Issue 8:June 2010 - The Last Word Newsletter

W O R D G A M E N E W SThe Last WordThe Independent Tournament SCRABBLE® NewsletterA Monthly Newsletter Issue 8 - June 2010Tribute to RitaEquipment RoundupOutstanding GamesBook ReviewsThe Last Word is an independent publication for tournament SCRABBLE® players. It is notaffiliated 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 ifthere 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 a100% volunteer effort, we would appreciate any donations. Advertisers are encouraged, too. Ifyou would like to have The Last Word emailed to you, please send a request with your emailaddress to CorneliaSGuest@gmail.com and we will add you to our mailing list.Editor in Chief: Cornelia GuestColumnists: Joe Bihlmeyer, Cheryl Cadieux, Jan Dixon, Diane Firstman, RyanFischer, Stu Goldman, Jeff Kastner, James Leong, Katya Lezin, Art Moore, EmberNelson, Juraj Pivovarov, Larry Sherman, Chris Sinacola, Siri Tillekeratne, LindaWancelEditors-at-large: Robin Pollock Daniel, Joe Edley, Stefan Fatsis, Ted GestContributors: Steve Alexander, Paul Avrin, Conrad Bassett-Bouchard, Andrew Beaton,Sandee Bloom, Tim Bottorff, Sara Boykan, Dave Boys, Don Carson, Travis Chaney,Lila Crotty, Lynn Cushman, Bruce D’Ambrosio, Christine Economos, Keith Hagel,Albert Hahn, Eric Harshbarger, Scott Jackson, Noor Javeri, Sam Kantimathi, MaryKrizan, Cecilia Le, M. Lee, Mahim Maher, Nancee Mancel, Andrea Carla Michaels,Joan Mocine, Lisa Odom, John O’Laughlin, Larry Rand, Ann Sanfedele, EdSaunders, Brandy Shaul, Kamal Siddiqi, Bill Snoddy, Stephanie Steele, DebbieStegman, Dan Stock, Michael Tang, Barbara Taragan, Audrey Tumbarello, MikeTurniansky, Gene Tyszka, Mandy Valencia, Barbara Van Alen, Joel Wapnick, LinnWheeler, Ginger White, Ed ZuravThe Last Word is a volunteereffort. We appreciate yourdonations.(PayPal or snail mail--contactCorneliaSGuest@gmail.com)For advertising rates,please emailCorneliaSGuest@gmail.comCopyright © 2010 GuessWhat! Some data copyright ©1999-2010 NSA; copyright © 2010 NASPA; and copyright © 2005-2010 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.

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T SStu: The Movie 46Word Star by Jeff Kastner 47Book Review: The Race Towards the Light: Hardscrabble by Albert Hahn 50Player Profile: Cecilia Le and John O’Laughlin by Katya Lezin 52Video Joe by Joe Bihlmeyer 54Stell’s Racks of Mirth by Cheryl L. Cadieux (AKA Stella) 55Club News edited by Larry Sherman 57Historic Moments: SCRABBLE® Throughout the Years by Stu Goldman 60Scrab-duko by Jeff Kastner 61Equipment Roundup: Tile Racks 64SCRABBLE® Resources 68The Franklin Electronic SCRABBLE® Players Dictionary by Bill Snoddy 68Tournament Calendar 73Archives 75100 tiles to start the game(photo credit: Barbara Van Alen; creation credit: Dan Stock) 3

4F R O M T H E E D I T O RFrom the EditorMay marked the first WGPO tournament, held 4/31-5/2 in Minneapolis. By all reports it was a great success,with lots of fun and great camaraderie. An accounting was posted shortly after the event, with all expensesoutlined, including donations to support cross-tables.com, Zyzzyva, and Director!But where is WGPO headed? Despite the opportunity for directors to schedule WGPO tournaments, to datethere are only a handful of other WGPO tournaments slotted for 2010. Reno, co-organized by Rick Wong,one of the three members of the WGPO Executive Committee, will remain a NASPA event. Seth Lipkin hasannounced future WGPO tournaments won’t be listed on cross-tables.com.The bottom line is that we all like to play SCRABBLE®. And if playing at clubs, online, or with friends isn’tenough, you’ll want to go to a tournament. Right now that probably will mean a NASPA tournament.Last year at this time there was a big uproar when it was announced that Reno would be not be run as aNASPA event because of conflicts organizers Rick Wong and Jeff Widergren had with NASPA. After mucheffort, the tournament stayed on the NASPA calendar, and promises were made for change. Steve Pellinenwas put in charge of a NASPA Governance Committee, created to review and critique existing organizationalstructures, bylaws, decision-making, and other processes. According to the NASPA link, the GC would be“structured as a representative body of NASPA as much as possible,” with 10-12 members easily accessibleto NASPA members. To date Steve Pellinen is the committee’s only member.As a director, I know that the force behind tournament SCRABBLE® in North America is not NASPA,WGPO, or any other organization. It is the directors and players. The number of hours put in by directors toorganize and run tournaments is astounding--and much of it is done on a volunteer basis. The players aresimilarly dedicated, devoting much time, effort, and expense to attend tournaments. Despite the attentionpaid to the top-tier SCRABBLE® experts, it is the mid- to lower-rated players, who seldom get to recouptheir investment, who keep tournament SCRABBLE® afloat.In Malaysia, uber-organizer Michael Tang has done wonders to promote “professional” SCRABBLE®,getting enormous sponsorships for the 2010 Causeway Challenge ($30,000 1st prize), last year’s WorldSCRABBLE® Championship ($15,000 1st prize), and the upcoming Tournament of Champions ($10,000 1stprize). This is truly fantastic for those players who have studied hard to make it to this level. But they are aminiscule percentage of the world’s SCRABBLE® players. What I find equally impressive is the King’s Cupin Thailand, the world’s largest SCRABBLE® tournament, attended last year by over 7,000 players, themajority of them Youth Players. That is the kind of support SCRABBLE® is capable of generating.On May 8th I held my last scheduled tournament. I’ll be spending the summer traveling with my children,triplets who are high school juniors. We’ll be looking at colleges, and they’ll be considering their options.In the meantime, I’ll be considering my options. What can I do to make tournament SCRABBLE®, which Ifind such fun, more appealing to more players? How can I attract new players to the game? How can Imake younger players less intimidated? Older players more comfortable? How can I encourage players toplay more often? How can I acknowledge those players who have done well--at all levels?Over the coming months I’ll be giving these questions a lot of thought. I encourage other directors to do soas well. And I invite directors, organizers, and players to share their thoughts on ideas that worked forthem--and others they might be considering. (Click here if you’d like to participate in a short survey.)I appreciate NASPA for keeping tournament SCRABBLE® going--and for adding Collins tournament ratings.I also applaud the WGPO organizers for daring to strike out in a new direction. But I think we who careabout SCRABBLE® can be even bolder. Let’s do something special with SCRABBLE® in North America!Cornelia Guest

M E E T O U R C O L U M N I S T SMeet Our ColumnistsThe Last Word would not be what it is without our terrific columnists. This month’s featured columnist isCheryl L. Cadieux, from Au Gres, MI and New Port Richey, FL (known to followers of OSPD as “Stella”). Sheis the author of “Stell’s Racks of Mirth.”CHERYL L. CADIEUX (AKA STELLA)My first rated SCRABBLE® tournament was in November, 1981. In 1995, after winninga tournament in Livonia, MI, I reached my all-time peak: 1863. I was thinking recently:‘I remember the good old days when I could play and rank,’ but due to health problemsmy rating tumbled. I am currently rated at about 1400 and find it increasingly difficult toclimb out of the black hellhole called mediocrity. :) Hence the quote, "I'd rather have abottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy." You can check me out at http://www.cross-tables.com/results.php?p=813&tsel=c. I have played in approximately 247tournaments, won close to 20, and enjoyed (almost) all of them!I somehow find myself having reached social-security age. I live with my husband ofmore than 42 years, Gary, in a home on a canal in Au Gres, MI six months of the year,and we spend the balance of our time in New Port Richey, FL, where we own a double-wide in an oldpeople's park. I met Gary at the end of the eighth grade, and we went together, off and on, for eight years,marrying in December of 1967. He proposed twice before leaving to join the Air Force, and I turned him downeach time. He then made ME propose to HIM when he came home on leave, and tells everyone I asked HIMto marry ME! I am setting that record straight!My occupation is that of "Wicked Landlady,” although we have downsized to one four-unit apartment buildingplus a home in Bay City, MI, which I am currently renovating to put on the market, hoping to end my career asa real estate mogul while avoiding bankruptcy in the process.When in Florida I happily attend the Tampa Bay Area SCRABBLE® Club, in Safety Harbor, on Sundayafternoons. I value living where there is a strong club to attend, love the camaraderie, and enjoy matchingwits with the challenging players I find there.We have two lovely children, neither of whom follows in their mother's SCRABBLE®-addicted footsteps:a daughter, Colette, who lives in Essexville, MI and is raising our only grandchild, Kaylee (also known asSpecialK); and a son, Jason, currently in the U. S Army serving proudly in Afghanistan as a staff sergeant andworking on degrees to attain officer status.I started OSPD (see “Scrabble Resources,” page 71), my online SCRABBLE® discussion group, in 1999,billing it as “your stress-free SCRABBLE® Channel.” We currently have 880 members; 2,500 of them appearto be lurkers. :) No identification is needed to join this channel, only a love of learning new words. To join, justsend an email to ospd-scrabble@yahoogroups.com.I’m pleased to be able to share humorous moments in SCRABBLE® and my “Stellaisms of the Day” withreaders of The Last Word in “Stell’s Racks of Mirth.”In November 2009, I had surgery to remove a brain tumor, and I was diagnosed to have glioblastomamultiforme, the most aggressive type of brain cancer. My prognosis is 1-3 years. I continue to fight it nowwith radiation and chemo.Thanks to all of you for your many cards and letters; they are truly appreciated. xxxoooxxxxSTELL/CHERYL L. CADIEUX 5

W G P O I N A U G U R A L T O U R N A M E N TWGPO Inaugural Tournament: Wire-to-Wire Funby Keith Hagel and Stephanie SteeleWGPO's inaugural tournament in Bloomington, MN, onthe first weekend of May had a little competition onSaturday, the Kentucky Derby. But just a little.The players' weekend broke quickly and cleanly from thegate Friday night with an unrated Pairs Tournament,directed by Dave Wood, that attracted 18 teams, almostdouble what we had projected.Then on Saturday, it was full gallop for the start of theWGPO-rated (thank you, Brian Galebach), 14-roundtournament, directed by Steph Steele, that drew 52players from across the U.S. and Canada. Thetournament ran almost seamlessly and abounded withcamaraderie and sportsmanship (e.g., Stan Williamswinning by 5, suggesting that his opponent might want arecount, which ended up with her winning!)Prize-winners are listed on pages 7-9. Truly exceptional was Joey Mallick rebounding from twoblowout losses early to win Division 1.Division Winners: (L-R) Joey Mallick, Div. 1; Jack Eichenbaum, Div. 2; Steve Bachman, Div. 3; Melissa Brown, Div. 46

W G P O I N A U G U R A L T O U R N A M E N TThe WGPO Executive Committee: (L-R) Rick Wong,Stephanie Steele, and Keith Hagel.Lynda Finn and Albert Hahn--the Lanyard Belt team,winners of the team tourney.Without the onus of participation levies, 84% of feeswere returned to the players. Contributions alsowere made to the creators of cross-tables.com,Zyzzyva and Director!, a data-entry program byWGPO member Marc Levesque that made lifemuch easier during the weekend.Rich Lauder’s painting, “The Duel”A raffle, spurred by generous donations from GeneTyszka and Rich Lauder, and organized andadministered superbly by Janice Kaye, brought in astunning $1,400, thanks not only to those at theevent, but also to other members who could notattend but wanted to show their support.Unlike the Kentucky Derby, there were no losers in our first tournament; it was win, win, win, all theway. With apologies to "Field of Dreams," WGPO believed if we did it right, players would come.And, yes, they came, they played, they had lots of fun, and they left smiling and looking forward tofuture WGPO events.To join WGPO, or for more information, go to www.wordgameplayers.org. or contact any member ofthe Executive Committee: Keith Hagel (wordguy1@gmail.com), Stephanie Steele(flamingjune45@gmail.com) and Rick Wong (kablooey@gmail.com)Complete ResultsDivision A1. Joey Mallick 11-3 +117 ($280)2. Laurie Cohen 9-5 +517 ($220)3. Albert Hahn 9-5 +495 ($170)4. Steve Pellinen 8-1-5 +257 ($120)5. Mark Kenas 8-6 +320 ($60) 7

W G P O I N A U G U R A L T O U R N A M E N T6. Scott Jackson (11) 8-6 283 ($20 perf. prize)7. Rob Robinsky (2) 8-6 2468. David Wood (13) 8-6 -63 ($20 perf. prize)9. Lisa Odom (4) 7-7 23410. Andy Bohnsack 7-7 -24011. Rick Wong 6-8 -5712. Jim Kramer 6-8 -21713. Joe Gaspard 5-9 6814. Keith Hagel 5-9 -38315. Derek Martinez 4-9 -27216. Sue Gable 2-12 -1305Division BMelissa Brown & John Spangler: Team Aimless Grapnels1. Jack Eichenbaum 11-3 +280 ($250)2. Cynthia Seales 9-5 +627 ($180)3. Michael Kapernaros 9-5 -264 ($120)4. Megan O'Connell 8-6 +504 ($60)5. Lynda Finn 8-6 +4416. Harriet Strausberg 7-7 +3047. Mary Krizan 7-7 +254 ($20 perf. prize)8. Stan Williams 6-8 -2039. Carol Dustin 6-8 -31410. Rich Lauder 5-9 -82711. Jo Anne Cohen 4-10 -25312. Susan Hoehn 4-10 -549Division C1. Steve Bachman 11-3 +496 ($250)2. Denise Mahnken 9-5 +310 ($180)3. Paul Kyllonen 9-5 +260 ($120)4. Mary Atwood 8-6 +109 ($60)5. Janice Kaye 7-7 +3516. Liz Miller 7-7 -51 ($20 perf. prize)7. Mina Le 7-7 -3858. Jeanmarie Youngblood 6-8 +679. Cal Cooper 6-8 -4410. Gene Tyszka 5-9 -12911. Ben Witz 5-9 -44912. Norm Brekke 4-10 -535Denise Mahnken & Gerianne Abriano. Must be Winethirty!Division D1. Melissa Brown 12-2 +803 ($250)2. Gerianne Abriano 10-4 +712 ($180)3. Brad Williams 9-5 +216 ($120)4. John Spangler 8-6 +38 ($60)5. Pat Jamieson 7-7 +232 ($20 perf. prize)6. Dawn Gewecke 7-7 -49Bob Harbron & Andre Kreikmann: Team Crazy Canucks8

W G P O I N A U G U R A L T O U R N A M E N T7. Lois Kahan 6-8 -1108. Robert Harbron 6-8 -384 ($20 perf. prize)9. Jacob Cohen 5-9 +110. Andre Kreikmann 5-9 -24411. Mary Jo Straub 5-9 -46812. Maureen Pranghofer 4-10 -747Highest Combined Score $20- Rich Lauder & CynthiaSeales 992Spread Closest to Zero (entire tournament) $20-Jacob Cohen 1Highest Scoring Word with Most Letters InKeith Hagel & Rick Wong, duking it out.KENTUCKY DERBY $20- Brad Williams BITTERED, 83.Highest Scoring word with Most Letters in WGPO $20- Joe Gaspard PLOUGHED, 98.Team Tournament Results1. Lanyard Belt (Lynda Finn & Albert Hahn) 4-0 +3602. Comsymp Perverts (Derek Martinez & Rob Robinsky) 3-1 +4523. Jo maine (Joe Gaspard & Mina Le) 3-1 +3904. I'm With Her (Lisa Odom & Steve Pellinen) 3-1 +3185. Blatantly Amiss (Stephanie Steele & Dave Wood) 3-1 +1476. Daaa Monkeys (Tim Adamson & Janice Kaye) 2-2 +2147. Glorious Basterds (Sue Gable & Stan Williams) 2-2 +2018. Lunkhead Cobras (Andy Bohnsack & Richard Lauder) 2-2 +1009. The Blankety-Blanks (Keith Hagel & Diane Weinerman) 2-2 +8110. Large Nocturnal Burr (Carol Dusting & Paul Kyllonen) 2-2 -5011. Cold Blue Murder (Greg & Walt Blue- father & son) 2-2 0 2-12212. Aimless Grapnels (Melissa Brown & John Spangler) 2-2 -14613. Structurally Isomorphic (Michael Kapernaros & Jeanne MaireYoungblood) 2-2 -18714. Real Acumen (Cal Cooper & Maureen Pranghoffer) 1-3 0 -815. Between Brains (Elle & Jason Vaysberg- mother & son) 1-3 -12716. Scary Merry Millers (Mary Krizan & Liz Miller) 1-3 -31617. Crazy Canucks (Bob Harbron & Andre Kreikmann) 1-3 -62618. The Witzfitz (Anne Loring & Ben Witz) (014) 0-4 -681Mary Krizan WGPO tile bag. Notethe apostrophe!RAFFLE WINNERSSCRABBLE® Boards: Steve Pellinen, Norm Brekke, Laurie CohenAjudicator® Timers: Albert Hahn, Keith Hagel, Mina LeTile Racks and Tile Bags: Sue Gable & Stan Williams, Denise Mahnken, Judy ColeRich Lauder's gorgeous framed and signed print: Melissa Brown 9

S U M M I T 2 6 : H U D S O N , O HSUMMIT 26: Hudson, OhioThe 26th Summit Open SCRABBLE® Tourneyby Dan StockWinter managed to reach his goal of finishing the Cleveland Marathon in under four hours on Sundaymorning, and then topped off his day with a victory in the best-of-five finals at the Summit Tourney. Ittook all five games before he put away Dan Stock (that's me!). I had only run the half-marathon, but Iwas quite pleased with my time (just under 1 hour, 43 minutes--not bad for a fat old man).Top two Summit Open finishers Winter and Dan Stock (shown here chatting abouttracking) joined 15,629 other runners Sunday, May 15th in the Cleveland Marathonand Half Marathon.I won the first game of the finals when Winter mistracked and misplayed the endgame. Winter wongame two and I won game three. I might have won the critical fourth game, but mistakenly fished withthe lead for a couple of turns in the mid-game and got U's both times. Winter played that endgamequite well, and won by three points. The final game was a blowout, and Winter not only won the gameand the tourney but ended up with a cumulative spread of over +1000 for the tourney. I'm sure farmore details will appear on Winter's blog!Dorcas Alexander finished third, beating Michael Bassett in the petit semifinals by winning the secondgame by 128 points after losing the first by 97, then sweeping Lisa Slankard in the third-place match.Slankard had qualified for the match by sweeping Heather Steffy in their petit semifinal.In the fifth place match, Steffy swept her boyfriend Bassett.Seventh place was captured by Joyce Stock, who finished with a winning record despite being thebottom seed in a wide-open division. Her 91 point ratings gain puts her back over 1000 again.10

9 T H A N N U A L C A J U N S C R A B B L E F E S T9th Annual Cajun SCRABBLE® Festby Lila CrottyForty-five players gathered at the Days Inn in Kenner, Louisiana just across the street from the NewOrleans Airport on May 22-23 to play our favorite game, eat some delicious food, and enjoy eachother’s company. Our players were from Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Texas.Special gifts were given to Gigi Miller who traveled from Nevada and John Aitken who came all theway from Vancouver, British Columbia. John was delighted to be with us: “Potato salad?! I’ve neverhad potato salad at a SCRABBLE® tourney!” Our guests enjoyed Helen Joffe’s deviled eggs, lemonsquares, pralines, and jambalaya; Rhonda Roederer’s spinach balls; Lindsay Bahra’s meatballs,pigs in a blanket, chocolate chip cookies, and brownies; and Lila Crotty’s potato salad andcucumber sandwiches. Other members brought finger sandwiches, nuts, candy bars, chips anddips, and lemon cake.Three new players joined us: John Sarao, Broderick Larkins, Jr., and Janis Vazquez, all of whomhave been playing at Club 541. Special gifts were given to these players to welcome them to ourtourney scene.We took advantage of the fact that Chris Cree was playing with us. Chris spent a bit of time tellingthe group about NASPA activities and answering the questions players had.Amazingly, in a tough Division 1 field, DaveZimmerman went undefeated in the Round Robin.He finally succumbed to Marlene Milkent in theKing of the Hill, winning the Division with an 11-1record. Dave, who was seeded 7 th of 12 players,gained 163 rating points, going from 1605 to 1768!Congratulations to Dave!Another player to keep an eye on is Eric Cahanin,who was seeded 10 th of 12 players in Division 2.Eric topped the field with a 9-3 record, moving hisrating up 177 points from 1245 to 1422. Eric madehis debut in January of 2009 and has placed first in4 of the 5 tourneys he has played. Well done, Eric!Tournament Director Lila Crotty with the winners: (L-R)Dave Zimmerman, Eric Cahanin, Danny Gatlin, andDarryl Wilson.Danny Gatlin and Darryl Wilson, both fromMississippi, won divisions three and fourrespectively.We congratulate our winners, thank all who participated, and express our gratitude to members ofClub #541 who made our tournament a warm, friendly competition. Tim Crotty manned thecomputer, trying hard to keep us all in line. We look forward next year to our 10 th CajunSCRABBLE® Fest! Won’t you join us? 11

P H O T O S F R O M T H E “ S T U O P E N ”Photos from Stu’s 80th Birthday Tournament (the “StuOpen”) in BerkeleyHere are some photos from Andrea Carla Michaels of the Berkeley April 25th tournamentcelebrating Stu Goldman’s 80th birthday!Stu modeling his birthday t-shirt designed byJoan Mocine. Dee Whalen in background.Emely Weissman presents Stu with his birthdaycake.Stu with Emely Weissman and Andrea Carla Michaels.Director Ed De Guzman with KC Frodyma, winnerof the 2010 “Stu Open.”12

TournamentResults 5/1-31WGPO TWIN CITIES MN4/31-5/21. Joey Mallick2. Jack Eichenbaum3. Steve Bachman4. Melissa BrownPORTLAND OR 5/21. Carl JohnsonPORTLAND OR 4-31-5/21. Carl JohnsonCHARLESTON WV 5/1-21. David Gibson2. Marcia Wade3. Alex Greenman4. Richard McHughGLEN ELLYN IL 5/11. Daniel Citron2. Joseph KrizSOUTH LYON MI 5/11. Paul Epstein2. Kit Morehead3. Michael GarnerTAMPA FL 5/11. Steve GlassWINNIPEG MB CAN5/1-21. Brian Williams2. Caroline Polak Scowcroft3. Leila Rea4. John LejinsBERKELEY CA 5/2M A Y T O U R N A M E N T R E S U L T S1. Leesa Berahovich2. RaghuramJonnalagedda3. Joan MocineLAGUNA WOODS CA5/21. David PearlYPSILANTI MI (LCT) 5/21. Jeff FiszbeinDALLAS TX 5/81. Chris Cree2. Chris Schneider3. Pat SanchezFORT LAUDERDALEFL 5/81. Judith Ford2. Harriett BerkelhammerRHINEBECK NY 5/81. Judy Horn2. Kevin E. RosenbergBUFFALO NY EARLYBIRD 5/71. Dave Leonard2. Brian Galebach3. Denise MahnkenBUFFALO NY 5/7-91. Paul Epstein2. Kevin Turner3. Denise MahnkenINDEPENDENCE OH(LCT) 5/111. Pete ZeiglerTUCSON AZ 5/151. Laurie Cohen2. Travis Carlson3. Sarah BoykanARNOLD MD 5/151. Pat Gaboury2. Stan Williams3. Bob Stone4. Peter AllenBAYSIDE NY 5/151. Paul Avrin2. Nancy Konipol3. Phyllis Nussbaum4. Andrew BeatonHUDSON OH 5/15-161. Dorcas AlexanderLANSING MI 5/151. Alex Fiszbein2. Connie BreitbeilSASKATOON SK CAN5/15-161. Evan McIntyre2. Pam Taylor-Bailey3. Grace McLeodGUELPH 5/161. Jim Nanavati2. Vera Bigall3. John ApissoghomianMOUNTAIN VIEW CA5/161. John Karris2. Pat DienerFT. LAUDERDALE FL5/221. Linda Wancel2. Harriett Berkelhammer3. Geraldine Hynes 13

DURHAM NC 5/221. Winter2. Nick Coffey3. Seyward JeterKENNER LA 5/22-231. Dave Zimmerman2. Eric Cahanin3. Danny Gatlin4. Darryl WilsonOKLAHOMA CITY OK 5/221. Sam Kantimathi2. Glenda ShortLEXINGTON KY (LCT)5/231. Steve BushPHILADELPHIA PA 5/231. Steve Glass2. Jack Eichenbaum3. Edwin Roth4. Peter FilandroARDENCUP MEMORIALIL 5/29-311. Joel Sherman2. Eric Ziegeweid3. Maureen Kennerk4. Jonathan Kofoed5. Doug LundquistATLANTA GA 5/29-311. John Luebkemann2. Chad Harris3. Russell Stewart4. Chris SitlerCAMPBELL CA 5/29-311. Jeff Widergren2. Michael BakerM A Y T O U R N A M E N T R E S U L T S3. Lynda Shayne4. Irene AverellHOUSTON TX 5/29-311. Darrell Day2. Carl Davis3. Michael Donegan4. Carolyn BoydMONTREAL QC CAN5/29-301. Adam Logan2. Wayne Barclay3. Marc RousseauPORTLAND OR(COLLINS) 5/291. Nick BallPORTLAND OR(COLLINS) 5/301. Travis Chaney14

New FacesN E W F A C E SSince our last issue, 35 new faces have competed at NASPA tournaments. One of these playerswon his division at his first NASPA tournament: our featured “new face,” Andrew Beaton, who wonall of his games at the Bayside (NY) Tournament on May 15th and was Gibsonized after Round 7.His 8-0 +412 record earned him an impressive initial NASPA rating of 1327.______________________________________________________________________________Andrew BeatonAndrew Beaton, 18, is a senior at The Dalton School inManhattan, headed to Duke University this fall. He enjoysfollowing the Mets and Jets, playing golf, and “doing otherteenager things.” Although he had been familiar withSCRABBLE® since he was small, he didn’t start playingseriously until about a year and a half ago. “I got tired ofsome of my friends, who were quite good, beating me.”Andrew started playing both online (the Internet ScrabbleClub, www.isc.ro) and at his local club: the renowned Club#56, run by Joel Sherman. “I have improved greatly at theclub,” said Andrew. “The atmosphere there is verycompetitive.”While most of his knowledge came from playing online and at the club, Andrew did some extrastudying the week before the tournament. “I made sure that I knew all the three-letter words andeven spent time learning some stems.”Although he felt pressure competing in his first tournament, he did not feel uncomfortable. “I wasn’ttoo out of my element at the tournament given that the competitive atmosphere at Club #56 feelsvery tournament-like. The tournament was pretty exciting overall in a good way.” He recommendsthat other new players try out a club or play online before entering a tournament. “Having been tomany club meetings and playing online a lot prior to the tournament allowed me to do quite well.”Andrew’s father, Neal Beaton, also debuted at the Bayside tournament, placing 4th with a 4-4 +310record. “My father enjoyed the tournament,” said Andrew, “but he and I both know he didn’t play upto his potential there.” Neal Beaton often accompanies his son to Club #56, and they both feltcomfortable seeing many of the other club regulars at the tournament.“The best moment of the tournament for me,” said Andrew, “was probably winning the 7th game,which was against my dad. He had been up by over 100 earlier in the game, and I mounted a largecomeback (which included some luck drawing both blanks) and beat him in a tight game. Winningthat game clinched the division for me, as I was Gibsonized--a term I had never heard before thetournament.”Andrew hopes to play in more tournaments, though he hasn’t decided which ones. He jokes: “Partof me feels like I should quit on top with my strong rating and an undefeated record, but I realize thatwould be kind of lame.” 15

N E W F A C E SWelcome to Andrew Beaton and the following other new faces:GLEN ELLYN IL 5/1: Bobbie Crew, Christopher Garrity, Sr., Kathryn Lohrey, Merilee SmithOTTOWA 5/1-2: Philip Waldron, Andrew MorganSOUTH LYON MI 5/1: Ariel LeviWGPO 5/1-2: Mary Jo StraubWINNIPEG MB CAN 5/1-2: Linda M. JanzenBERKELEY 5/2: Tony CartlidgeBUFFALO 5/7-9: Daniel Blake, Bill CoadRHINEBECK 5/8: Judy ZuckerbergARNOLD MD 5/15: Sam Masling, Toni StankiewiczBAYSIDE 5/15: Neal Beaton, David Drebsky, Carol FrancisSASKATOON SK CAN 5/15-16: Muhammad Mushtaque, Phyllis NywranskiGUELPH 5/16: Sharon LehnertDURHAM NC 5/22: Andy Hoang, Kenny HoangKENNER, LA 5/22-23: Broderick Larkins, Jr., John Sarao, Jr., Janis VazquezOKLAHOMA CITY OK 5/22: Carl Solomon, Christina HarlinLEXINGTON KY (LCT) 5/23: Victoria Bledsoe, Andrea CarmanPHILADELPHIA PA 5/23: Laurie EmmonsARDENCUP MEMORIAL (SKOKIE IL) 5/29-31: Steven Elliott; Kathee Meronek, William MoranMONTREAL QB CAN 5/29-30: John Goodger16

K N O W T H E R U L E SKnow the Rulesby Jan Dixon, NASPA Rules Committee ChairJan Dixon, 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 haveJan sharing her rules expertise with our readers, and we encourage you toemail any questions you may have about tournament and club rules toCorneliaSGuest@gmail.com. (Photo credit: Jill Jarrell)________________________________________________________________________Here's the scenario: A player makes an outplay. The opponent says "Good game," and putshis tiles on the board, saying, "You get eight from me." Then changes his mind and says,"Perhaps I should challenge."Is the player allowed to proceed with the challenge? Has an acceptance of the play beenmade?Conrad BBRule IV.I.1., When to Hold or Challenge, clearly states that any verbal acceptance of a play-- such as saying “OK” or “I accept” -- is binding, and you may no longer hold or challenge.These are just two examples of how acceptance of a play might be verbalized. The Directormay, however, allow a hold or challenge if acceptance was clearly not meant. I am of theopinion that saying "good game" and showing the tiles and announcing the points to berecorded by your opponent is a clear indication of acceptance. No challenge should beallowed.Jan Dixon 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 betweenNew York City with her fiancé, Aldo Cardia, and Delaware, where her children and grandchildren allreside. 17

R I T A N O R R R E M E M B E R E DRita Norr Rememberedby Christine Economos, with photographs by Ann Sanfedele©1988 by Ann Sanfedele. Used with permission.On April 28th, Rita Norr Provost, a legend among SCRABBLE® players, passed away after a longbattle with cancer.“If there is such a thing as SCRABBLE® royalty,” says Lisa Odom, “then Rita was the undisputedqueen. The fact that she was the lone female National Champion makes her an icon, but she wassuch a wonderful ambassador for the game: smart, stylish, graceful, and a fierce competitor withsuperior analytical skills. With so few women at the top, knowing that one woman made it is aperpetual inspiration.”When Rita Norr set up a small business in her brownstone in Brooklyn, NY in the early 1970s, littledid she know it would lead to a life-long involvement with the SCRABBLE® game. She and herbusiness partner, Corinne Phillips, scouted locations for movies and television commercials. Oncethe business was set up and initial contacts made, Rita and Corinne sat and waited for the phone toring—and played the SCRABBLE® game. Their fascination with the game grew and soon theyenlisted other friends to join them. The Brooklyn Scrabblettes, as they called themselves, includedCorinne and Rita along with Audrey Tumbarello, Charlotte Skrobe, Barbara Taragan, WendyLittman, and Vivian Koos. All young mothers, the group met once a week and over the years saweach other through pregnancies, chicken pox, job crises, and PTA ventures. “We had a riotoustime,” remarks Audrey Tumbarello, “Rita was our most serious player. She generously shared herskills and tips, and graciously tolerated our sometimes non-serious approach to the game.”In the mid-70s, Barbara Taragan saw an ad for a New York City SCRABBLE® Championship. Thetournament was held at the War Memorial in Brooklyn Heights. Rita and some friends entered. Ritadid not have much word knowledge. What she did know she gleaned from lists that appeared in the18

R I T A N O R R R E M E M B E R E DSCRABBLE® News. Still, she enjoyed the tournament so much that she began to seek out more.Back then there were only two or so tournaments a year. All held at the Game Room in New YorkCity. As Rita was a working mother with three small children, fitting tournaments into her schedulewas a challenge. Her first tournament was in Downington, PA. Rita made it a family affair, bringingalong her husband and three children. The weekend tournament was just ten games, and everyoneplayed in the same division. There wasn’t a rating system in place and it wasn’t until the early 1980sthat Rita was given her first rating—1916. It put her in the top 100 players in the country.In 1987, Rita attended the National SCRABBLE® Championship in Las Vegas. It was the largestSCRABBLE® Championship in history with 340 players from 8 countries. All competitors played inone division. Although she started out with a 9-1 record, Rita didn’t realize she actually had achance of winning until Joe Edley mentioned it to her on the morning of the last day. Rita won herlast few games, narrowly beating out Jere Mead on point spread. She accepted the $5,000 prize onbehalf of all women who play the SCRABBLE® game. The win gave Rita the impetus to beginwriting books to help SCRABBLE® players sharpen their skills. Rita and coauthor AudreyTumbarello wrote several books including The Word Game Power Workout, The Literate Puzzler,and Uncommon Word Puzzles for the Creative Thinker.1983 in Shelter Island: Rita and herdaughter, Kirsten. ©1983 by AnnSanfedele. Used with permission.For Rita, playing was just part of the SCRABBLE®experience. She loved meeting people from all over thecountry…and the world. Her SCRABBLE® play took her toplaces such as the Grand Canyon, Portland, Denver, LasVegas, London, and Thailand, to name a few. She oncesaid she could go anywhere in the United States and knowthere were SCRABBLE® players there that would opentheir homes and hearts to her. But most often Rita was onthe giving end. “Rita’s homes—and there were many—have always had the welcome mat out for myself and otherplayers,” said Paul Avrin. “Every summer she wouldentertain and host several of us at her beach house onShelter Island, NY. She’d treat us to some fun dinners andlots of SCRABBLE®. We would all stay overnight…perhaps a few nights and have a great time.”A big part of Rita’s success was her ability to multi-task. "Rita managed to raise three kids, go backto college, get a degree, write three books, and still win SCRABBLE® tournaments," said New Yorkplayer Ann Sanfedele. "And she never gave up. She could be 200 points down in a game that'snearing the end and she would still look for the best play. If she was 200 points ahead she'd look forthe best play too."“In addition to really understanding board strategy,” says Lynn Cushman, “Rita had the ability tobear down and focus with her whole being during a tournament. She had a fierce will to win, which Ithink is one of the marks of a champion.”“Rita may have been fiercely competitive” adds Barbara Taragan, “But the one thing she would notdo, at least against lower, far lower ranked players like myself, was play phonies. She would onlyplay words that she knew were good. And occasionally, very occasionally, I would win. She invited 19

R I T A N O R R R E M E M B E R E Dme in to her world of SCRABBLE® champions as she invited me into her life in so many ways. Imiss her dearly...my lovely friend of 40 years.”“Rita was very encouraging,” recalls Lisa Odom. “Even when she kicked my butt, I knew I’d haveher shoulder to cry on and vice versa. Rita enjoyed gourmet food. So after a long hard day ofcompetition, you’d want to be going wherever she was going for dinner. You could be sure it wouldbe an interesting crowd with lots of anagrams and word puzzles tossed about and even somehealthy non-SCRABBLE® game conversation. Rita provided the total SCRABBLE® experience.”In 2005 Rita married her second husband, Rick Provost. Several months later she was diagnosedwith brain cancer. “After her diagnosis with brain cancer,” says Lynn Cushman, “Rita exhibited thesame grace, tenacity and bravery in her battle to live as she did in her SCRABBLE® game. Sheremained active as long as she could, playing tournaments, getting together with friends, caring forher family and home, even co-planning a milestone birthday party for her good friend AnnSanfedele. As her condition worsened and she became more housebound, she and her husbandRick welcomed visitors to their home. During these visits, Rita was upbeat and interested in thegeneral conversation, participating, if not always with words, then with her strong presence andvitality. She greeted old friends by name and loved hearing news about fellow Scrabblers—sheremembered everyone. She enjoyed life's pleasures as fully as possible for as long as possible,playing with tiles on a SCRABBLE® rack, delighting in an Indian lunch brought from a localrestaurant, and beaming at the candles on her birthday cake. It is comforting to remember hercourage and the joys of her friendship, because it is very saddening that she had to suffer and die ata young age from such an illness.”“Rita had a profound desire to live and did indeed live well beyond her life expectancy” says AudreyTumbarello, “Her husband Rick left his job to care for her in the many months she clung to life. Hewas there for her throughout her ordeal in a way that can only be described as heroic. Paul Avrinand Lynn Cushman were dedicated visitors and brought Rita much joy. Many others made the trekto Danbury to share their love for her and I know how much this is appreciated by her family.”Rita touched and enriched the lives of so many. She was a gem who will be remembered as a trueSCRABBLE® spirit, a legend, a gracious, remarkable lady, and, above all, a friend.20

Diane’s DEFALTSby Diane FirstmanD I A N E ’ S D E F A L T SDiane Firstman published her first book of DEFALTS, Generous to aDEFALT: Vol. 1-3, in 2006. Since then, she has published a secondvolume of her humorous alternative definitions to common (and notso-common)words--DEFALTS Vol. 4--and selected DEFALTS haveappeared in SCRABBLE® News and on the online SCRABBLE®discussion groups crossword-games-pro (cgp) and OSPD. TheLast Word is pleased to offer the following selection of DEFALTS.INFANTINE: an infantile, elephantine personINNERNESS: what ace detective Eliot was always in search of, at least privatelyINUNCTION: 1) an injunction against a nun; 2) the step just before an injunctionKENNING: what Barbie did with most of her free timeMANGANIN: the diaries of the legendary Anais Nin, reproduced in the Japanese style ofcomic booksMANNAN: a man who loves Indian breadNANDIN: the ambient noise in an Indian restaurantNANKIN: poori, roti and the likeNONACTING: the profession taken up by Keanu Reeves, Vin Diesel and the likeNONAGON: a geometric figure without any sides (aka a circle)Diane Firstman is a lifelong New Yorker and has been playing SCRABBLE® competitively since1994. When not thinking up DEFALTS, she attends crossword puzzle tourneys and writes on theNew York Yankees for www.bronxbanterblog.com. She is adept at math, can reach items on topshelves in supermarkets, and does a dead-on impression of a sea lion. The collected “DEFALTS”are available at http://stores.lulu.com/dianagram. 21

The WordsmithT H E W O R D S M I T HFamiliar words, unfamiliar meaningsby Chris SinacolaThis month, we look at some familiar words that may not be as familiar as you think. These arewords you may think you know, but ones that, upon further examination, prove to have meaningsthat are subtly – or widely – divergent from those they carry in common usage.CONNIVE is an excellent example. A quick Internet search revealed this from a conservativeInternet blog: “It takes one to know one — a weasel, that is. And there is no more conniving weaselthan Barack Obama…” And this, from a liberal Internet blog: “Bush is conniving and conspiring aswe speak… As usual, he is thinking about his legacy and how he can trap the next Administrationinto carrying on his reckless and arrogant military policies in the Middle East. Can he make a dealwith Maliki? Can he persuade Israel to bomb Iran? Can he talk any of the European allies intojoining his attack on Iran or Pakistan?”Ah, political bipartisanship at last! Unfortunately, it’s in the form of bipartisan misuse of the verbconnive. Connive is not merely a synonym for conspiring or plotting with one’s political allies – orplanning things alone, in the darkness of one’s own presidential soul – to achieve one’s nefariousends. Connive carries connotations of underhanded, crooked, tricky, and even evil, but the precisedefinition is none of those.Connive, the SCRABBLE® dictionary tells us, means “to feign ignorance of wrongdoing.” That isabout right, but in what way, exactly? By turning a blind eye to evil. While that precise meaning maybe behind the bloggers’ use of the word in the above examples, I doubt they looked into the matterthat deeply.The Oxford English Dictionary leads with this definition for connive: “To shut the eyes, blink, wink, bedull or drowsy, shut the eyes to crime or wrong…” The “con” part of the word means “together,” butthe “nive” part is believed to come from the Latin verb nicere, to make a sign, and ultimately fromnictare, to wink, or twinkle the eyelids – the same word, of course, from which we get NICTATE, therapid blinking of the eyes, as well as NICTITATE, which nicely adds a third syllable, perhaps in anod and a wink to the fact that some animals, such as the camel, have a third nictitating membranein their eyes, the better to keep the sand out.A friend recently gave me a copy of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Travels with a Donkey in theCevennes, wherein I found a number of interesting words, including HYPOTHEC and AFTERMATH.HYPOTHEC, which was new to me, comes from the same Greek root as HYPOTHESIS, andmeans a pledge or security, or, as the SCRABBLE® dictionary has it, a type of mortgage. It workedits way into ancient Roman law, and later Scottish law, but also came to mean, in colloquial Scottishusage, “the whole stock or lot.” It is in that sense that Stevenson uses the word, in reference to thebundle of belongings that he tried to place upon the donkey’s back, with limited success. I washappy to see that Stevenson’s book, published in 1879, is given as one of the literary references inthe OED, which quotes: “And at last… saddle and all, the whole hypothec turned and grovelled inthe dust below the donkey’s belly.”22

T H E W O R D S M I T HStevenson also used AFTERMATH, a word that is probably familiar to most of us in reference to themoments following military engagements, as well as car accidents, brawls and bar fights. In theaftermath of such events, we see stretcher bearers, police, firefighters and investigators. If yourecognize the word’s agricultural usage, you must have grown up on or near a farm, for it means theseason’s second growth of grass.The English poet Andrew Marvell used it thus in his 1673 work The Rehearsal Transprosed: “…theaftermath seldom or never equals the first herbage….”Two synonyms for this second growth of grass, AFTERCROP* and AFTERGRASS*, have not madeour lexicographical cut, but we can console ourselves with another word which has: FOGGAGE.However, while SCRABBLE® dictionaries will tell you that FOGGAGE also means a “second growthof grass,” the OED notes that this word, while another gift from the Scots, referred to the legalprivilege of “pasturing of cattle on ‘fog’”.What is going on?Fog, it seems, is not merely that nebulous, cloudy stuff that rolls in on certain mornings, but alsomeans a kind of coarse grass. The OED offers many variations of the word, with a plethora of subtlemeanings that relate to pastures, grasses and how cattle are turned loose upon them, or withheldfrom some areas. There is, it seems, good reason for caution.The University of California at Davis’ department of Veterinary Medicine notes that “fog fever” is arespiratory disease of cattle – Acute Bovine Pulmonary Edema and Emphysema, to be all scientificabout it – that occurs when cattle who have been on dry feed are moved to pastures that are lush,green, and fast-growing.“In England where this condition was originally described,” their website notes, “this rapidly growingpasture is called ‘foggage’, hence the term ‘fog fever.’ ”But the case for FOGGAGE as a “second growth of grass” isn’t proved by any of this. Except,perhaps, for the reference to an 1804 work by an English farmer, Arthur Young, which reads:“Fogging…consists in keeping the whole growth of grass in upland meadows…free from eitherscythe or stock…and eating it in the following winter.”Other dictionaries chime in with the definition: “Aftermath; stubble regrowth or grass grown for winterfeed.”So, a second growth of grass, perhaps, but with the intent of reserving that crop for the winter. Closeenough, I guess. Bear in mind, of course, that playing FOGGAGE is going to take all the Gs out ofthe game in a hurry, and, barring the use of blanks, they don’t grow back.There are hundreds of words such as these, whose actual meanings are subtly or markedly differentfrom those assumed by the majority of people who use them, or that appear in specific contexts, buthave a much richer, hidden life in literature. I’d love to hear your favorites. And if you happen toknow of a third term for a second growth of grass, please email me first.Chris Sinacola is director of the Worcester MA SCRABBLE® Club #600 and can be reached atsinacola@msn.com. 23

P L A Y T H E G A M E : G A M E A N A L Y S I SPlay the Game: Game AnalysisNotes by Dave Boys and Joel WapnickWith the increased North American interest in Collins, I asked Michael Tang if he might beable to send me an annotated game from one of the major international tournaments. Heconvinced Dave Boys and Joel Wapnick, two of the world’s finest players, to annotate thisamazing game between Howard Warner (New Zealand, 1989) and Pakorn Nemitrmansuk(Thailand, 2077) at the 2009 Causeway Challenge in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Dave and Joelhave done a terrific job, and I am very grateful to both of them, and to Michael Tang forhelping arrange this game analysis._________________________________________________________________________Howard Warner (New Zealand) vs Pakorn (Thailand), 2009 Causeway Challenge, Round32. To play the game, click here.(Note: This was a Collins tournament, so you will see non-TWL words.)1. HOWARD: ?AAIIKS 8G KAI 14 T: 14Dave: KAIKAIS is clearly best. KAI is the best non-bingo play.Joel: Right.1. PAKORN: AEEGOOW J6 WOE 22Dave: Nothing else really close with this drek.Joel: Agreed.2.HOWARD: ?AILOSU 9B OUTSAIL 67 T: 81Dave: Sim shows ABOULIAS giving up an extra bingoevery 20 games or so (25% vs. 20%). In spite of that, theaverage opponent response (with a random rack) is actuallyless after ABOULIAS than after OUTSAIL. So OUTSAIL isgiving up higher scoring non-bingo plays, but ABOULIAS ismore volatile. This early in the game I'm less concernedwith board volatility and more concerned with equity.Grabbing the points has to be best. One of the best waysto lose games is to be too much of a chicken this early in24

P L A Y T H E G A M E : G A M E A N A L Y S I Sthe game. Pakorn is more likely to have a bingo than the sim would indicate, but nowherenear enuf more to justify sacrificing 7 points.Joel: Seven points is substantial, and in addition, OUTSAIL activates two huge triple-lettersquares. ABOULIAS is definitely best.2. PAKORN: AADEGNO 8A DONA 24 T: 46Dave: AGO (8A, 17) gives up 7 points and about 3 more defensively when compared toDONA. However ADEN vs AGE is going to recoup 11 points next turn, and retain about 2points rack equity to boot. Howard might be more likely to block than any of the simresponses, but bingos picked to ADEN are not going to be easy to block.It’s probably a bit closer than the 3-point sim edge, but I still like AGO. That said, DONA hasthe advantage that it sticks that D at A8 which will more or less sit there and wait for seventiles.Joel: The ADEN leave is 11 points better than AGO, which more than compensates for thescoring difference. Other issues concerning positioning are minor. AGO all the way.3. HOWARD: FIOQRTU 10A IF 27 T: 108Dave: OFT, IF, and OF are more or less positionally equal. Keeping the T with QUIR is notworth sacrificing 4 points. SQUIT is more volatile and would be worth considering if down 35as opposed to up 35, and if the game was a lot closer to finishing.Joel: The QUIRT leave is worth 8 more points than QUIR in the abstract, but on this boardit’s not likely to make that much of a difference. Take the points.3. PAKORN: ADEEEGH 10D EHED 29 T: 75Dave: A 50,000-iteration four-ply "original Sim" says EHEDis best, by 3 points over GHEE.Here’s why:Turn 0: EHED scores 6 more points: +6Turn 1: EHED + 6 vs GHEE +7 so now +5Turn 2: EHED 0 GHEE + 2 so now +3At this point the leftover leave is not a factor.GHEE leads to higher scores for both players. However, 25

P L A Y T H E G A M E : G A M E A N A L Y S I SHoward almost for sure did not save tiles that score well at F10 or he would have simplyscored there instead. Also one would also have to assume that at least three of Howard’stiles are bingo prone.It would be nice if we had a "rack leave assumptions" option in Quackle where one couldspecify something like 2 of (LNRTS) and 1 of (AEIO), and 0 of (WXY), which are reasonableassumptions here.I would have played EHED as well, but I’m not totally convinced it is correct.Joel: I am more convinced than Dave that EHED is best. The ADE leave after GHEE isalmost 5 points better than the AEG leave after GHEE, but EHED outscores GHEE by morethan that and is more defensive as well.4. HOWARD: GOQRTUU E9 SHRUG 18 T: 126Dave: Missing TORQUATE D3 for 32 points. UG is a lot uglier than QUOT, but not uglierenough to make up the 14 point sacrifice.Joel: Agreed. An easy decision. QUORATE (D4) offers nothing for the two-point sacrifice.4. PAKORN: ACEGHLT 12B CLAUGHT 28 T: 103Dave: GULCH 12D is probably best. ATE and E are equivalent rack leaves on this board soPakorn might as well grab the two points. Dropping the G at 7I sims right up there withGULCH, but fishy plays are typically overrated a bit, and there is no reason to consider thisposition anything but typical.Joel: Dropping the G retains a rack worth 28 points! 7I GO seems best to me, even on thissomewhat constricted board.5. HOWARD: ELOQTUW K2 QUOTE 33 T: 159Dave: LOW K5 sacrifices 11 points vs QUOTE, but getsmost of that back next turn on average. Additionally, theparallel opportunities on column L provided by QUOTE costabout six points defensively vs LOW. LOW is best by quitea bit.Joel: Agreed. QUOTE gives Pakorn too much, and the LWleave is nothing to write home about.26

P L A Y T H E G A M E : G A M E A N A L Y S I S5. PAKORN: AEILNSY L6 ELYSIAN 84 T: 187Dave: Best. Playing the same word and points at 14B would be reckless at this stage.Joel: Agreed.6. HOWARD: EILMNRW L1 WIRE 39 T: 198Dave: WINE, WIRE and LIMN are all reasonable plays from this position. WINE sims about1-2 points ahead of the other plays in terms of how the next play is affected, but keeping thevowel after LIMN helps avoid the occasional consonant-clogging, game-destroying disaster.For that reason, I like LIMN.Joel: Dave’s point is well taken. In Collins games, too many consonants on the rack is aserious problem. Moreover, only 19 of the 49 unseen tiles are vowels.6. PAKORN: EJRRTTV K11 JET 40 T: 227Dave: No brainer. Nothing comes close to this gimme.Joel: As with Howard’s play on turn 6, it would be great to keep the vowel. However, the 20-point difference (as compared to TAJ (11K) is just too massive.7. HOWARD: ?DDLMNO 8L YOND 24 T: 222Joel: An instructive example showing how Quackle canoccasionally lead one astray. Quackle recommends MOD(13G, 23). This play retains a vowel and scores well.However, it also eliminates the hook spots at 14E and 14Las bingo lines. With a lead, MOD might be a decent play.But in this case Howard is better off leaving the bottom ofthe board alone. WOLD (1L) and YOLD or YOND (8L) arebetter plays. With no L’s but 3 N’s unseen, I probablywould have gone with Howard’s play.Dave: With three Ns unseen, YOND is better than YOLDin the same spot. WOLD-1L is probably a little better,mostly for defensive reasons.However, the real winner might be MOD-13G for 23. Pakorn has about a 5% chance atbingoing after MOD, compared with about 10% after WOLD and 15% after board openersfrom 8L. Not only that, but DLN is the most bingo-prone rack leave for Howard. The 27

P L A Y T H E G A M E : G A M E A N A L Y S I Sdefensive value of MOD goes up and down with whatever inferences can be made aboutPakorn's rack leave.From a distance I would have inferred (incorrectly as it turned out) that it is better than 4random tiles. Over the board, Howard may have gotten some "feel" that Pakorn's leave wassubpar. Simming this situation with Pakorn's actual rack leave moves MOD from first to lastof all the plays considered.7. PAKORN: IMRRRTV J12 MIRV 18 T: 245Joel: It’s between this play or exchanging, probably MRRV. The leave isn’t great, but 18points plus killing the hot spot at 14J make the play more than worth it.Dave: None of the rack leaves after exchanging are anywhere near 18 points better than theRRT leave after MIRV. The only reason exchanging should be considered is the slotting ofthe V at 15J. I’d still play MIRV.8. HOWARD: ?CDLMOX M11 MOLD 32 T: 254Joel: A clear choice. Time to pray for a vowel or two.Dave: Agreed.8. PAKORN: BERRSTT 3J BURR 12 T: 257Joel: Quackle rates BIST (I7, 25) as a clear choice, with avirtual four-way tie for second between TWEER (6I, 8),BLERT (C11, 14), WERT (1L, 21) and Pakorn’s play. Myfeeling is that this game has a few more big plays in it,given the openings on the board, especially all thosehotspots for the S. A 25-point play is not going to becritical. I thus would not play BIST. I would save the S fora big play somewhere down the road. Moreover, thedoubled Rs are a substantial liability.DAVE: I like BIST. This board is a little less S-friendly thanaverage and actively hostile to consonant heavy racks. Anextra shot at a vowel, and 13 points are well worth anyvalue the S is likely to provide in the future.28

P L A Y T H E G A M E : G A M E A N A L Y S I S9. HOWARD: ?CEFOPX N2 FOX 33 T: 287Joel: It’s either this play or COnVEX (15G, 75), and thetwo run neck and neck in the simulation. I would take theextra 42 points, especially as it takes out row 15completely.Dave: I prefer FLEX (C11, 28) over FOX. It sets up FLEXO,and PN is unlikely to have saved the only remaining O toplay BURR for a measly 12 points. Odds are that PN saved4 or 5 bingo-prone tiles to play BURR. Four-ply simulationwith an assumed leave of REST has FLEX three pointsbetter than COnVEX. However, the simulation assumes apost-ply rack-leave average advantage of 10 points forFLEX. This number is almost certainly smaller so late in the game. I would opt for COnVEXand hope to hang on.9. PAKORN: ENRSTTY 15L TYNE 35 T: 292Joel: The simulation reveals a surprisingly substantial advantage for TYNE over TYTE,TYER, or TYRE. The RST leave is two points better than either NRS or NST, plus there aretwo Ns unseen.Dave: The unseen Ns explain all. TWEENY (6I, 20) is worth considering, but that leads to alot of games where bingos are traded. Doing that starting ten points down is a recipe forlosing. The extra 15 points for TYNE could be the difference maker in this game.10. HOWARD: ?ABCEPT 14M DAB 20 T: 307Joel: Even though 11 of the 22 unseen tiles are vowels,Howard only picks two from the bag after DAB. If they areboth consonants, it is likely he won’t bingo next turn. Thegoals here should be getting rid of the B, keeping the boardopen, and keeping both vowels. The main choice herethus has to be between JAMB (11K, 15) and BI (I7, 14).Quackle has these two plays on top, with JAMB slightlyahead. I would play BI, however, just to retain the bingoline down row O.Dave: Agreed 29

P L A Y T H E G A M E : G A M E A N A L Y S I S10. PAKORN: INRSTUZ 14B INUST 24 T: 316Joel: Ideally Pakorn would like to retain both the S and theZ for a possible big play starting at O1. Unfortunately, thereare no plays that accomplish this without sacrificing toomany points.On this board, the S is more important that the Z. CUZ(B12, 28) scores well, and the leave of INRST is evenbetter than it looks with half of the 20 unseen tiles beingvowels.Dave: CUZ is better by a mile. A 13-pt lead saving RINTSand drawing to lots of vowels is a recipe for winning.11. HOWARD: ?AEECPT A1 CArPETED 95 T: 402Dave: AcCEPTED or AsPECTED# might be slightly better even though scoring six pointsless, but it’s very hard to know for sure. I would have played CArPETED, assuming that 95points would be enough.11. PAKORN: EGIORRZ 13I ZIT 22 T: 338Joel: The unseen letters are AAEINPSV. Pakorn is prettymuch cooked, as Howard is going to know his exact rackafter any play. Pakorn could dump the R and hope that (1)he draws the N for COGNIZER and (2) Howard doesn’tnotice, but I’m guessing that he figured that he was morelikely to pick an A and make the game close withPROGERIA.Dave: Agreed. No point fishing for COGNIZER. That’s thekind of out bingo likely to be blocked even if Howard wasnot tracking. Fishing for PROGERIA 4A or ERIGERON 5Aseems best gamble.12. HOWARD: AAEINSV N6 VENINS 32 T: 434Joel: Howard sees that Pakorn has no bingos and does the logical thing: he maximizes thepoint spread by taking the highest scoring spot. Except…30

P L A Y T H E G A M E : G A M E A N A L Y S I SDave: NARE (14H, 26) actually totals six points better than VENINS, but Howard wasprobably trying to ensure that he has enough points even if Pakorn does the unexpected andbingos out.12. PAKORN: EGIOPRR H1 PROGERIAL* 92 T: 430 + 2 = 432Joel: I would have liked to see Howard’s reaction afterPakorn played this phony. The play works onlybecause it is a good gamble on Pakorn’s part thatHoward doesn’t know the eight-to-make-nines cold;and when the dust clears, the game will result in a tieunless Howard challenges. Had this play led to a onepointwin for Pakorn, the challenge would have beenautomatic. And if it had resulted in a one- to ten-pointloss for Pakorn, Howard would lose nothing but somespread by not challenging. Great heads-up thinking byPakorn!Howard chose to take the guaranteed half point. Astunning ending to an entertaining game.Dave: Pakorn phonies out to tie the game! Outplays are the only time where the pointpenaltychallenge rule (in this event 10 points per word) is more onerous than loss of turn.Pakorn takes advantage with this perfectly plausible nonword. I can’t imagine more than halfa dozen players in the entire field challenging this off.HOWARD: 434-2 = 432TIE GAMEPAKORN: 432HOWARD: 432Dave Boys, who lives in Quebec, won the World SCRABBLE® Championship in 1995 andfinished third in 1991 and 1999. He won the Canadian National SCRABBLE® Championshipin 2003. He is one of ten selected to compete in the 2010 “Tournament of Champions.”Joel Wapnick, who lives in Montreal, won the 1999 World SCRABBLE® Championship andwas second in 1993 and 2001. He won the U.S. National SCRABBLE® Championship in1983 and the Canadian National SCRABBLE® Championship in 1998. He is the author ofThe Champion’s Strategy for Winning at SCRABBLE® and his greatly revised update, Howto Play SCRABBLE® Like a Champion, will be released by Puzzlewright Press (an imprintof Sterling Publishing Co.) this September. He will be competing in the 2010 “Tournament ofChampions.” 31

Linda’s Libraryby Linda WancelL I N D A ’ S L I B R A R YAs an avid reader and book lover, I have found that many other Scrabblers also share my passionfor books and for reading. So I am happy to have this opportunity to share some of my favoritebooks with you. These reviews, for the most part, were written for Amazon.com, where I have beenwriting reviews under a pseudonym for nearly ten years. I hope that the book lovers among youmay find their interest piqued by some of these books.Non-fiction:Havana Dreams: A Story of a Cuban Familyby Wendy GimbelHailed by the New York Times as a Notable Book of the Year whenit was first released, this is a lyrically written chronicle of Cuba asseen through the eyes of the women of a prominent, yet notorious,Cuban family. It is also an elegant narrative of Cuba's past and itspresent, its good and its bad. Its genesis is the Cuban-Americanauthor's own memories of a pre-Castro Cuba of the nineteenfortiesand fifties, still steeped in its colonial miasma, redolent offamily, traditions, and a certain indolence that was reserved forthose who lived the life of patrones.I was intrigued by the intimate portrait of Castro's one-timemistress, Naty Revuelta, and the history of her family as setagainst the backdrop of Cuba. How her illicit relationship with ayoung, fiery revolutionary by the name of Fidel Castro wouldforever change her life and that of her family is well told. Herfamily's fortunes and misfortunes parallel those of Cuba itself.Castro's own relationship with his island country would foreverchange Cuba also, turning it from a colonial paradise for the richand well-to-do into a crumbling relic from the past, offspring of themating between heady, romantic revolutionary rhetoric and reality.Engrossing and memorable in its telling, the author paints a poignant and fully engaging portrait ofNaty, her mother, Dona Natica, a Batista era socialite, and Naty's two daughters, Alina and Nina,one of whom is the fruit of Naty's brief intimate relationship with Castro, the other the daughter ofher cuckolded husband. The story of Naty's family is presented in all its heartbreak and is artfullydrawn against the grand panorama of what is modern Cuban history. This is a masterful andluminous book that will appeal to those with an interest in Cuba, as well as to those who enjoy awell-written memoir, steeped in historical context.Havana Dreams: A Story of a Cuban Family is available at Amazon.com.32

L I N D A ’ S L I B R A R YFiction:The Daughter of Timeby Josephine TeyThis is a wonderful genre-bending book...part mystery, part history.Written by Scotswoman Elizabeth MacIntosh, who wrote under thepen name Josephine Tey, it was first published in 1951. It is tragicthat the author died in 1952 and was never to know the pleasurethat this book would bring to generations of readers and that theMystery Writers of America would ultimately rank it fourth among theone hundred best mysteries ever written.The title of the book is derived from a historical source, as it isattributable to Sir Francis Bacon, "For truth is rightly named after thedaughter of time, and not of authority." The book itself is not atraditional mystery but rather an application of deductive reasoningto an actual historical event. The event in question is the murder ofthe princes in the tower, sons of King Edward IV, allegedly by theiruncle, Richard III, who eventually usurped the English throne afterthe death of his brother. It has been widely held that Richard III did,indeed, murder the two young princes, his nephews, in order tosecure his claim to the throne.The reader is introduced to Scotland Yard Inspector Alan Grant, who is hospitalized and recoveringfrom injuries sustained in the line of duty. While convalescing, he becomes intrigued by a picture ofa portrait of Richard III, a likeness with which he is unfamiliar. Grant is puzzled that someone withsuch a sensitive face could have been such a monster as to murder his two nephews in cold blood.So, our intrepid Inspector decides that he will reconsider the evidence upon which such a dastardlyassumption has been based. With the help of an American researcher doing the necessary legwork,Grant compiles enough archival historical fact that incrementally helps him formulate a new theoryas to who actually may have murdered the princes in the tower.This analysis and reformulation is done as though it were being argued to a jury. Indeed, sopersuasive is Inspector Grant through the application of some insightful deductive reasoning andclever dialogue that the reader comes away thinking that Grant has solved one of the mostintriguing historical mysteries of all time. This is certainly an unusual book conceptually but one thatsucceeds brilliantly. It should appeal to those readers who enjoy having a mystery unraveled, aswell as to those who harbor a love of English history.The Daughter of Time is available at Amazon.com.Linda Wancel loves reading, writing, watching films, traveling, and Scrabbling. She is the mother of27-year-old twins and has been a criminal prosecutor for the last 23 years. 33

W O R D T R I V I A Q U I ZWord Trivia Quizby Siri TillekeratneThe following common words have exotic roots. Match the words 1-10 with their originas A-J.1. ANACONDA A. Nahuatl (a language of Central America)2. SHAMPOO B. Swedish3. ALCOHOL C. Taino (a language of Greater Antilles and the Bahamas)4. JAGUAR D. Divehi (the language of the Maldives)5. PIECE E. Akkadian (an ancient language of Mesopotamia)6. SESAME F. Welsh7. ATOLL G. Tupi (a language of S. America)8. BARBECUE H. Arabic9. BRACKEN I. Sanskrit (an ancient language of India)10. AVOCADO J. Sinhalese (the main language of Sri Lanka)ANSWERS ON THE NEXT PAGESiri Tillekeratne is a director of the Calgary SCRABBLE® Club #374 and a former Director of theYear.34

W O R D T R I V I A Q U I ZANSWERS1. ANACONDA - J (Sinhalese)2. SHAMPOO - I (Sanskrit)3. ALCOHOL - H (Arabic)4. JAGUAR - G (Tupi)5. PIECE - F (Welsh)6. SESAME - E (Akkadian)7. ATOLL - D (Divehi)8. BARBECUE - C (Taino)9. BRACKEN - B (Swedish)10. AVACADO - A (Nahuati)(Source: Miriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary)Siri Tillekeratne is a director of the Calgary SCRABBLE® Club #374 and a former Director of theYear. 35

App Review: Moxieby Brandy ShaulA P P R E V I E W : M O X I EThe May 10th free iPhone app at FreeAppADay.com was Moxie, a word game thatcan be most easily compared to the board game UpWords. Like a combination ofSolitaire and SCRABBLE®, Moxie gives you a starting pile of 52 cards, each with asingle letter and point value attached. You’ll go through them, one at a time, placingthem into one of three horizontal word spaces, to create words of your choosing.After you’ve created your first word – for the sake of the example, let’s say you spelled the word“cat,” you’ll then earn more points the longer you can keep that particular word chain going. Forinstance, if an H came into play, “cat” could become “hat.” Receive an O card, and “hat” becomes“hot,” and so on.While a large vocabulary will give you more words to work with, the true skill here is strategy, as youattempt to build as high a score as possible, with longer words being worth more points, and a breakin a chain (forming an incorrect word) actually taking points away from your total.You can pass letters that you don’t like, pause and pick up right where you left off (should you beinterrupted by a phone call, for instance), and track your high score on a global leaderboard. IfMoxie sounds like fun to you, check out the video below to get a real look at how the game isplayed.XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXFor daily free apps go to http://www.freeappaday.com/index.php.Brandy Shaul is a Contributing Editor at Frisky Mongoose (http://friskymongoose.com) focusing onthe social side of the gaming world. This review is reprinted from Frisky Mongoose with permission.36

B I N G O S T O A L L ! : G I N G E R W H I T EBingos to All!Ginger White: Director ExtraordinaireTo any player who has been at one ofGinger White’s tournaments in Bayside,NY; Shelton, CT; or Port Jefferson, NY,“Bingos to all!” is a familiar cry--thetournament has begun.Ginger White has been starting hertournaments with these words since 1990,when she and her late husband, Jerry, heldtheir first tournament on Long Island atDanforths hotel in Port Jefferson. Todayshe holds 15 tournaments a year in threedifferent venues. To date she has heldover 120 tournaments for more than 4,000players--probably more than any otherdirector in the world.Ginger remembers first enjoying SCRABBLE® close to 40 years ago. “My 7-year-old niece got aset for Christmas, and my sister, Mary Jane, asked if I could teach her how to play. I told her,‘SCRABBLE®, gosh, I really don't care for that game,’ (I seem to recall dating a guy who beat mebad by playing two-letter words and getting very high scores). The next thing I know is that my sisterand I started to play. Well, sibling rivalry kicked in and had me working hard to be the better player.”Ginger’s niece remembers that Christmas, too, and how Ginger went from teaching her on the rugto moving the game to the table to play with Mary Jane. “I never got to play again,” she said.“Geez, we only got a few presents, and I lost that one right away!”For many years Ginger played SCRABBLE® with her late husband, Jerry. But after 10 years ofmarriage they decided not to play each other any more. “If we had,” said Ginger, “we would nothave lasted as a married couple for the 32 years that we were married, until his passing inDecember, 2006. Some of our SCRABBLE® playing ended up being like the ‘War of the Roses’!”In 1973 Ginger and Jerry heard that the town of Islip was having a SCRABBLE® tournament anddecided to find out what it was all about. Back then the official dictionary was Funk & Wagnalls, andif you won the event you got 50 extra points. “This is where we met Stu Goldman, an expert in thegame. We were amazed that he knew all 69 of of the two-letter words. From there Jerry and Idecided to join Stu's Club #5. Next the towns of Islip and Brookhaven asked us to run their yearlySCRABBLE® events. We did this for many years. One ironic thing is that 25 years ago,Brookhaven gave me a young helper for their tournament. Today he is my boss because I now workfor the Town of Brookhaven.”“In 1990 a VP from Danforths in Port Jefferson called to ask whether we wanted to run a weekendevent there. What a success this was! We titled the tournament the ‘Long Island Championship,’ 37

B I N G O S T O A L L ! : G I N G E R W H I T Eand held it every March for about 10 years. The championship was mostly dominated by JoelSherman and the lovely late Rita Norr Provost.”“Next, we started doing one-day events, beginning with 7-game round robins to the current 8-gameformat, which is very well liked. This July and August we're going to try a 9-game tournament (7games round robin, 2 KOTH).”Ginger and Jerry also played in a handful of tournaments each year, with Ginger’s rating reaching ahigh of 1763 in 1987.Until his death in 2006, Jerry helped Ginger run the tournaments. “Someone who’s never directed atournament has no idea of the work that goes behind running one. We had to prepare wall charts,do pairings, get prizes for the various winners. This was before computer programs made it somuch easier. There was no cross-tables.com, so we had to spread the word through SCRABBLE®News and word of mouth.”Ginger was successful spreading the word, and her one-day Bayside tournaments were packed. In2000 she added a multi-day tournament in Shelton, CT. She now runs one or two multi-dayShelton tournaments each year, plus a one-day tournament in Port Jefferson and monthly one-daytournaments in Bayside.“Since we've been running tournaments, many first-timers have gone on to become experts.” Over160 players have cut their SCRABBLE® teeth at Ginger’s tournaments, including familiar facessuch as Bruce Adams, Marc Carnegie, Eric Goldstein, Mark McCraw, Linda Wancel, Sue Gable,and NSA Executive Director John D. Williams, Jr. (Port Jefferson ‘91). Ginger has also introducedsome of the top younger players to tournament play, including Youth Player champions MatthewSilver, Logan Rosen, Paolo Federico-Omurchu, and Tim Bryant--four boys who collectively havewon close to $20,000 playing SCRABBLE®. “I’ve always welcomed kids at my tournaments,” saidGinger. “Many times they’ve been the winners, too.”Ginger’s tournaments have brought more than SCRABBLE® into people’s lives. “In the romancedepartment SCRABBLE® has been responsible for many couples finding not only the love of thegame, but also the love of their lives. My good friends Marie Puma and Steve Sikorski met at one ofour tournaments and later tied the knot. Lisa Thomas and David Abolafia, whose wedding weattended, also met at a SCRABBLE® tournament.”Anyone who’s ever gone to one of Ginger’s tournaments can attest to her good nature in putting upwith sometimes quirky players. But when it comes to running the tournament, she’s all business,and players have come to appreciate that Ginger’s tournaments start punctually; she’ll start yourclock if you’re not there. Players arrive on time.Ginger plans to continue running her monthly Bayside one-day tournaments, one or two multi-dayShelton tournaments, and one or two one-day Port Jefferson tournaments each year. This July andAugust she is planning to stretch her one-day tournaments to 9 games: 7 round robin and 2 KOTH.She particularly enjoys the Port Jefferson tournament, which is on the water. Players feel the seabreeze when they stroll outside during the lunch break. “Many players arrive by ferry, which is greatfun. I get a good crowd every year.”38

B I N G O S T O A L L ! : G I N G E R W H I T EShe also will be running a 20-game tournament (5-game early bird, 15-game main event) nextspring in historic St. Augustine, FL , where her daughter, Jillian, lives. “I got a great deal at the DaysInn in the heart of town for May 18-20: $119 based on double occupancy/$238 single/$80 triple/ $70quad. Family of 4 pays $238. Everyone and anybody are welcome to take advantage of this greatdeal!”What does Ginger think of the changes she’s seen over the years?“Yes, there’ve been many changes, but most of them are improvements. I look at a digital timer andcan’t believe we put up with sand timers for so long. I see the laptop Word Judges, and am thrillednot to be called to adjudicate every challenge. I’m able to submit my results right away--instead ofmailing them in and having players wait a month or so for their rating gains.”“SCRABBLE® has been a big part of my life.I've met some wonderful people in theSCRABBLE® community. It does disturb methat there is some dissention in the ranks.Our world is a small one, but I would like it tobe a strong one. I have no earth-shatteringsolutions, just play and enjoy.”Ginger and her sister, Mary Jane, in the Rock & Roll Diner onthe cruise ship Pride of America.When she’s not running her tournaments orplaying in a tournament (Ginger plays inseveral tournaments a year, trying to attendNationals and a few others), Ginger enjoystraveling, visiting her family, and reading.This winter she spent several weeks in theCarribean, soaking up sun and thinking verylittle about SCRABBLE®. “It was wonderful,”said Ginger, “but by the time I came back Iwas ready. I was itching to be back at thefront of the room, saying ‘Bingos to all!’” 39

T H E L I G H T E R S I D E O F S C R A B B L EThe Lighter Side of SCRABBLE®by Joan MocineJoan Mocine’s cartoons and designs are available on t-shirts, cards, mugs, posters, and more. Tosee her selection, visit her website, http://oakjoanmo.tripod.com/index.html or email her to placeorders at oakjoan@gmail.com.Joan Mocine is an artist living in Oakland, CA with her husband, Lester Schonbrun. They both playtournament SCRABBLE® (“he far better than I,” notes Mocine). Born in L.A., Mocine has lived inNorthern California for many years. She has been a school teacher, has done artwork for severalmovies (Badlands and Howard the Duck to give two “sublime to ridiculous” examples) and hasworked as a paralegal. She is now retired and working full-time on her art.40

S C R A B B L E I N T H E N E W SSCRABBLE® in the NewsSee something about SCRABBLE® or a SCRABBLE® player in the news? Let us know! Send yourstories to CorneliaSGuest@gmail.com.Muhammad Suleiman upsets Nigel Richards in Malta OpenPakistani SCRABBLE® playerMohammad Sulaiman was thewinner of the Malta InternationalSCRABBLE® Open May 14-16 inQawra. Sulaiman defeated Britishchampion Craig Beevers in the lastgame by 77 points to take theChampionship with a 16-4 +1494.Former World Champion NigelRichards finished third. To seecoverage of the tournament, go tohttp://www.poslfit.com/malta/2010/build/. Stories about the tournamentappear in http://tribune.com.pk/story/13988/scrabble-champion-/ and http://www.sportsencounter.com/news/sulaiman-beat-nigel-inmalta-open-scrabble-4112.html.Photo by Noor Javeri, courtesy of the Express Tribune, Pakistan.Used with permission.Barista Lavazza Cafe SCRABBLE®ChampionshipMattel, who owns the rights to SCRABBLE® incountries other than the U.S. and Canada, hasannounced that the Barista Lavazza chain in Indiawill be holding a nationwide SCRABBLE®Championship at selected cafes in May and June.Competitors may register online or at the cafes,and the tournament will consist of a qualifyinground and a city finals, with prizes for allparticipants in both rounds. The eight-citycompetition starts in Delhi on May 20th.Competitors may register online or at the cafeshttp://www.indiainfoline.com/Markets/News/Mattel-Toys-announce-nationwide-Barista-Lavazza-Café-Scrabble-Championship-2010/4845389857MAY MILESTONESLISA ABRAHAM reached 1600 for the firsttime at the Oklahoma City OK Tournament.EVAN MCINTYRE reached 1600 for the firsttime at the Saskatoon SK CAN Tournament.CARL SOLOMON reached 1600 for the firsttime at the Oklahoma City OK Tournament.VERA BIGALL reached 1500 for the first timeat the Guelph ON CAN Tournament.DAVE ZIMMERMAN reached 1500 for the firsttime at the Kenner LA Tournament. 41

S C R A B B L E I N T H E N E W SAdd a SCRABBLE® touch to your place settingsThe May 8th issue of Fiance to Wife offered an innovative idea forwedding or dinner place cards and holders: Spell the name inSCRABBLE® tiles placed on a rack! Perfect for a SCRABBLE®themedwedding or party--or just any time. The idea offers flexibilityfor surprise arrivals, and also allows misspelled names to be fixedwith a visit to the tile bag. For the complete story go to http://www.fiance2wife.com/2010/05/08/scrabble-touch-to-your-wedding/.Photo credit: www.fiance2wife.com.Sherwin Rodrigues wins Bayer Championship in MumbaiMay 21-23 India’s many SCRABBLE® players competed for the title of Bayer National SCRABBLEChampion, with 20-year-old Sherwin Rodrigues taking the top prize for the third time. The youngestparticipant was 11 years old. http://www.indiainfoline.com/Markets/News/Sherwin-Rodrigues-bagsthe-title-of-Bayer-National-Scrabble-Championship-2010/4846439752and http://www.indianexpress.com/news/WORD-PRINCE/626824Geoff Thevenot wins The Austin Chronicle Adult Spelling BeeGeoff Thevenot, expert SCRABBLE® player, wins for the second year. http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/column?oid=oid%3A787127Kate Hudson--another SCRABBLE® fanA Daily Telegraph (U.K) interview with the film star reveals she loves to play SCRABBLE®. But likemany fans, she seems confused about proper nouns being permissible. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/starsandstories/7723869/Kate-Hudson-interview.htmlChris Cree to play in Words with Friends tournamentNASPA co-president Chris Cree will be playing in the D Magazine Words with Friends Tournamentstarting June 1st. http://frontburner.dmagazine.com/2010/05/25/scrabble-champ-chris-cree-joins-dmagazine-words-with-friends-tournament/#more-36314An unlikely romance with a SCRABBLE® twistNew Yorkers Avery Willis, with degrees from Stanford and Oxford, and Matt Hoffman, garbage man,met on the F train and fell in love. Both love SCRABBLE®, and Hoffman proposed on aSCRABBLE® board, using tiles to spell “MARRY ME.” http://video.nytimes.com/video/2010/05/09/fashion/weddings/1247467806064/vows-avery-matt.html?ref=weddingsPuzzlemaker Trip Payne profiled on Word-Buff.comExpert SCRABBLE® player Trip Payne of Boca Raton, FL is a professional puzzlemaker, withpuzzles appearing in multiple publications every week, including the Yahoo Daily Puzzle with Hintsand the worduko puzzle in TV Guide. He publishes two books a year with Sterling Publications, withTip-Top Criss-Crosses due out next. A three-time winner of the American Crossword PuzzleTournament (ACPT), Payne was featured in the 2006 documentary Wordplay. Read the completeprofile at http://www.word-buff.com/puzzle-maker.html.42

W H A T ’ S Y O U R P L A Y ?What’s Your Play?Scott Jackson and Mike Turniansky had interesting plays this month. If you have a play you’d like toshare with our readers, please send it to CorneliaSGuest@gmail.com._______________________________________________________________________________From Scott Jackson:This is an endgame position against Jim Kramer at the WGPO Tournament May 1st. Jim had justplayed (R)ETE, and was leading, 355-330. The unseen tiles are IGLOOOQRRS.It's not clear to me what is the best play still. There are several good options, but no obviously bestone without knowing my opponent's rack. There is certainly no play that guarantees a win.I don’t think Quackle’s suggestion is that useful here (for example, it would never suggest passing,which is one option Jim mentioned).To read some of the interesting thoughts on this position, go to the cross-tables forum at http://cross-tables.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&p=2032#p2032. 43

W H A T ’ S Y O U R P L A Y ?From Mike Turniansky:From a game at club May 6th vs. Lorraine Burton. Here was the board on my turn 10, with 23unseen tiles (AAEEHIKQRSUMNNNSAEEIIOX). The score was Lorraine 271, Mike 243. My rackwas ?EIORTY.ANSWER ON NEXT PAGE44

Stu: The MovieS T U : T H E M O V I ETravis Chaney and his wife, Mandy Valencia, share their short documentary about the most prolificand oldest expert tournament SCRABBLE® player, Stu Goldman. Says Chaney: “We filmed it in2009 and finished it in January of this year to submit it for the Ashland [OR] Independent FilmFestival. To our surprise, they accepted the film. We don’t have any more plans for this film.Mostly we just wanted to make a little homage to Stu and share it with other tournamentSCRABBLE® players. The most positive thing about the experience is that it inspired Mandy andme to make more films. We recently invested in a Canon EOS 7D to create even better films.Personally, I would love to make a documentary about Nigel Richards and hope to start work on thatwhen I see him at the World Players Championship in August.”To see the film, click the photo below or go to http://www.vimeo.com/11904449.XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXStu’s response to Travis and Mandy:Thanx so much for this wonderful video! You may have done me too much honor. But it's certainlySCRABBLE®, and the marvelous people like you I've met through it that have kept me in top mentalcondition.If there's anything I would have added it would be club activity. My club, No. 5, was the firstsuccessful SCRABBLE® Club under NSA sponsorship in the US (the Toronto club is No. 4), andwhen people kept track of such things, I had more club games and wins than anyone else.That reminds me of a now outmoded system of classification, based on number of wins. The firstplateau was 50 wins, the second 100 wins and the third 200 wins, if memory serves. The playerswho first achieved the first two of these, Marjorie Schoneboom and Gary Brown, respectively, beatme to win it, but I got the third.Thanx again. I was thrilled watching it.Stu46

Word Starby Jeff KastnerW O R D S T A RPlay Word Star, a word game with similarities to Boggle, created and presented each month by Phoenix,AZ expert Jeff Kastner.Your object is to find and list as many words as possible, using only the 6 letters contained in the WordStar 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 TEN andGAME are acceptable, but not MEAT, because the “A” and the “T” are not neighboring letters.3. Letters within a word may repeat as many times as possible, as long as such letters arerepeated twice (or thrice) in a row, or as long as Rule 2 is followed. So, for example, MAMA andEGG are acceptable. But, MAGMA would not be acceptable because the “G” and the “M” are notadjoining.• Note that the Center Star, located in the white middle portion of the puzzle, is the most importantletter. It is the only letter that adjoins each of the 5 others in the puzzle. In addition, there are bonuspoints awarded for using the Center Star as often as possible. The Center Star in this month’s puzzleis the letter “E.” 47

48W O R D S T A RMultiple forms of the same word are acceptable (for example, RATE, RATED, RATER, RATERS, andRATES would all be fine, if they were in the puzzle). No points are awarded (and no penalty points areassessed) for any entries on your word list that are not in OWL2 or the Long List, or that do not adhere tothe above rules.Points are scored as follows:• 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 followingwords:ATTIREATTIRESSATSATESATIRESATIRESTIRETIRESYour score would be:• 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:250 points (Novice); 360 points (Intermediate); 475 points (Advanced)Once you’ve compiled your list, check out my solution on page 49.See you next month with another Word Star puzzle! …Jeff KastnerJeff Kastner, originally from New York City, has been living in Phoenix, AZ since 1985. Jeff is one of ahandful of players who has ever been ranked in the USA-top-50 in both SCRABBLE® and chess. He is the2007-2008 Phoenix SCRABBLE® Club champion as well as the 2008-2009 Scottsdale SCRABBLE® Clubchamp. His chess, Sudoku, and word puzzles appear weekly in The Jewish Press newspaper and website.He hosts the Internet program Who’s on the Show?, where one of his first interviews was with directorsLarry Rand and Barbara Van Alen: http://whosontheshow.com/shows.html

W O R D S T A RSOLUTIONAGAAGAMAAGAMETEAGEAGEEAGENEAGENTAMAAMENAMENTEGGEMEEMMETENEMAENGENGAGEENGAGEMENTENTENTEGAEGAENGAGGAGAGAGEGAMGAMAGAMEGAMETEGAMMAGEEGEMGEMMAGEMMAEGENGENEGENETGENETTEGENTGETMAEMAGMAGEMAGNETMAMAMAMMAMAMMAEMAMMEEMAMMETMEETMEGMEGAMEGAGAMETEMEMMEMEMENMENTEEMETMETENEENEEMNEGNEMANENENETNETTTEATEAMTEETEEMTEENTEGTEGGTENTENEMENTTENETTENGETENTTETPAR SCORES:250 points (Novice)360 points (Intermediate)475 points (Advanced)BEST SCORE:2 Points for each WORD found:77 Words = 154 points.5 Bonus Points for each BINGO found:6 Bingos = 30 points.1 Point for each LETTER of every word found:334 Letters = 334 points.1 Bonus Point for each CENTER STAR of every word found:102 E’s = 102 points.TOTAL = 620 Points 49

B O O K R E V I E WBook Review: The Race Towards the Light: HardscrabbleHardscrabble: Ember Nelson’s Diamond in the Ruffby Albert HahnIn 2004, about a year after daughter Genevieve's death, EmberNelson, one of our own, published The Race Towards the Light:Hardscrabble.A huge positive from me is that I fast-tracked its 469 pages after Ifinally got hold of it last week, knocking it off two minutes ago.Meanwhile my bookshelf has works by Heller, Roth and Vonnegutstill waiting jealously for me to finish them. Let them wait. I'mdoing this review first.Oh, I also have negatives to report. Some minor ones first. My"Ruff" in the review title is intentional. This is the kind of wordsubstitution you can expect. No big deal to me. I'm no stickler forgrammar, either. And no big deal to me if those peskyapostrophes pop up inappropriately. And it doesn't bug me if theycant show up when needed:-) The sentences are often jumbledand runon. Ember's philosophy seems to be: no cowriter, noghost writer, no editor, no proofreader? No problem! Just get itdone. *And* published. How many people have said that theyshould write a book? But then, when all was said and done,*more* was said than done:-) It appears Ember used the self-publishing iUniverse. Its logoappears on the back. On the front appears a hauntingly beautiful photo of Genevieve. The imageof that reserved smile and translucent red hair are worth the price of the book on their own.I have one negative to report that is less forgiveable than the poor mechanics of the writing. Embermercilessly slams family members and fellow Scrabblers. Pages 412-416 should (but don't) showEmber how such dirt should be handled. These four pages contain a breath of fresh air fromGenevieve and her Mom's comments. Mom just doesn't get it.So much for the negatives.Much of this book is an account of the (mercifully) rare case of someone with cerebral palsy beingdiagnosed with inoperable, terminal brain cancer at the age of 20. Ember details Genevieve'slifetime of dealing with cerebral palsy, which is such a struggle in itself yet also maddeninglyaggravates the medical treatment for the brain tumor. While her own health is shaky, Ember mustdovetail her care of Genevieve with her job as a health care professional and her challengingfamily situation. While trying to keep these three plates spinning, she decides to add a fourth: theSCRABBLE® scene. First a few years of online play on Mplayer and the Zone. Then our live cluband tournament scene.50

B O O K R E V I E WI think Eric Chaikin may have shortchanged us by not adding Randy Greenspan to complete aquincunx of characters for his “Word Wars.” Well, Ember more than makes up for Eric's oversight.But her chronicling of this SCRABBLE® great is no Boswell's Life of Johnson. She gives a morebalanced account:-)This love story starts as Ember first plays with PANCHAX online and then meets him in person at atourney. Genevieve was also a grateful beneficiary of Randy's love in her last years.Judgmental, opinionated and recklessly critical; but still so much beautiful stuff to say about healthcare, the terminally ill, the SCRABBLE® scene and, of course, about a mother and a daughter.The Race Towards the Light: Hardscrabble is available at Amazon.com.Albert Hahn has played SCRABBLE® since 1994, and the first of his many cgp posts were in 1999to report on his experience at the Melbourne WSC and his month in southern Australia. He firstheard about and met Nigel Richards there and was happy to share his impressions of him withNorth American Scrabblers. Through most of his SCRABBLE® career he did courier delivery inCalgary, driving a five ton. 51

P L A Y E R P R O F I L EPlayer Profile: Cecilia Le and John O’Laughlinby Katya Lezin“SCRABBLE® is a hobby we share,” Cecilia Lesays of the game she and her husband, JohnO’Laughlin, both play. “But it doesn’t define us.”Maybe not, but it does get the credit for bringingthem together, since they met over aSCRABBLE® board. Cecilia was living inBoston at the time, and took John up on hisonline request for a few games while he was intown for a job interview. “Once we played,” Johnrecalls, “I knew I was interested in more thanSCRABBLE®, but I didn’t know she felt thesame way until after I moved there.” They metup to play again once John settled in Boston,having accepted the job for which he hadinterviewed (as a software engineer for ITASoftware), and, as he puts it, “one thing led to another.” They were wed in July 2009 at the home ofSeth Lipkin, with many fellow SCRABBLE® players in attendance.Even though they often play in the same division at tournaments, with ratings within 100 points ofeach other (and both impressive, with Cecilia’s at 1754 and John’s at 1865), the way they eachcame to the game couldn’t be more different. John played a lot of kitchen-table games growing up,and then began playing online games as a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Cecilia,who never played as a child, was introduced to the game while she was a student at the Universityof Rochester, but the games she played were just for fun and she spent most of the time “justlearning the ropes.”John’s first foray into competitive SCRABBLE® was the Wisconsin Dells Tournament in October2001. He wanted to play in Division 2, having built up his confidence with his online game, butSteve Pellinen, the director, told him to go to club first so that they’d vouch for him. They did, andJohn won 5 and a half of his 12 games, earning him an initial rating of 1393. His reaction was not topat himself on the back for proving that he did, in fact, belong in the upper divisions, but to refocusand refine his studying so that he could play in the top division at Nationals.Cecilia, meanwhile, took a job as a reporter in Utica, New York, where Don Drumm, the director ofthe local SCRABBLE® Club, was the copy editor. He kept prodding her to come to club and shefinally did in January 2003. Her first tournament experience, in March, was night and day fromJohn’s. It was a casual competition between the Utica and Albany SCRABBLE® Clubs, with eachclub fielding 15 players and meeting in a restaurant at the halfway point between the two cities.Cecilia was a last-minute fill-in for a player who backed out, and she learned her 2-letter words enroute.Cecilia continued to steadily improve as she played at club and at tournaments, but it wasn’t untilshe encountered more players her age at out-of-town tournaments that she understood the culture52

P L A Y E R P R O F I L Eof studying and taking the game more seriously than she had been doing up to that point. By thetime she moved to Boston in 2006, she made attending the weekly Lexington SCRABBLE® Club apriority. “I had a really demanding job at a charter school,” she says, “and Thursday nightSCRABBLE® Club was my one release each week.”John’s motivation for studying and improving his game was to make it to Worlds. Ever sincereading Word Freak, his goal was to play against the world’s best players. His first trip out of NorthAmerica was to fly across the world to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for the 2003 Worlds; he has alsogone to the 2005 Worlds in London, England and the 2007 Worlds in Mumbai, India. The 2007Worlds, the first where he was in contention for a prize, is also the site of a game that still hauntshim. John needed the win to place within the top ten, but a series of mistakes, including two phonywords that were challenged off and going over on time, cost him a victory that seemed well withinhis grasp.Cecilia shares John’s frustration with mistakes or missed opportunities in games. “I have a hardtime shaking it off when my loss was avoidable; when it’s due to something that was within mycontrol.” Unlike many players, Cecilia doesn’t get rattled with bad tiles or things that she perceivesto be out of her control, but when it’s something she should have known or seen, “that,” she says,“stays with me.” Asked about highlights or good games, she demurs. “I don’t remember anybrilliant moves,” she chuckles. “But games I blew, those I can recall no problem.”John’s highlight in tournament play came at the 2006 Dallas Open, when he needed to bingo to winagainst Carol Ravichandran. He knew his opponent would likely block the most obvious bingo line,ending in an E to the triple word square, and there were limited options otherwise. One of the fewopen bingo lines was through WOO, and John decided to play off his H in the hope of drawing thetile he needed to play SATINWOODS through the WOO. He drew a blank. Sure enough, Carolblocked the E bingo lane and John, not quite believing everything had worked out as he’d hoped,played SATINWOODS, and won the inevitable challenge and the game.Both John and Cecilia appreciate the fact that they’ve each married someone who values the gameand the role it plays in their lives. “I know players whose spouses don’t play,” John says, noting thatthere seems to be guilt and resentment when spouses are left behind for tournaments. “I feel luckythat we share this hobby and can go to tournaments together.” Cecilia enjoys the fact that she hasa convenient sparring partner at her disposal. “I haven’t been to club in over a year,” she points out,citing the distance and the fact that she doesn’t have a car. “But I have a club of two right at home.”Katya Lezin lives in Charlotte, North Carolina with her husband and three children (Noah, Hannah,and Eliza). She is the author of KNIGHT SWAM, a young adult novel based on SCRABBLE®;Finding Life on Death Row, which profiles six individuals sentenced to death; and numerous articlesfor magazines and other publications. When she is not on the tennis court or competing in aSCRABBLE® tournament (two of her passions, which her husband would argue border onobsessions), she enjoys cooking, reading, and spending time with her family. 53

Video Joeby Joe BihlmeyerV I D E O J O EJoe Bihlmeyer, a top Connecticut SCRABBLE® player, presents a video tribute to his friend andfellow SCRABBLE® player, the late Rita Norr Provost.Rita Norr Provost, SCRABBLE® Champion and FriendXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX54

S T E L L ’ S R A C K S O F M I R T HStell’s Racks of Mirthby Stellacious (AKA Cheryl L. Cadieux)While at the Palm Harbor Scrabble Club: Two new playerscame in and we were promptly matched up. Then anotherplayer came in and we were ODD. When she heard that shesaid, "Well, if we're odd, I will just leave."I shouted out, "Well, we have ****ALWAYS**** been a littleodd. So I wouldn't let that stop me!"Heard during one game“My letters are crappy!!”"OH YEAH??? WELL, I CAN OUTCRAP YOU!!!"Letters To Dear Stellar Stellacious:This particular letter did not get signed and lots of peoplesent in names that could apply:Any particular reason you listed words ending in **lay**?Nice weekend?Signed,Holding out in Hollywood? Too pooped to partake inPennsylvania? Loving the love in Las Vegas? About ready topull out my hair in Hawaii?Stell wrote and asked Jill and Andy Heffner this question:Dear Heffner Hilton:What kind of white wine do you usually dump in yourrecipes? And how much?This E Mail was Re-Routed to the "The Culinary Office" ofThe Heffner Hilton, who replied:To join OSPD, Stella'sSCRABBLE® mail group, pleasesend a blank message to thefollowing URL: ospd-scrabblesubscribe@yahoogroups.com.We are so delicious, that we areDIGESTable, with the digest formof only one e-mail a day.At the bottom of each and everye-mail that you receive fromOSPD, you will see the address tochange your daily subscriptionfrom receiving the e-mails as theycome in to only once a day in thedigest form.OSPD is a way for Scrabblers tocommunicate. We also have aDaily Word List: For example,one recent word list was “N” backhooks.Paul Epstein occasionally doesMystery Racks and we have aquiz from time to time.Please join us!StellaciousAKA Cheryl L. CadieuxDear Stellar Stellacious:As a standard practice, our office does not share recipes or technique questions with the "public"...However, I might suggest a Chardonnay, average quality is fine, and we generally use a "splash"...and the rest is immediately ingested by our guests!Chef Andre' 55

S T E L L ’ S R A C K S O F M I R T HStellaisms for Your DayStart each day with laughter, gratitude and a guilty pleasure!The first hundred years are the hardest.If you want your dreams to come true, you mustn't oversleep.Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting somekind of battle.A sharp tongue can cut your own throat."He's so old his blood type was discontinued." --Bill DanaLife is short! Break the rules!Forgive quickly! Kiss slowly!Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably.And never regret anything that made you smile!Cheryl L. Cadieux, a congenial tournament player better known to her OSPD group members as“Stella,” lives in Au Gres, MI and New Port Richey, FL.56

C L U B N E W SClub NewsLarry Sherman, EditorIf you'd like your club to be considered for an article or if a newsworthy event has taken place atyour club in the last month, please submit material to CorneliaSGuest@gmail.com.______________________________________________________________________________________Squeeze playThe Casselberry (FL) SCRABBLE® Club #438 congratulates Linn Wheeler for playing SQUEeZE for121 points on May 3, 2010. The play was remarkable for scoring so many points without the benefitof either a double- or triple-word score. The word was played from J1, with both the Q and the Zlanding on TLS, also forming the word (FAN)E. It's the highest scoring non-DWS-non-TWS bingothat anyone at the Casselberry Club could recall seeing.The Casselberry FL SCRABBLE Club #438 meets on Monday nights at 7:00 p.m. at the Wirz ParkRecreation Building, 806 Mark David Blvd., Casselberry, FL 32707 (near Orlando). Contactinformation: Carl Warner 407-620-6531 humblepig@cfl.rr.com; Tim Bottorff 407-883-9929timbottorff@gmail.com; or Art Moore 407-733-2095 lazyart@earthlink.net.Overwhelmingly impressive!This picture is of a game in division 3 of the Teeny TinyTucson Tournament #8 held on May 15th in Tucson, AZ.The players were the bottom two seeds in the bottom(third) division, Sara Boykan (rated 667) and MauriceRoss (rated 396).Sara played the bingo WhELMING through the "M". Laterin the game, Maurice front-extended "WHELMING" with"OVER" to form "OVERWHELMING". Shortly thereafter,Maurice added the "LY" to form the 14-letter wordOVERWHELMINGLY.While Maurice indeed did play OVERWHELMINGLY, Sarastill won the game and went on to win the divisionoverwhelmingly with a 7-1, + 558 performance.The Teeny Tiny Tucson Tournaments are directed by EdSaunders and partially subsidized by the members ofNASPA's Speedway and Northwest SCRABBLE® Clubs. Toread more about Tucson SCRABBLE®, see “Club News” in the March issue of The Last Word.Tucson SCRABBLE® Clubs information can be found at TucsonScrabble.com. 57

Back-to-back 600+ gamesC L U B N E W SThe first night Ed Zurav attended the Millburn NJSCRABBLE Club #411 on 9/8/2008, Phil Wertheimerplayed a 613 game, followed by a 603 game, to setthe official club record of 1216 for back-to-backgames. While that record still holds, Zurav recentlyhad two back-to-back 600+ games himself, the first atclub against Don Carson (601) and the second thenext night in his living room against club memberEllen Patterson Friedman (679).Club director Don Carson noted that Zurav’s game was only the eleventh 600 game in the club’shistory, with the record--629--held by Emily Seelenfreund (the club awards bags to players the firsttime they score 500, 600, or 700). Carson hopes Zurav’s example will encourage people to playoutside of club: “The joy of playing SCRABBLE® should not be limited to just club or tourney play,and the fact that Ed sought out someone to play during the week is important, too. SCRABBLE® isa game that was originally played at home between friends for social occasions, but too often nowwe just play when we see someone at club or go to a tourney, unless we happen to play online.”Although it is not an official record because both games weren’t at club, Zurav wonders whetheranyone has ever scored higher than his 1280 in back-to-back games.The Millburn NJ SCRABBLE Club #411 meets on Monday nights at 6:45 p.m. at the MillburnLibrary, 2nd Floor, 200 Glen Avenue, Millburn, NJ. Contact information: Don Carson, 7320297-7794,revdoncarson@verizon.net; Seth Mandel, 973-420-7768 dentalmesth@yahoo.com; Glenn Filzer,973-898-1963.Jack Black visits Santa Monica Club #195Actor Jack Black attended the Santa Monica CA SCRABBLE® Club #195 on Saturday, April 17th.He won three of the four games he played, averaging over 378 points a game, with a high game of434, three bingos, and a high non-bingo scoring 84.58

C L U B N E W SBlack, a huge fan of online SCRABBLE®, initially wanted to use his real name, Thomas, but laterallowed the substitute directors to use “Jack Black.” Director Bruce D’Ambrosio (who was at atournament that day) said, “I think at the end of the year on the club website, I will have his namelisted in the stats for the year as ‘Jack Black (yes, that Jack Black).’”The Santa Monica SCRABBLE® Club #195 meets on Saturday mornings at 10:00 a.m. at theFelicia Mahood Senior Center, 11338 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica CA. For informationcontact Bruce D’Ambrosio, 424-227-9412, scrabbleclub195@aol.com or visit the club website athttp://www.scrabbleclub195.net/A 4.4-in-a-million eventDiane Firstman reported the following event that happened to Debbie Stegman at the New York(NY) SCRABBLE® Club #56 on May 6th:“Warm-up game last night . . . my friend's first rack (she is going first): ELNRRRY1st "real" game of night . . . my friend's first rack (she is again going first): ELNRRRY“Yes, the exact same rack, each drawn from a 100-tile bag, two consecutive games.”The odds of drawing the same opening rack two games in a row is 4.4 out of a million, according toTom Sirgedas.Comments Stegman: “If I’m going to draw the same opening rack twice in a row, I’d prefer that beRETINA? or AELQSUZ :-)”The New York NY SCRABBLE® Club #56 meets on Thursday nights at 7:00 p.m. and for somecasual Sundays at 133 East 58th St., New York, NY, 12th floor, room 1202 (this is an office buildingin midtown Manhattan with a lobby security guard). For information contact Joel Sherman,718-881-7527, gijoel999@aol.com; Larry Sherman, icenine@panix.net or visit the website at http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeskktx/index.html203-point Bingo at Lauderhill Club #276John Thomason scored 203 points with the triple-triple FRESCOED on May12th at the Lauderhill FL SCRABBLE® Club #276. His final game score was543 points--his personal best--over Robert Kahn (who scored 449 and had 4bingos).Lauderhill FL Scrabble® Club #276 meetsWednesday nights from 5:45-9:00 p.m. atVeterans Park, 7600 NW 50th Street,Lauderhill, FL 33351. Contact Sandee Bloom,954-726-6449,sandee@scrabbleclub276.com; or LarryGradus, club335@comcast.net 59

H I S T O R I C M O M E N T SHistoric Moments: SCRABBLE® Throughout the YearsHow I Equaled Two Top Playersby Stu GoldmanSo much praise has been heaped on me recently via the video by Travis Chaney and MandyValencia, and the comments following it, that I feel I should put everything in the proper perspectivewith the story of a colossally inept blunder I made. I put on cgp at the time that it was the only way Icould equal the likes of David Gibson and Mark Nyman.What I did was fail to challenge a going-out winning bingo. The hook was LE or something similar.It was a tournament game in Oakland, in the monthly East Bay series that started about 17 yearsago. I believe I turned beet red when Bob Felt pointed out the hook to me.Nyman's gaff was caused partly by his propensity to use every second of his time. His opponentwas stuck with the J, and Mark, as was reported, had a rack with multiple O's that he regarded aslikely to lead to errors. The 1993 WSC winner laid down a 3-letter word ending with OY at the lowerleft corner of the board to go out, with precious little time left on his clock. At the last second hethought, "My opponent can't play," picked up the first letter from the red TWS square and hit hisclock. Of course, his opponent went out with JOY for 39 points.Gibson's error was even more costly. It was in a Gatlinburg tournament in 1993, a year when hewas set to play in the WSC and a new edition of the OSPD had just been published. David, ofcourse, was studying many new three-letter words. He front-hooked ET and played KET. Hisopponent challenged successfully, but Gibson was not fazed. He played KEN in the same spot and,of course, lost the second consecutive challenge of KET. That cost him the tournament, which helost by six points of cume.Everybody makes mistakes, of course. But I feel that my accepting a loss on a 2-letter phony is noworse than the other blunders described above, made by two of the game's greatest.Stu Goldman lives in California and has been playing tournament SCRABBLE® for 36 years.Watch Travis Chaney and Mandy Valencia’s short documentary on Stu on page 46.60

Scrab-dokuby Jeff KastnerS C R A B - D U K OIn a standard Sudoku, your object is to fill in every square of the grid so that all nine rows across, all ninecolumns 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 lettersto replace the numbers. These letters are part of a “Keyword” which I’ve scrambled below. I’ve also provideda clue to help you find the correct anagram. Once you’ve unscrambled the Keyword, one of the rows orcolumns will contain all of its 9 letters in the proper order.This week’s “Scrambled” Keyword: STALEMINDClue: It looks like it should mean: insult a NY Yankees legend; but, it actually means: take apart, tear down,or disassemble.Solution on page 63. 61

S C R A B - D U K OWord-Finder Challenge:Here’s an additional test of your anagramming ability. Your object is to find as many bingos as possibleusing only the 9 letters of this month’s (Scrambled) Keyword: STALEMIND.All words must be at least 7 letters long, as well as OWL2 or Long List acceptable. Each letter of theKeyword may be used only once within any word you find. Multiple forms of the same word are acceptable.For instance, if OUTLINE, OUTLINES, OUTLINED, and OUTLINER were contained in the Keyword, theycould all be used.Par Scores for this month’s Word-Finder Challenge:25 bingos (Novice); 35 (Intermediate); 50 (Advanced)Once you’ve compiled your list, check out my solution on page 63.See you next month with another Scrab-doku puzzle and Word-Finder Challenge! …Jeff Kastner62

S C R A B - D U K OWord-Finder ListKeyword (Unscrambled):DISMANTLE (58 bingos)AILMENTAILMENTSALIMENTALIMENTSDENIALSDENTALSDENTILSDESTAINDETAILSDETAINSDIASTEMDILATESDISMANTLEELASTINENTAILSETAMINSINMATESINSTEADLAMENTSMAIDENSMALINESMALTEDSMANLIESTMANTELSMANTIDSMANTLEDMANTLESMEDALISTMEDIALSMEDIANSMEDIANTMEDIANTSMEDINASMELANISTMENIALSMILDENSMILDESTMINDSETMISDATEMISDEALMISDEALTMISLEADMISTENDNAILSETNIDATESSAINTEDSALIENTSALTINESEMINALSIDEMANSLAINTESLANTEDSMALTINESNAILEDSTAINEDTAMEINSTANDEMSTENAILS 63

E Q U I P M E N T R O U N D U PEquipment RoundupThis month’s equipment roundup looks at tile racks. The Last Word makes no representation as toany of the equipment listed, and we will not accept calls related to order fulfillment or quality. We donot list prices as they are subject to change; follow the links for these.Readers are encouraged to write in to add equipment to our list (CorneliaSGuest@gmail.com).Next month we will look at equipment carriers and totes.TILE RACKSSAM KANTIMATHI (www.samtimer.com)Long wooden tile racks designed to fit into SamTimer® bags. 8.65” (22 cm). Designed with aslanted back and a large base to prevent tipping. Fits all kinds of tiles. Rubberized feet to minimizeslipping. End stoppers keep tiles from sliding off rack.SEVEN LETTERS® (www.sevenletters.com)High-quality aluminum-alloy cast of the original woodenSCRABBLE® rack. Can be personalized with engravings ofnames, favorite bingo, or last tournament win.64

E Q U I P M E N T R O U N D U PGENE TYSZKA (http://adjudicator3000.com/racks.html)Extra-long non-tipping wooden racks. 10” long with slant face.Manufactured of select maple hardwood (natural--no finish).Includes carry pouch (color options below); specify color withorder.BARRE (http://www.woodbybarre.com/Domino.htm)Solid oak SCRABBLE® racks. Sold in sets of 4.HASBRO (http://www.hasbro.com/customer-service/)Hasbro sells racks for their different SCRABBLE® games at http://www.hasbro.com/customerservice/replacement_parts.cfm?page=&per_page=10&order_by=S. 65

E Q U I P M E N T R O U N D U PSCRABBLE® RACK FROM LEGO® BRICKS (http://www.ericharshbarger.org/lego/images/scrabble_board/ScrabRack1.pdf)Here is a rack, designed by Eric Harshbarger in August, 2008, that anyone canput together. It costs $4.78 plus shipping, unless you happen to have a childwith a good supply of Lego parts to spare. Pricing and sourcing added bySteve Alexander in May, 2010.Scrabble Rack from Lego BricksDesign by Eric Harshbarger, Aug-2008pricing & sourcing added by Steven Alexander, May-2010http://www.ericharshbarger.org/lego/images/scrabble_board/ScrabRack1.pdfPricing from: http://us.factory.lego.com/pab/?warning=falseas of May-2010Name Category Element Id Design Id Color Family Exact Color Price Q Note1a Plate 1X3 Plates 362324 3623 Yellow Bright Yellow 0.09 2 0.181b Plate 2X3 Plates 302124 3021 Yellow Bright Yellow 0.11 11 1.212 Roof Tile 2X4/45°* Bricks, Sloping 303726 3037 Black Black 0.24 6 1.443a,4a,5 Plate 1X2 Plates 302324 3023 Yellow Bright Yellow 0.08 5 0.403b Plate 1X6 Plates 366624 3666 Yellow Bright Yellow 0.13 1 0.133c,4b Plate 1X8 Plates 346024 3460 Yellow Bright Yellow 0.20 5 1.006 Flat Tile 1X6 Plates 663624 6636 Yellow Bright Yellow 0.14 3 0.42Except as noted, all items:Exact Color: Bright yellow* Exact Color: Bright Red (303721) or White (303701) also availableTOTAL 4.7866

E Q U I P M E N T R O U N D U PSCRABBLE® TILE RACK APP (for use with iPad)ITUNES (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/scrabble-tile-rack/id363327037?mt=8)Free Entertainment Arts SCRABBLE® app for iPhone (OS 3.0 or later) or iPod touch for use withiPad. See reviews at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFBua8uGQp4, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SU_0PX_04A, and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAqAjHQJLd8 and/or seedemonstration of SCRABBLE® app for iPad with Tile Rack app for iPhones/iPod Touch by clickingbottom photo.XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 67

SCRABBLE®ResourcesS C R A B B L E R E S O U R C E SThere are many study tools to help tournament SCRABBLE® players hone their skills, including anumber of programs that can be downloaded for free. This section will offer suggestions and links,plus feature each month a different SCRABBLE® resource. This month Bill Snoddy reviews “theFranklin,” an electronic dictionary that is also an anagrammer and offers several word games._________________________________________________________________________THE FRANKLIN ELECTRONIC SCRABBLE® PLAYERS DICTIONARYby Bill SnoddyI remember my excitement when Joe Edley introduced the thensoon-to-be-released updated Franklin electronic SCRABBLE®Players Dictionary during a Reno tournament in July of 2003. It hadbeen several years since the tinier black Franklins had becomeunavailable, and even they had certainly not been updated since the1998 word list revision. DA!With OSPD-4 as its word source, the revised Franklin does notinclude objectionable words, pleasing sixth-grade teachers acrossthe continent. No $#!t! The “poo list” of words considered offensivecan be added and activated simply by typing **otcwl and pressing "enter." The Franklin canthen make for a so-so word judge.For example, if you type in FOILER and hit enter, you will see the word “Working…” on thedisplay. This means the device is searching unsuccessfully for the word because it is notgood. But a few seconds later, it offers a suggestion by way of a correction list, and you andyour opponent see the word FOWLER. Well, we are not looking for suggestions that mightaffect a subsequent play, are we? Zyzzyva, LAMPwords, CheckWord, LeXpert and TWL2can all serve as better word judges without giving so much information away, but they are notalways convenient or available.The battery case on the back is not easy to access, requiring a tiny Phillips screwdriver.Several players have not replaced the little Phillips screw and report that the battery lid withplastic clips stays on reliably without it. Battery life is excellent with 4 AAAs, not included. Thedevice automatically powers down after a short time of no interaction, and when poweredback up returns precisely to the previous activity.Occasionally you will wish for a backlit screen that you can see in darker areas, but thenrealize it will save you many batteries to be almost as happy without it. The on/off button isrecessed, preventing accidental power-ups.68

S C R A B B L E R E S O U R C E SThe device is the size of a very large hand, too big for a small pocket, but fits readily into apurse or perfectly into a variety of carriers for portable CD players.The length-of-word limitation seems a little unpredictable. PODIATRIES (a 10-letter word) islisted and defined, because the original word is an eight. But PEDIATRIST (also a 10) andALLEVIATION (an 11) are not listed. The nines, like PERFUMERY and LAMEBRAIN, arelisted but not defined. By using a bit more memory, Franklin could have included much moreof “the long list” without definitions, too.The Build feature takes a number of entered letters and lists all the possible words, startingwith those that make the highest raw score, but doesn’t take into account the bingo bonus.The Pattern feature requires some practice but lets you enter information about availablespace and letters already in place on a board, even designate premium squares, then enteryour rack and the display will reveal your best options. Amazing, really. But then, I’m easilyimpressed.Of the three games available, the 7-letter Jumble seems the most valuable. But mostunfortunately, many of the same words keep showing up. And when the solution hasanagrams (thus more than one right answer) the alternate anagrams are not displayed asanswers. See a strange word? You must exit the game, then enter the word to see thedefinition, then return to the game and start over. Three levels of difficulty give you theoptions of five-letter words, sixes, or sevens to unscramble, but wouldn’t fives, sevens, andeights be a little more practical for the serious player? “But there are only seven tiles on aSCRABBLE® rack!” Uhhh… call me.Mystery Word is a variant of Hangman and is amusing, but I’m not sure it efficientlyincreases SCRABBLE® skills. Word Deduction is more of a logic game that could even beplayed with colors like Mastermind, and is a painfully slow way to increase word knowledge.Today you can spend about $50 for the current version, updated yet again in 2008. If you areable to find a used one, be sure to get model #SCR-228 which uses OSPD-4 as the wordsource. Do not accidentally purchase an old #SCR-226. No worries if your used one doesn’tinclude an instruction manual, as this is a free download from Franklin. Surprisingly, eBayhas the highest prices I have seen for new ones.Bottom line: Ask for it as a present! This device is definitely worth somebody else’s money,but maybe not yours! It is certainly useful, but likely to be superseded eventually by apps oncertain smartphones and other fruity devices, pads, and tablets out there in the high techworld.The Franklin SCRABBLE® Players Dictionary is available at Amazon.com.Bill Snoddy is a family physician in Asheville, NC, and co-director of SCRABBLE® Club#608. He says he can’t get any better at the game after playing for eight years, but doesenjoy making PowerPoint slide shows for learning high-probability bingos.www.ashevillescrabble.com 69

OTHERSCRABBLE®RESOURCE LINKSPlay SCRABBLE® OnLinePOGO SCRABBLE®The official SCRABBLE® onlinegame. Created underagreement with Hasbro in 2008.SCRABBLE® ONFACEBOOKSelect the SCRABBLE®application on the Facebookhome page to play the officialSCRABBLE® game. Variousgroups hold tournaments at thissite, including a group called“Mad Scrabblers”.INTERNET SCRABBLE®CLUBA Romanian-based site andapplication for interactivegames. A favorite site for manyof the top players.Play Live SCRABBLE®CROSS-TABLESLists all upcoming tournaments,as well as results of pasttournaments. Has SCRABBLE®tournament aides.NASPA CLUB LISTINGSLists clubs throughout NorthAmerica with their meetingtimes and locations.S C R A B B L E R E S O U R C E SNSA CLUB LISTINGSLists casual clubs throughoutNorth America with theirmeeting times and locations.Anagramming/PracticeToolsJUMBLETIMEA free web site for practicinganagramming skills.MAC USERS: After you do aJumbletime quiz on a Mac, thescroll bar to view the results ismissing. To make it appear, goto the lower right corner andgrab the striped triangle andshrink the window all the way tothe top left corner. When youpull it back, the scroll bar to theright of the answers to the quiz(magically) appears. (Make sureyou do this before you checkyour score against otherplayers.) Also, before running aquiz, you might want to firstpress Control and scroll with themouse to enlarge the screen sothat you can more easily viewthe jumbles. Once you finishplaying, scroll the screen backto its original size. (Thanks toLarry Rand and MoniqueKornell.)AEROLITHA free application for practicinganagramming skills andlearning words.QUACKLEA free application for playing,simulating, and analyzinggames.ZYZZYVAA free application for practicinganagramming skills andlearning words. Also has WordJudge capabilities.SCRABBLE®DICTIONARYType a word to check foracceptability. OSPD4 words.LEXIFIND WORD FINDERType a word to check foracceptability (includes Collinswords and TWL06). Alsoincludes anagramming andconstraint-based retrieval.FRANKLIN SCRABBLE®PLAYERS DICTIONARYAn electronic handhelddictionary and anagrammer,with many helpful options andgames. Includes the latestword lists, and can be adjustedfrom OSPD4 to OWL2 lists witha code.CLICK HERE TO HELPEND WORD HUNGER ASYOU LEARN WORDSA free vocabulary testing site.For every correct word, grainsof rice are donated through theUnited Nations World FoodProgram. Feed hungry peopleas you expand your vocabulary!70

Online SCRABBLE®Discussion GroupsCGP (crossword-gamespro@yahoogroups.com)This group, for tournamentplayers and directors only, hasthe largest membership of anyonline tournamentSCRABBLE® discussion group.Most important events andchanges in the SCRABBLE®world are discussed on cgp.Admission is by approval only.Details can be found in theNASPA TournamentSCRABBLE® Newsletter #1.OSPD (ospdscrabble@yahoogroups.com)This group, dedicated to playersusing The Official SCRABBLE®Players’ Dictionary, offers lightheartedhumor, daily word lists,and more. Admission is to allSCRABBLE® lovers. Detailscan be found in the NASPATournament SCRABBLE®Newsletter #1.SCRABBLE® BlogsTHE BADQOPHDIRECTORYThis is a database of blogs byknown SCRABBLE® bloggers,primarily tournament players.As of March 29th there were196 blogs in the directory.Cheat SheetsMIKE BARON’S CHEATSHEETS C R A B B L E R E S O U R C E SA great cheat sheet with 2s, 3s,vowel dumps, short high-pointtilewords, and good bingostems. Includes useful frontand back hook letters to make3s from 2s. Adapted from MikeBarron’s SCRABBLE®Wordbook and the OfficialTournament and Club WordList, 2nd Edition.MIKE BARON’S CHEATSHEET (for SchoolSCRABBLE® and homeplay)A great cheat sheet with 2s, 3s,vowel dumps, short high-pointtilewords, and good bingostems. Includes useful frontand back hook letters to make3s from 2s. Adapted from MikeBarron’s SCRABBLE®Wordbook and the OfficialSCRABBLE® PlayersDictionary, 4th Edition.COOL WORDS TO KNOWA terrific cheat sheet from theNational SCRABBLE®Association for SchoolSCRABBLE® and home play.Gives useful information on howto find bingos, plus the 2s, 3s,vowel dumps, and short highpoint-tileplays.COLLINS-ONLY CHEATSHEETA cheat sheet of short Collinswords NOT found in the OWL2.2s, 3s, short high-point-tilewords, and Q-without-U words.COLLINS WORD LISTSUseful links to Collins word listscan be found at the followingwebsites: 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/.BOOKSBOB’S BIBLEA terrific book to build wordpower for tournaments.BOB’S BIBLE, SCHOOLEDITIONFor School SCRABBLE® andhome play.BROW-RAISERS IIA brilliantly organized studyguide geared towards thesuccess of beginning andintermediate players.THE CHAMPION’SSTRATEGY FORWINNING ATSCRABBLE® BRANDCROSSWORD GAMEA guide from North AmericanSCRABBLE® Champion JoelWapnick. Out of print, butavailable sometimes atAmazon.com and on disc.Note: New words not included.ENGLISH LANGUAGEWORD BUILDERBob Jackman’s guide tobuilding a strong Collinsvocabulary, organized by wordlength, familiarity, and part ofspeech. 71

EVERYTHINGSCRABBLE®, THIRDEDITIONThe ultimate guide to winningat SCRABBLE@ by 3-timeNational Champion Joe Edleyand John D. Williams, Jr.Completely updated toinclude all new words. (Seereview in the January issue ofThe Last word.)THE OFFICIALSCRABBLE® PLAYERSDICTIONARY, FOURTHEDITIONThe official word source forSchool SCRABBLE® andcasual play.THE OFFICIALTOURNAMENT ANDCLUB WORD LIST, 2NDEDITIONThe official word source forNASPA tournament and clubplay.SCRABBLE®TOURNAMENT & CLUBWORD LIST (COLLINS)The official word list forinternational tournament play.(Available at SamTimer.com.)SCRABBLE®WORDBOOKA great word book forSCRABBLE® players by MikeBaron. OSPD4 words. (POOLists available with wordsexcluded from the OWL2.)S C R A B B L E R E S O U R C E S72

JUNE TOURNAMENTSCalgary AB CAN 6/5-6Tampa FL 6/5Berkeley CA 6/6Laguna Woods CA 6/6Bayside NY 6/12Charlotte NC 6/12-13Ft. Lauderdale FL 6/12Kansas City MO 6/12-13Mississauga ON CAN 6/12Pittsburgh PA 6/12-13Guelph ON CAN 6/13Wilmington DE 6/13Nashua NH 6/18-20Victoria BC CAN 6/18-20Dallas TX 6/19Edmonton AB CAN 6/19Knoxville TN 6/19-20Mountain View CA 6/20Northern Spain Tour 6/24-7/1Ft. Lauderdale FL 6/25-27Michigan Madness MI 6/26-27Seattle WA 6/26Reno NV 6/30-7/5J U N E T O U R N A M E T C A L E N D A RWESTBerkeley CA 6/6Laguna Woods CA 6/6Mountain View CA 6/20Seattle WA 6/26Reno NV 6/30-7/5MIDWESTPittsburgh PA 6/12-13Michigan Madness MI 6/26-27NORTHEASTBayside NY 6/12Wilmington DE 6/13Nashua NH 6/18-20SOUTHTampa FL 6/5Charlotte NC 6/12-13Ft. Lauderdale FL 6/12Knoxville TN 6/19-20Ft. Lauderdale FL 6/25-27SOUTHWESTKansas City MO 6/12-13Dallas TX 6/19CANADACalgary AB 6/5-6Mississauga ON 6/12Guelph ON 6/13Victoria BC 6/18-20Edmonton AB 6/19INTERNATIONALNorthern Spain Tour 6/24-71

JULY TOURNAMENTSAlbany, NY 7/1-5Laguna Woods CA 7/4Akron OH 7/10-11J U L Y T O U R N A M E N T C A L E N D A RWESTLaguna Woods CA 7/4Berkeley CA 7/11Arcata CA 7/16Mountain View CA 7/18Bayside NY 7/10Ft. Lauderdale FL 7/10Omaha NE 7/10-11Tampa FL 7/10Berkeley CA 7/11Guelph ON CAN 7/11Toronto ON CAN 7/16-18Arcata CA 7/16Austin TX 7/16Mountain View, CA 7/18Philadelphia PA 7/18Concord MA 7/24Dallas TX 7/24Findlay OH (Restricted MI v. OH) 7/24-25MIDWESTAkron OH 7/10-11Omaha NE 7/10-11Findlay OH (Restricted MI v. OH) 7/24-25La Grange Park IL 7/31NORTHEASTAlbany NY 7/1-5Bayside NY 7/10Philadelphia PA 7/18Concord MA 7/24Rockville MD 7/24SOUTHFt. Lauderdale FL 7/10Tampa FL 7/10Ft. Lauderdale FL 6/12SOUTHWESTAustin TX 7/16Dallas TX 7/24CANADAGuelph ON 7/11Toronto ON 7/16-18Ft. Lauderdale FL 7/24Rockville MD 7/24La Grange Park IL 7/3174

A R C H I V E SArchivesTo access previous issues of The Last Word click the links below.Issue 1: November 2009Issue 2: December 2009Issue 3: January 2010Issue 4: February 2010Issue 5: March 2010Issue 6: April 2010Issue 7: May 2010 75