HOMEOBOX
LUNCHBOX
MATCHBOX
SAUCEBOX
SNUFFBOX
SOUNDBOX
SWEATBOX
KICKBOXER
PEPPERBOX
RATTLEBOX
STRONGBOX
TINDERBOX
9-Letter Nouns
10-Letter Nouns
CHATTERBOX
“INGS” Nouns
BOXINGS
KICKBOXINGS
LETTERBOXINGS
Declinable Adjective
BOXY BOXIER BOXIEST
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Box + Common Extension
BOXILY
Verbs
BOX
UNBOX
OUTBOX
BOXHAUL
KICKBOX
SOAPBOX
LETTERBOX
SHADOWBOX
BOXED
UNBOXED
OUTBOXED
BOXHAULED
KICKBOXED
SOAPBOXED
LETTERBOXED
SHADOWBOXED
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BOXINESS(es)
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BOXLIKE
BOXING
UNBOXING
OUTBOXING
BOXHAULING
KICKBOXING
SOAPBOXING
LETTERBOXING
SHADOWBOXING
BOXES
UNBOXES
OUTBOXES
BOXHAULS
KICKBOXES
SOAPBOXES
LETTERBOXES
SHADOWBOXES
CASE
6-Letter Nouns
CASEIN
CASERN
7-Letter Nouns
CASEASE
CASEOSE
CASERNE
CASETTE
8-Letter Nouns
CASEBOOK
CASELOAD
CASEMATE
CASEMENT
CASEWORK
CASEWORM
9-Letter Nouns
CASEATION
CASEINATE
10-Letter Nouns
CASEBEARER
CASEWORKER
CARCASE
NUTCASE
BOOKCASE
CARDCASE
GEARCASE
NOTECASE
SEEDCASE
SLIPCASE
SUITCASE
TYPECASE
BRAINCASE
BRIEFCASE
CRANKCASE
LOWERCASE
REPLICASE
SMEARCASE
SMIERCASE
STAIRCASE
UPPERCASE
WATCHCASE
PILLOWCASE
Non-Declinable Adjectives
CASEIC
CASEMATED
CASEOUS
HARDCASE
Verbs
CASE
CASEFY
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CASEFIED
CASING
CASEFYING
CASES
CASEFIES
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CASEATE
CASEATED
CASEATING
CASEATES
ENCASE
INCASE
UNCASE
DISCASE
SHOWCASE
ENCASED
INCASED
UNCASED
DISCASED
SHOWCASED
ENCASING
INCASING
UNCASING
DISCASING
SHOWCASING
ENCASES
INCASES
UNCASES
DISCASES
SHOWCASES
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CUP
4-Letter Nouns
SCUP
5-Letter Nouns
CUPID
CUPPA
6-Letter Nouns
CUPFUL*
EGGCUP
CUPOLA
EYECUP
CUPPER
HICCUP
CUPRUM
OILCUP
CUPULA**
TEACUP
CUPULE
*The plural of CUPFUL can be either CUPFULS or CUPSFUL
**The only plural of CUPULA is CUPULAE
7-Letter Nouns
CUPCAKE
CUPELER
CUPPING
CUPRITE
KINGCUP
8-Letter Nouns
CUPBOARD
CUPELLER
CUPIDITY
DEATHCUP
9-Letter Nouns
CREAMCUPS*
BUTTERCUP
CUPBEARER
CUPFERRON
*There is no singular form of CREAMCUPS
11-Letter Nouns
CUPELLATION
CUPRONICKEL
Declinable Adjective
CUPPY
CUPPIER
CUPPIEST
Non-declinable Adjectives
CUPRIC
CUPREOUS
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CUPLIKE
CUPROUS
CUPULAR
Verbs
CUP
CUPEL
CUPOLA
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CUPULATE
CUPRIFEROUS
CUPPED
CUPELED
CUPELLED
CUPOLAED
CUPPING
CUPELING
CUPELLING
CUPOLAING
CUPS
CUPELS
CUPOLAS
GLASS
7-Letter Nouns
GLASSIE
8-Letter Nouns
GLASSFUL
EYEGLASS
GLASSINE
SPYGLASS
GLASSMAN*
SUNGLASS
*The plural of GLASSMAN is GLASSMEN
9-Letter Nouns
GLASSWARE
GLASSWORK
GLASSWORM
GLASSWORT
HOURGLASS
ISINGLASS
SANDGLASS
WINEGLASS
10-Letter Nouns
GLASSHOUSE
GLASSINESS
GLASSMAKER
FIBERGLASS
FIBREGLASS
Long Nouns
GALLOWGLASS
GLASSBLOWER
GLASSMAKING
GLASSWORKER
GLASSBLOWING
WEATHERGLASS
Declinable Adjective
GLASSY
GLASSIER
Non-Declinable Adjectives
GLASSLESS
GLASSIEST
PLATEGLASS
Adverb
GLASSILY
Verbs
GLASS
GLASSPAPER
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GLASSPAPERED
GLASSING
GLASSPAPERING
GLASSES
GLASSPAPERS
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PAN
4-Letter Noun
PANE
5-Letter Nouns
PANDA
PANGA
PANNE
PANSY
PANTO
PANTY
JAPAN
ULPAN*
*The plural of ULPAN is ULPANIM
6-Letter Nouns
PANADA
PANTRY
PANAMA
PANZER
PANDIT
PANFUL
BEDPAN
PANGEN
FRYPAN
PANIER
INSPAN
PANINI*
SAMPAN
PANNER
TAIPAN
PANTIE
*The plural of PANINI is PANINO
7-Letter Nouns
PANACEA
PANGRAM
PANACHE
PANICLE
PANCHAX
PANICUM
PANDANI*
PANNIER
PANDECT
PANOCHA
PANDOOR
PANOCHE
PANDORA
PANOPLY
PANDORE
PANPIPE
PANDOUR
PANTHER
PANDURA
PANTILE
PANFISH
PANTOUM
PANGENE
*PANDANI is an irregular plural of PANDANUS
8-Letter Nouns
PANATELA
PANGOLIN
PANCETTA
PANMIXIA
PANCREAS
PANMIXIS*
PANDANUS
PANNIKIN
PANDEMIC
PANORAMA
PANDERER
PANSOPHY
PANDOWDY
PANTALET
PANELING
PANTHEON
PANELIST
PANTOFLE
PANETELA
PANTSUIT
*The only plural of PANMIXIS is PANMIXES
TAMPAN
TARPAN
TEOPAN
TRAPAN
TREPAN
TYMPAN
CLAYPAN
DEADPAN
DISHPAN
DUSTPAN
FIREPAN
KNEEPAN
OUTSPAN
SALTPAN
STEWPAN
SWANPAN
BRAINPAN
LIFESPAN
MARZIPAN
PATTYPAN
SAUCEPAN
SCALEPAN
SHWANPAN
TRAGOPAN
WINGSPAN
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9-Letter Nouns
PANATELLA
PANSEXUAL
PANTHEIST
PANEGYRIC
PANTALONE
PANTIHOSE*
PANELLING
PANTALOON
PANTOFFLE
PANETELLA
PANTDRESS
PANTRYMAN*
PANETTONE*
PANTHEISM
PANTYHOSE*
*Both PANETTONES and PANETTONI are plurals of PANETONE.
PANTIHOSE and PANTYHOSE are already plural.
PANTRYMEN is the plural of PANTRYMAN.
Long Nouns
PANCRATIUM
PANDEMONIUM
PANTISOCRACY
PANCREATIN
PANTALETTES*
PANTOTHENATE
PANEGYRIST
PANTOMIMIST
PANLEUKOPENIA
PANGENESIS*
PANCREATITIS*
PANCREATECTOMY
PANHANDLER
PANCREOZYMIN
PANTISOCRATIST
PANJANDRUM
PANCYTOPENIA
PANTOGRAPH
PANSEXUALITY
PANTYWAIST
PANTECHNICON
*PANGENESES is the plural of PANGENESIS
PANTALETTES is already plural
PANCREATITIDES is the plural of PANCREATITIS
Declinable Adjectives
PANICKY
PANICKIER
Adjectives ending in “AL”
PANEGYRICAL
PANTROPICAL
Adjectives ending in “ED”
PANED
PANICLED
PANTILED
Adjectives ending in “IC”
PANOPTIC
PANCRATIC
PANMICTIC
PANORAMIC
PANSOPHIC
PANTROPIC
PANICKIEST
PANTHEISTICAL
PANTISOCRATICAL
PANELIZED
PANNIERED
PANOPLIED
PANTSUITED
PANCREATIC
PANGENETIC
PANTOMIMIC
PANTHEISTIC
PANCHROMATIC
PANTOGRAPHIC
PANTISOCRATIC
Other non-declinable adjectives
PANACEAN
PANCRATIA
PANHUMAN
PANJANDRA
PANELESS
PANDURATE
Adverbs
PANICALLY
PANTINGLY
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PANORAMICALLY
PANICULATE
PANTHEISTICALLY
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PAN
PANG
PANT
SPAN
PANDY
PANEL
PANNED
PANGED
PANTED
SPANNED
PANDIED
PANELED
PANELLED
PANIC
PANICKED
PANDER
PANDERED
PANFRY
PANFRIED
PANCAKE
PANCAKED
PANBROIL PANBROILED
PANHANDLE PANHANDLED
PANTOMIME PANTOMIMED
O
PANNING
PANGING
PANTING
SPANNING
PANDYING
PANELING
PANELLING
PANICKING
PANDERING
PANFRYING
PANCAKING
PANBROILING
PANHANDLING
PANTOMIMING
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PANS
PANGS
PANTS
SPANS
PANDIES
PANELS
PANICS
PANDERS
PANFRIES
PANCAKES
PANBROILS
PANHANDLES
PANTOMIMES
POT
5-Letter Nouns
POTSY
POTTO
POTTY
DEPOT
6-Letter Nouns
POTAGE
POTION
POTASH
POTMAN*
POTATO
POTPIE
POTBOY
POTSIE
POTEEN
POTTLE
POTFUL
POTZER
POTHOS*
*The plural of POTHOS is POTHOS.
The plural of POTMAN is POTMEN
7-Letter Nouns
POTABLE
POTENCE
POTENCY
POTHEAD
POTHEEN
POTHERB
POTHOLE
POTHOOK
8-Letter Nouns
POTATION
POTBELLY
POTHOUSE
POTLACHE
POTSHARD
POTSHERD
POTSTONE
BOWPOT
DESPOT
INKPOT
SEXPOT
TEAPOT
POTICHE
POTLACH
POTLINE
POTLUCK
POTTAGE
POTTEEN
POTTERY
DASHPOT
FIREPOT
FUSSPOT
GALIPOT
GLUEPOT
JACKPOT
TALIPOT
TOSSPOT
BOUGHPOT
CACHEPOT
CRACKPOT
CROCKPOT
ENTREPOT
FLESHPOT
GALLIPOT
HONEYPOT
HOTCHPOT
SAUCEPOT
SMOKEPOT
STINKPOT
STOCKPOT
SUBDEPOT
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POTTERER
9-Letter Nouns
POTASSIUM
POTATOBUG
POTBOILER
POTENTATE
POTENTIAL
Long Nouns
POTABILITY
POTENTILLA
POTHUNTING
POTHOLDER
POTHUNTER
POTOMETER
POTPOURRI
POTTINESS
CHASSEPOT
COFFEEPOT
FLOWERPOT
MONKEYPOT
POTABLENESS
POTENTIATOR
POTENTIALITY
POTENTIATION
POTENTIOMETER
“SPOT” Words
EYESPOT HIGHSPOT
HOTSPOT NIGHTSPOT
SUNSPOT
SPOT
RESPOT
SPOTTED
RESPOTTED
Declinable Adjective
POTTY
POTTIER
Non-Declinable Adjectives
POTENT
TINPOT
ANTIPOT
POTAMIC
POTLIKE
Adverbs
POTENTLY
Verbs
POT
REPOT
POTHER
POTTER
POTBOIL
POTSHOT
POTLATCH
POTENTIATE
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SPOTTING
RESPOTTING
SPOTS
RESPOTS
POTTIEST
POTATORY
POTBOUND
POTHOLED
POTASSIC
POTBELLIED
POTENTIOMETRIC
POTENTIALLY
POTTERINGLY
POTTED
REPOTTED
POTHERED
POTTERED
POTBOILED
POTSHOT
POTLATCHED
POTENTIATED
POTTING
REPOTTING
POTHERING
POTTERING
POTBOILING
POTSHOTTING
POTLATCHING
POTENTIATING
POTS
REPOTS
POTHERS
POTTERS
POTBOILS
POTSHOTS
POTLATCHES
POTENTIATES
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The Hake Rating System
By Don Hake
Approximately a decade and a half ago we founded the York SCRABBLE® Club #473. Early on we
recognized the desire of players to have a barometer of their performances. We initiated a one-page
weekly newsletter showing the standings and ratings of our members. And we adopted the rating
system of our sanctioning body, the National SCRABBLE® Association (NSA). With the founding of
the North American SCRABBLE® Players Association (NASPA), currently our sanctioning
organization, the rating system was tweaked to better accommodate the element of luck in the
outcome of game play.
After a long period of personal club play, tournament play, and the directing of 1- and 3-day
tournaments I became convinced of some fundamental weaknesses of the NSA/NASPA rating
system. This disaffection gave rise to the Hake Rating System, which I introduced into our club. I am
running it in parallel with the NASPA system (i.e., two separate newsletters showing standings).
The Hake system is based on several beliefs. Predicating the reward of winning upon a penalty on
the loser is wrong. It is far better to turn a boxing match into a foot race. The winner of a boxing
match is benefitted by causing harm to their opponent, and the greater the harm the greater the
reward. While a foot race has a winner and organizers generally recognize a 2nd and 3rd place
finisher, those who finish behind are none the worse for the attempt.
Second, the NSA/NASPA system is closed. When a game is played there is no net loss or gain to
the system. Indeed when new players are taken in their lowered ratings cause a downward trend in
the median or mean average rating. The Hake System is not affected by new entries, but instead
welcomes them.
Due to my longevity in the “game,” I have observed veterans of both clubs and tournaments who
cycle between certain rating levels. There is no recognition of their life achievements (i.e., games
played and significant victories). The Hake System overcomes that. By introducing levels of
achievement (below which one cannot fall) it holds out a new incentive after each level is achieved.
This adds to the zest to play rather than feeding the despair of being downgraded.
Let me now introduce the Hake System. Not wanting anyone to abandon the ratings they have
obtained, I also developed a conversion table that recognizes and credits those prior
accomplishments. But first the system.
Several levels of performance have been set. They are from lowest to highest, along with the
performance needed to advance.
Wins Required
Neophyte
Points Required
0
0
Intermediate
12
20
Aspiring Expert
36
72
Expert
72
216
Master
120
480
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Bronze Master
200
1200
Silver Master
232
1624
Gold Master
275
2200
Grand Master
325
2925
Legend
500
5000
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To be successful in this system you must:
1. Play often
2. Win frequently
3. Be successful against stiffer competition.
Note: To advance to a higher level you must satisfy BOTH the wins AND the point requirements.
Note 2: You will NOT hold your position by simply not playing. You WILL be passed by those who do
1, 2, and 3 above.
The Conversion of the NSA/NASPA rating to the Hake System is as follows:
NSA/NASPA Rating
Legend
Grand Master
Gold Master
Silver Master
Bronze Master
Master
2000 -- 2299
Expert
1500 -- 1999
Aspiring Expert
1300 -- 1499
Intermediate
900 -- 1299
Novice
600 -- 899
Neophyte
0 -- 599
What the exact wins and points awarded will be, will be determined by extrapolation.
For example: if a players rating falls midway between the upper and lower levels of the NSA/
NASPA scale, as shown above, at the time of conversion, they would be awarded the middle
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number of wins and the middle number of points for that Hake category, thus retaining all currently
relative player positions.
For those who would criticize this system as allowing a person to advance from category to category
by simply playing only lower rated players (note that the tourney play positions would be strictly
positioned by the person’s Hake rating) I’ve added the additional statistic of Points Per Win (PPW).
Simply divide the total points accumulated by the wins achieved and you have a barometer of the
difficulty of the player’s accomplishments.
Example: 27 Wins and 105 points = 3.888 PPW
Points are awarded as follows:
If you defeat a neophyte you receive 1 point.
If you defeat a novice you receive 2 points.
If you defeat an intermediate you receive 3 points and so on as follows:
Aspiring 4 pts
Expert 5 pts
Master 6 pts
Bronze Master 7 pts
Silver Master 8 pts
Gold Master 9 pts
Grand Master 10 pts
Legend 11 pts
If you go home from a 1-day, 7-game tourney with a 1-6 record, you go home with an achievement
of 1 win and a certain award, rather than leaving with puffy eyes and a broken heart. You have
moved up (although slowly) rather than having been penalized for your attendance and effort.
When one of our club players reaches a new category level I present the player with a certificate
signed by the director and dated. This incentive encourages increased play and gives the recipient a
sense of recognition and satisfaction.
Contact Don Hake by email at [email protected] if you have any questions or wish to
comment.
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SCRABBLE®
Resources
Has SCRABBLE®
tournament aides.
There are many study tools to
help SCRABBLE® players
hone their skills, including a
number of programs that can
be downloaded for free. This
section will offer suggestions
and links for both players and
directors.
Lists clubs throughout North
America with their meeting
times and locations.
Play Online
SCRABBLE®
POGO SCRABBLE®
The official SCRABBLE®
online game. Created under
agreement with Hasbro in
2008.
SCRABBLE® ON
FACEBOOK
Select the SCRABBLE®
application on the Facebook
home page to play the official
SCRABBLE® game. Various
groups hold tournaments at
this site, including a group
called “Mad Scrabblers”.
INTERNET
SCRABBLE® CLUB
A Romanian-based site and
application for interactive
games. A favorite site for
many of the top players.
Play Live
SCRABBLE®
CROSS-TABLES
Lists all upcoming
tournaments, as well as
results of past tournaments.
74
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NASPA CLUB LISTINGS
NSA CLUB LISTINGS
Lists casual clubs throughout
North America with their
meeting times and locations.
WGPO CLUB LISTINGS
Lists clubs throughout North
America with their meeting
times and locations.
Apps for Scrabblers
ZARF
A free multipurpose iPhone/
iPad utility for SCRABBLE®
players in any language. It
provides word list lookup,
pattern matching,
tournament-style adjudication
and a timer customized for
tournament SCRABBLE®
play.
ZYZZYVA/ZYZZYVA
LITE
iPhone app for practicing
anagramming skills and
learning words. Zyzzyva
includes Quiz, Search, and
Judge functions; Cardbox
Managment; Dropbox Sync;
Custom Lexicon Support; and
Lexicon Symbols. Zyzzva
Lite (free) includes Search
and Judge functions; Custom
Lexicon Import; and Lexicon
Symbols. You can sync quiz
data between the iPhone app
and the desktop program.
R
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WORDLIST PRO 2.0
Android 2.2+ app for
practicing anagramming skills
and learning words. Also
functions as Word Judge.
Lightning fast word searches.
Supports TWL06, OSPD4,
CSW12, and CSW12 unique
words.
CROSSWORD GAME
SCORESHEET
This app keeps track of
scoring in crossword games
such as SCRABBLE®.
SCRABBLE®
Play SCRABBLE® on your
iPhone/iPad. Teacher feature
allows you to see what your
best word could have been
after every turn. Now also
available for Android devices:
click here.
SCRABBLE® TILE
RACK
Turns your iPhone or iPad
Touch into a SCRABBLE® tile
rack. For use with an iPad.
WORDS WITH FRIENDS
The popular SCRABBLE®
variant for your iPhone/iPad.
Anagramming/
Practice Tools
JUMBLETIME
A free web site for practicing
anagramming skills.
MAC USERS: After you do a
Jumbletime quiz on a Mac,
the scroll bar to view the
results is missing. To make it
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appear, go to the lower right
corner and grab the striped
triangle and shrink the window
all the way to the top left corner.
When you pull it back, the scroll
bar to the right of the answers
to the quiz appears. (Make sure
you do this before you check
your score against other
players.)
A
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FRANKLIN SCRABBLE®
PLAYERS DICTIONARY
An electronic handheld
dictionary and anagrammer,
with many helpful options and
games. Includes the latest
word lists, and can be adjusted
from OSPD4 to OWL2 lists with
a code.
AEROLITH
A free application for practicing
anagramming skills and
learning words.
QUACKLE
CLICK HERE TO HELP
END WORD HUNGER AS
YOU LEARN WORDS
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OSPD ([email protected]
om)
This group, dedicated to players
using The Official SCRABBLE®
Players’ Dictionary, offers lighthearted humor, daily word lists,
and more. Admission is to all
SCRABBLE® lovers. Details
can be found in the NASPA
Tournament SCRABBLE®
Newsletter #1.
WGPO Listserv
([email protected]
m)
A free application for practicing
anagramming skills and
learning words. Also has Word
Judge capabilities.
This group, open to all
members of the tournament
community, is a forum for issues
of interest to SCRABBLE®
A free vocabulary testing site.
players. No approval of any
For every correct word, grains
of rice are donated through the kind is needed to join, and
readers need not be members
United Nations World Food
of the Word Game Player’s
Program. Feed hungry people
as you expand your vocabulary! Organization (WGPO).
SCRABBLE®
DICTIONARY
Online SCRABBLE®
Discussion Groups
A free application for playing,
simulating, and analyzing
games.
ZYZZYVA
Type a word to check for
acceptability. OSPD4 words.
CGP ([email protected])
This group, for NASPA
tournament players and
directors only, has the largest
membership of any online
tournament SCRABBLE®
A full-board SCRABBLE® worddiscussion group. Most
finder program that shows you
important events and changes
every word that can possibly be
in the SCRABBLE® world are
made on an entire
discussed on cgp. Admission is
SCRABBLE® board, and
by approval only. Details can be
continuously updates its results
found at http://sasj.com/cgp/
as you type letters onto the
join.html.
board or into the rack. Full
version available at http://bit.ly/
ecwHPt
LEXIFIND SCRABBLE®
HELPER AND WORD GAME
WIZARD WORDFINDER
FOR GOOGLE CHROME
SCRABBLE® Blogs
THE BADQOPH
DIRECTORY
This is a database of blogs by
known SCRABBLE® bloggers,
primarily tournament players.
As of March 29th there were
196 blogs in the directory.
Cheat Sheets
MIKE BARON’S CHEAT
SHEET
A great cheat sheet with 2s, 3s,
vowel dumps, short high-pointtile words, and good bingo
stems. Includes useful front
and back hook letters to make
3s from 2s. Adapted from Mike
Barron’s SCRABBLE®
Wordbook and the Official
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Tournament and Club Word
List, 2nd Edition.
has a Yahoo user group you
can join as a support option.
MIKE BARON’S CHEAT
SHEET (for School
SCRABBLE® and home
play)
TOURNEYMAN
A great cheat sheet with 2s, 3s,
vowel dumps, short high-pointtile words, and good bingo
stems. Includes useful front
and back hook letters to make
3s from 2s. Adapted from Mike
Barron’s SCRABBLE®
Wordbook and the Official
SCRABBLE® Players
Dictionary, 4th Edition.
COOL WORDS TO KNOW
A terrific cheat sheet from the
National SCRABBLE®
Association for School
SCRABBLE® and home play.
Gives useful information on how
to find bingos, plus the 2s, 3s,
vowel dumps, and short highpoint-tile plays.
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Jeff Widergren’s software for
managing tournaments.
TSH
John Chew’s software for
managing tournaments.
Books
BOB’S BIBLE
A terrific book to build word
power for tournaments.
BOB’S BIBLE, SCHOOL
EDITION
For School SCRABBLE® and
home play.
BROW-RAISERS II
A brilliantly organized study
guide geared towards the
success of beginning and
intermediate players.
HOW TO PLAY
SCRABBLE® LIKE A
Useful links to Collins word lists
CHAMPION
COLLINS WORD LISTS
can be found at the following
websites: http://
www.absp.org.uk/words/
words.html; http://
www.math.utoronto.ca/jjchew/
scrabble/lists/; http://
www.scrabble.org.au/words/
index.htm; http://
members.ozemail.com.au/
~rjackman/.
Tournament
Management Software
DIRECTOR!
Marc Levesque’s software for
managing tournaments. Also
76
A new guide to winning
SCRABBLE® from World
SCRABBLE® Champion Joel
Wapnick. Fantastic insights into
expert playing techniques. (See
review in the October issue of
The Last Word.)
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
WORD BUILDER
Bob Jackman’s guide to
building a strong Collins
vocabulary, organized by word
length, familiarity, and part of
speech.
R
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EVERYTHING
SCRABBLE®, THIRD
EDITION
The ultimate guide to winning at
SCRABBLE@ by 3-time
National Champion Joe Edley
and John D. Williams, Jr.
Completely updated to include
all new words. (See review in
the January issue of The Last
word.)
THE OFFICIAL
SCRABBLE® PLAYERS
DICTIONARY, FOURTH
EDITION
The official word source for
School SCRABBLE® and
casual play.
THE OFFICIAL
TOURNAMENT AND
CLUB WORD LIST, 2ND
EDITION
The official word source for
NASPA tournament and club
play.
SCRABBLE®
TOURNAMENT & CLUB
WORD LIST (COLLINS)
The official word list for
international tournament play.
(Available at SamTimer.com.)
SCRABBLE®
WORDBOOK
A great word book for
SCRABBLE® players by Mike
Baron. OSPD4 words. (POO
Lists available with words
excluded from the OWL2.)
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Tournament Calendar
Our new calendar format addresses two concerns: 1) Readers wanted as complete a list as
possible of tournament dates, not just two months worth of dates; 2) Readers wanted to know easily
whether a tournament was sanctioned by NASPA, WGPO, or the NSA (or was unrated).
However, because new tournaments are constantly being added to the schedule, it is difficult to be
all-inclusive. Please be sure to refer to the Websites of the organization sanctioning the tournament
for a complete list. Click NASPA, WGPO, or NSA for the most up-to-date calendars. Links to
NASPA and some NSA tournaments are also posted at cross-tables.com.
Thanks to Henry Leong, who permitted The Last Word to adapt his calendar from the WGPO
Website.
Dates
Organization
Tournament/Location
APRIL
4/1
NASPA
BERKELEY CA
4/1
NASPA
LAGUNA WOODS CA
4/7
NASPA
HUDSON NY
4/7
NASPA
MOORESTOWN NJ
4/8
NASPA
GUELPH ON CAN
4/13-15
NASPA
BAT (BOSTON AREA) MA
4/13-14
NSA (School) NATIONAL SCHOOL SCRABBLE®
CHAMPIONSHIP, ORLANDO FL
4/14-15
WGPO
BLOOMINGTON MN
4/14-15
NASPA
EDMONTON AB CAN
4/14-15
NASPA
LUBBOCK TX
4/15
WGPO
MOUNTAIN VIEW CA
4/21
NASPA
BATON ROUGE LA
4/21-22
NASPA
CUYAHOGA FALLS OH
4/21
NASPA
DALLAS TX
4/21
NASPA
LCT - MILLBURN NJ
4/21
NASPA
NORWALK CT (REGULAR & YOUTH
DIVISIONS)
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4/21
WGPO
PHOENIX AZ
4/22
WGPO
FITCHBURG WI
4/22
NASPA
PHILADELPHIA PA - TWL & COLLINS
4/22
WGPO
PORTLAND OR
4/27-29
NASPA
SAN DIEGO CA
4/28
NASPA
AUSTIN TX (TWL & COLLINS)
4/28
NASPA
BERLIN NJ
4/28
NASPA
FORT LAUDERDALE FL
4/28
NASPA
TCC- OLIVE HILL KY
4/28-29
NASPA
SIOUX FALLS SD
4/28-29
NASPA
WINNIPEG MB CAN
4/28
NASPA
SOUTH LYON MI
5/4-6
NASPA
GATLINBURG TN (TWL & COLLINS
5/4-6
NASPA
PORTLAND OR (TWL & COLLINS)
5/5
NASPA
STRONGSVILLE OH
5/6
NASPA
LAGUNA WOODS CA
5/6-13
NASPA
BERMUDA TREASURES SCRABBLE CRUISE
5/8
NASPA
INDEPENDENCE OH - LCT
5/12
NASPA
BALTIMORE (CATONSVILLE) MD
5/12
NASPA
NORWALK CT (REGULAR & YOUTH
DIVISIONS)
5/12-13
NASPA
SASKATOON SK CAN
5/13
NASPA
BERKELEY CA
5/19-20
NASPA
LAGUNA WOODS CA
5/19
NASPA
BAYSIDE NY
5/19
NASPA
DALLAS TX
MAY
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5/19
NASPA
FORT LAUDERDALE FL
5/19-20
NASPA
ROMULUS MI
5/19
NASPA
UTICA (WHITESBORO) NY
5/20
WGPO
PORTLAND OR
5/20
NASPA
WILMINGTON DE
5/25-28
NASPA
TARRYTOWN NY
5/26-28
NASPA
COLLEGE PARK GA
5/26-27
NASPA
COTE ST. LUC QC CAN
5/26-28
NASPA
ARDENCUP, ELMHURST IL
5/26-28
WGPO
CAMPBELL CA
5/26-28
WGPO
DURANGO CO
5/27
NASPA
GUELPH ON CAN
JUNE
6/1-2
NASPA
BRANDON MS
6/2-3
NASPA
CALGARY AB CA
6/2-3
NASPA
CORAOPOLIS (PITTSBURGH) PA
6/2
NASPA
MEADOWLANDS AREA, NJ
6/3
NASPA
BERKELEY CA
6/3
NASPA
LAGUNA WOODS CA
6/3
NASPA
PHILADELPHIA PA (TWL & COLLINS)
6/6-20
NASPA
TORONTO ON CAN (TCC, LCT)
6/7-10
NASPA
HANCOCK MA
6/9-10
NASPA
CHARLOTTE NC
6/9-10
NASPA
SWILLLNS, CORRALES NM
6/9
NASPA
HUDSON OH
6/9-10
NASPA
KANSAS CITY MO
6/9
NASPA
TUCSON AZ
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6/10
NASPA
ARCATA CA
6/10
NASPA
GREATER LOS ANGELES CA
6/15-16
WGPO
BIRCH ISLAND LAKE WI
6/16
NASPA
DALLAS TX
6/16
NASPA
EDMONTON AB CAN
6/16
NASPA
HUDSON NY (CSW)
6/16-17
NASPA
KNOXVILLE TN
6/16
NASPA
MISSISSAUGA ON CA
6/17
WGPO
MOUNTAIN VIEW CA
6/20-7/2
WGPO
NORWAY / ICELAND CRUISE (TWL &
COLLINS)
6/23
NASPA
BAYSIDE NY
6/23-24
NASPA
ROMULUS MI
6/23
NASPA
FORT LAUDERDALE FL
6/23
NASPA
OKLAHOMA CITY OK
6/23-24
NASPA
WASHINGTON DC
6/24
WGPO
SALEM OR
6/28-7/4
NASPA
ALBANY NY (TWL & COLLINS)
6/29-7/3
WGPO
WEST COACH CHAMPIONSHIP, RENO NV
6/30
NASPA
LA GRANGE PARK IL
JULY
7/1
NASPA
LAGUNA WOODS CA
7/6-8
NASPA
WILMINGTON DE (TWL & COLLINS)
7/7-8
NASPA
OMAHA NE
7/10
NASPA
INDEPENDENCE, OH - LCT
7/13-15
NASPA
LINDEN MI
7/15
NASPA
PHILADELPHIA PA (TWL & COLLINS)
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7/20-22
NASPA
TORONTO ON CAN (TWL & CSW)
7/21
NASPA
TCC-CLARKSBURG WV
7/21
NASPA
DALLAS TX
7/27-29
NASPA
OLD GREENWICH CT
7/28
NASPA
FORT LAUDERDALE FL
AUGUST
8/5
NASPA
LAGUNA WOODS CA
8/3-8
WGPO
WGPO WORD CUP - BLOOMINGTON MN
8/11-15
NASPA
NATIONAL SCRABBLE CHAMPIONSHIP ORLANDO FL (TWL & COLLINS)
8/18
NASPA
DALLAS TX
8/18
NASPA
EDMONTON AB CAN
8/18-26
NASPA
IRELAND TOUR AND TOURNAMENT
8/18-19
NASPA
LAGUNA WOODS CA
8/25
NASPA
BAYSIDE NY
8/25
NASPA
FORT LAUDERDALE FL
8/25
NASPA
STRATFORD ON CAN
SEPTEMBER
9/1-3
NASPA
ALPHARETTA GA
9/1-3
NASPA
IRVING TX
9/1-3
NASPA
NEW YORK NY
9/2
NASPA
LAGUNA WOODS CA
9/9
NASPA
NEWARK DE
9/11
NASPA
INDEPENDENCE, OH - LCT
9/15
NASPA
DALLAS TX
9/15
NASPA
HUDSON OH
9/15
NASPA
MILLBURN NJ
9/19-26
NASPA
BAHAMAS CRUISE
81
T
O
U
R
N
A
M
E
N
T
C
A
L
E
N
D
A
R
9/21-23
NASPA
TORONTO ON CAN
9/22
NASPA
NORWALK CT (REGULAR & YOUTH
DIVISIONS)
9/22
NASPA
REGINA SK CAN
9/23
NASPA
PHILADELPHIA PA (TWL & COLLINS)
9/24-10/3
NASPA
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN CRUISE
9/27-30
WGPO
GRITS III, SAVANNAH GA
9/27-30
WGPO
GRUNTS, BENZONIA MI
9/28-29
NASPA
BLOOMINGTON MN
9/28-29
NASPA
CHARLESTON WV
9/29
WGPO
PHOENIX AZ
9/29
NASPA
ASBURY PARK NJ
9/29
NASPA
FORT LAUDERDALE FL
OCTOBER
10/4
NASPA
LCT - AKRON OH
10/6
NASPA
CAMBRIDGE ON CAN
10/6-20
WGPO
NEW ENGLAND & CANADA CRUISE (TWL &
COLLINS)
10/6
NASPA
NORWALK CT (REGULAR & YOUTH
DIVISIONS)
10/7
NASPA
LAGUNA WOODS CA
10/10-14
NASPA
CALGARY AB CAN
10/12-14
WGPO
WISCONSIN DELLS WI
10/13
NASPA
BERLIN NJ
10/13
NASPA
PHILADELPHIA PA (TWL & COLLINS)
10/14
NASPA
BAYSIDE NY
10/14
NASPA
TCC- GREATER TORONTO ON CAN
82
T
O
U
R
N
A
M
E
N
T
C
A
L
E
N
D
A
R
10/18-21
NASPA
LAKE GEORGE NY (TWL & COLLINS)
10/20-21
NASPA
ASHVILLE NC
10/20
NASPA
DALLAS TX
10/27
NASPA
BERLIN NJ
10/27-28
NASPA
TCC - CAN-AM CHALLENGE, MILLBURN NJ
10/27
NASPA
FORT LAUDERDALE FL
NOVEMBER
11/2-4
NASPA
CAMBRIDGE MD
11/2-4
NASPA
FALMOUTH MA
11/2-4
NASPA
CALIFORNIA OPEN, SAN FRANCISCO CA
11/3
NASPA
BRANTFORD ON CAN
11/3
NASPA
EDMONTON AB CAN
11/4
NASPA
LAGUNA WOODS CA
11/10
NASPA
NORWALK CT (REGULAR & YOUTH
DIVISIONS)
11/13
NASPA
INDEPENDENCE, OH - LCT
11/17
NASPA
BAYSIDE NY
11/17
NASPA
DALLAS TX
11/17
NASPA
FORT LAUDERDALE FL
11/23-25
NASPA
TARRYTOWN NY
DECEMBER
12/1
NASPA
CALGARY AB CA
12/1-8
WGPO
RESTRICTED - CABO SAN LUCAS MEXICO
12/2
NASPA
LAGUNA WOODS CA
12/2-18
WGPO
MALAGA TO RIO DE JANEIRO CRUISE
12/6
NASPA
AKRON OH
12/9
NASPA
PHILADELPHIA PA (TWL & COLLINS)
83
T
O
U
R
N
A
M
E
N
T
C
A
L
E
N
D
A
R
12/9
NASPA
STRONGSVILLE OH
12/15
NASPA
DALLAS TX
12/15-16
NASPA
LAGUNA WOODS CA
12/22-25
NASPA
WILMINGTON DE (TWL & COLLINS)
12/27-1/1
NASPA
ALBANY NY (TWL & COLLINS)
JANUARY ’13
1/16-28
WGPO
AUSTRALIA-NEW ZEALAND CRUISE
1/12
NASPA
BAYSIDE NY
1/26-28
NASPA
ATLANTIC CITY NJ
FEBRUARY ’13
2/10
NASPA
PHILADELPHIA PA (TWL & COLLINS)
2/13-18
NASPA
LAS VEGAS NV (TWL & COLLINS)
2/15-18
NASPA
TENTATIVE - EASTERN CHAMPIONSHIP,
CHARLOTTE NC
2/15
WGPO
PHOENIX AZ EARLY BIRD
2/16-18
WGPO
PHOENIX AZ (TWL & COLLINS)
2/23
NASPA
NORWALK CT (REGULAR & YOUTH
DIVISIONS)
MARCH ’13
3/9
NASPA
BAYSIDE NY
3/10
NASPA
PHILADELPHIA PA (TWL & COLLINS)
3/15-17
NASPA
HOUSTON TX
3/15-17
NASPA
POUGHKEEPSIE NY
3/29-31
NASPA
PRINCETON NJ
APRIL ’13
4/20
NASPA
NORWALK CT (REGULAR & YOUTH
DIVISIONS)
84
T
O
U
R
N
A
M
E
N
T
C
A
L
E
N
D
A
R
4/21
NASPA
PHILADELPHIA PA (TWL & COLLINS)
MAY ’13
5/3-5
NASPA
NEW YORK NY
5/18
NASPA
BAYSIDE NY
5/19
NASPA
PHILADELPHIA PA (TWL & COLLINS)
5/23-27
NASPA
SACRAMENTO CA
5/23-27
NASPA
TARRYTOWN NY
5/25-27
NASPA
IRVING TX
JUNE ’13
6/8
NASPA
NORWALK CT (REGULAR & YOUTH
DIVISIONS)
6/15
NASPA
BAYSIDE NY
JULY ’13
7/2-7
NASPA
ALBANY NY (TWL & COLLINS)
7/19-21
NASPA
OLD GREENWICH CT
7/27
NASPA
BAYSIDE NY
AUGUST ’13
8/31-9/2
NASPA
WILMINGTON DE
SEPT. ’13
9/21
NASPA
NORWALK CT (REGULAR & YOUTH
DIVISIONS)
9/28
NASPA
BAYSIDE NY
OCT. ’13
10/17-20
NASPA
LAKE GEORGE NY
10/26
NASPA
NORWALK CT (REGULAR & YOUTH
DIVISIONS)
NOV. ’13
11/16
NASPA
NORWALK CT (REG. & YOUTH DIVISIONS)
85
T
O
U
R
N
A
M
E
N
T
C
A
L
E
N
10/23
NASPA
BAYSIDE NY
11/29-12/1
NASPA
TARRYTOWN NY
MARCH ’14
3/21-23
NASPA
POUGHKEEPSIE NY
MAY ’14
5/22-26
NASPA
SACRAMENTO CA
5/23-26
NASPA
TARRYTOWN NY
JULY ’14
7/18-20
NASPA
OLD GREENWICH CT
AUGUST ’14
8/30-9/1
NASPA
NEW YORK NY
NOVEMBER ’14
11/28-30
NASPA
DECEMBER ’14 NASPA
11/28-3
86
TARRYTOWN NY
WILMINGTON DE
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