Benjamin Bloom [#11] at 2004 National SCRABBLE® Championship

[ Congratulations to the new National Champion, Trey Wright, who defeated David Gibson in three straight games, 365-328, 355-344 and 429-328. Please tune in to ESPN to watch the final games at 1 P.M. ET on Sunday, October 3rd, 2004. We welcome your e-mailed corrections to our web site. ]

On this page, you will find information about Benjamin Bloom, who is a contestant in Division 2 at the 2004 National SCRABBLE® Championship, held July 31st - August 5th in New Orleans, LA. This page is updated at least hourly between 09:00 A.M. and midnight CDT. Bloom currently has a record of 14-16, -798, and is ranked #100 in Division 2.

Lower on this page, you can find brief self-reported biographical details of the player, statistics on the player's past several years of rated tournament play in North America, a graphic showing the player's ups and downs at this tournament, and a round-by-round report on the player's opponents and games.

Background Information
	Given name(s): Benjamin Surname(s): Bloom Home: Sunny Isles, FL, United States Age: 29 Awards: Ping Pong Silver Medalist at Cerebral Palsy World Games Hobbies: Poetry, Ping Pong Occupation: Writer

Career History

5-year record against other players at this event	16.5-25.5 (0.393)
Past 1-12 months	2-5 (0.286)	L W L W LLL
Past 13-24 months	11-13 (0.458)	W L W L W LLLL WWW L WWWW LLLL W LL
Past 25-36 months	3.5-5.5 (0.389)	LLTW L W L W L
Past 37-48 months	no games
Past 49-60 months	0-2 (0.000)	LL

Rank Diagram

[rank diagram]
See legend

Round-by-Round
High score: 493 Average for: 371 Average against: 398
Round 1		Bloom played #106 David Pearl (Long Beach, CA) and lost 353 to 413 (a spread of -60) . Before this event, Bloom had not played Pearl in at least 5 years. Current ranking: #100. Current record: 0-1, -60.
Round 2		Bloom played #66 Richard Johnson (Plano, TX) and lost 314 to 467 (a spread of -153) . The last time these two played was 2003-04 at: MASTERS CHAMPIONSHIP Bloom's record vs. Johnson in the 5 years leading up to this event: 0-1 (0.000). Past 1-12 months: no games. Past 13-24 months: L. Past 25-36 months: no games. Past 37-48 months: no games. Past 49-60 months: no games. Current ranking: #123. Current record: 0-2, -213.
Round 3		Bloom played #25 Pamina Deutsch (Corrales, NM) and won 437 to 315 (a spread of 122) . Before this event, Bloom had not played Deutsch in at least 5 years. Current ranking: #90. Current record: 1-2, -91.
Round 4		Bloom played #23 Maureen Delgado (Houston, TX) and won 391 to 317 (a spread of 74) . Before this event, Bloom had not played Delgado in at least 5 years. Current ranking: #73. Current record: 2-2, -17.
Round 5		Bloom played #127 Rebecca Soble (Naples, NY) and lost 301 to 458 (a spread of -157) . The last time these two played was 2003-07 at: RENO, NV Bloom's record vs. Soble in the 5 years leading up to this event: 0-1 (0.000). Past 1-12 months: no games. Past 13-24 months: L. Past 25-36 months: no games. Past 37-48 months: no games. Past 49-60 months: no games. Current ranking: #102. Current record: 2-3, -174.
Round 6		Bloom played #90 Bob Lundegaard (Minneapolis, MN) and lost 365 to 405 (a spread of -40) . Before this event, Bloom had not played Lundegaard in at least 5 years. Current ranking: #111. Current record: 2-4, -214.
Round 7		Bloom played #92 Shahid Malik (Burlington, NJ) and lost 228 to 555 (a spread of -327) . Before this event, Bloom had not played Malik in at least 5 years. Current ranking: #124. Current record: 2-5, -541.
Round 8		Bloom played #128 Florence Spanfelner (Baltimore, MD) and won 396 to 370 (a spread of 26) . The last time these two played was 2003-04 at: MASTERS CHAMPIONSHIP Bloom's record vs. Spanfelner in the 5 years leading up to this event: 0-1 (0.000). Past 1-12 months: no games. Past 13-24 months: L. Past 25-36 months: no games. Past 37-48 months: no games. Past 49-60 months: no games. Current ranking: #113. Current record: 3-5, -515.
Round 9		Bloom played #52 Larry P. Gradus (Margate, FL) and lost 291 to 539 (a spread of -248) . The last time these two played was 2003-11 at: STUART, FL Bloom's record vs. Gradus in the 5 years leading up to this event: 0-1 (0.000). Past 1-12 months: L. Past 13-24 months: no games. Past 25-36 months: no games. Past 37-48 months: no games. Past 49-60 months: no games. Current ranking: #122. Current record: 3-6, -763. Bloom is mentioned in this round's photo captions (1 hit).
Round 10		Bloom played #17 David B. Carlson (Manchester, CT) and lost 358 to 416 (a spread of -58) . Before this event, Bloom had not played Carlson in at least 5 years. Current ranking: #125. Current record: 3-7, -821.
Round 11		Bloom played #85 Frank Lee (Cincinnati, OH) and won 424 to 301 (a spread of 123) . The last time these two played was 2003-04 at: MASTERS CHAMPIONSHIP Bloom's record vs. Lee in the 5 years leading up to this event: 1-0 (1.000). Past 1-12 months: no games. Past 13-24 months: W. Past 25-36 months: no games. Past 37-48 months: no games. Past 49-60 months: no games. Current ranking: #119. Current record: 4-7, -698.
Round 12		Bloom played #80 Robin LaPrelle (Rural Retreat, VA) and won 373 to 326 (a spread of 47) . Before this event, Bloom had not played LaPrelle in at least 5 years. Current ranking: #107. Current record: 5-7, -651.
Round 13		Bloom played #28 Nancy Druskin (Ardsley, NY) and lost 397 to 454 (a spread of -57) . Before this event, Bloom had not played Druskin in at least 5 years. Current ranking: #114. Current record: 5-8, -708.
Round 14		Bloom played #15 Cheryl Cadieux (Bay City, MI) and lost 327 to 427 (a spread of -100) . The last time these two played was 2002-08 at: NATIONAL SCRABBLE CHAMPIONSHIP Bloom's record vs. Cadieux in the 5 years leading up to this event: 0-1 (0.000). Past 1-12 months: no games. Past 13-24 months: no games. Past 25-36 months: L. Past 37-48 months: no games. Past 49-60 months: no games. Current ranking: #123. Current record: 5-9, -808.
Round 15		Bloom played #72 Joan Kelly (Middletown, NY) and lost 376 to 415 (a spread of -39) . Before this event, Bloom had not played Kelly in at least 5 years. Current ranking: #127. Current record: 5-10, -847.
Round 16		Bloom played #97 Charles Merlis (West Hartford, CT) and lost 304 to 413 (a spread of -109) . Before this event, Bloom had not played Merlis in at least 5 years. Current ranking: #132. Current record: 5-11, -956. Bloom is mentioned in this round's commentary (1 hit).
Round 17		Bloom played #37 Evelyn A. Enszer (Saginaw, MI) and won 420 to 380 (a spread of 40) . Before this event, Bloom had not played Enszer in at least 5 years. Current ranking: #125. Current record: 6-11, -916.
Round 18		Bloom played #96 Judy McLean (Vancouver BC) and won 405 to 387 (a spread of 18) . Before this event, Bloom had not played McLean in at least 5 years. Current ranking: #119. Current record: 7-11, -898.
Round 19		Bloom played #44 Richard Ganguet (Cuba, AL) and lost 363 to 412 (a spread of -49) . The last time these two played was 2002-08 at: NATIONAL SCRABBLE CHAMPIONSHIP Bloom's record vs. Ganguet in the 5 years leading up to this event: 0-1 (0.000). Past 1-12 months: no games. Past 13-24 months: no games. Past 25-36 months: L. Past 37-48 months: no games. Past 49-60 months: no games. Current ranking: #125. Current record: 7-12, -947.
Round 20		Bloom played #72 Joan Kelly (Middletown, NY) and won 402 to 381 (a spread of 21) . Before this event, Bloom had not played Kelly in at least 5 years. Current ranking: #119. Current record: 8-12, -926.
Round 21		Bloom played #111 Ann Raymond (West Chester, PA) and won 414 to 354 (a spread of 60) . Before this event, Bloom had not played Raymond in at least 5 years. Current ranking: #111. Current record: 9-12, -866.
Round 22		Bloom played #96 Judy McLean (Vancouver BC) and lost 377 to 391 (a spread of -14) . Before this event, Bloom had not played McLean in at least 5 years. Current ranking: #120. Current record: 9-13, -880.
Round 23		Bloom played #16 Jacqueline Camper (Memphis, TN) and lost 342 to 449 (a spread of -107) . Before this event, Bloom had not played Camper in at least 5 years. Current ranking: #124. Current record: 9-14, -987.
Round 24		Bloom played #85 Frank Lee (Cincinnati, OH) and won 449 to 375 (a spread of 74) . The last time these two played was 2003-04 at: MASTERS CHAMPIONSHIP Bloom's record vs. Lee in the 5 years leading up to this event: 1-0 (1.000). Past 1-12 months: no games. Past 13-24 months: W. Past 25-36 months: no games. Past 37-48 months: no games. Past 49-60 months: no games. Current ranking: #118. Current record: 10-14, -913.
Round 25		Bloom played #33 Carolyn Easter (Birmingham, MI) and lost 282 to 438 (a spread of -156) . Before this event, Bloom had not played Easter in at least 5 years. Current ranking: #123. Current record: 10-15, -1069.
Round 26		Bloom played #16 Jacqueline Camper (Memphis, TN) and won 309 to 300 (a spread of 9) . Before this event, Bloom had not played Camper in at least 5 years. Current ranking: #113. Current record: 11-15, -1060.
Round 27		Bloom played #134 Sharon Swerdloff (New York, NY) and won 493 to 333 (a spread of 160) . Before this event, Bloom had not played Swerdloff in at least 5 years. Current ranking: #106. Current record: 12-15, -900.
Round 28		Bloom played #22 T. Matthew De Waelsche (San Antonio, TX) and won 398 to 395 (a spread of 3) . Before this event, Bloom had not played De Waelsche in at least 5 years. Current ranking: #100. Current record: 13-15, -897.
Round 29		Bloom played #14 Lorraine Burton (Baltimore, MD) and won 461 to 292 (a spread of 169) . Before this event, Bloom had not played Burton in at least 5 years. Current ranking: #89. Current record: 14-15, -728.
Round 30		Bloom played #4 Shah Ali (Herndon, VA) and lost 394 to 464 (a spread of -70) . Before this event, Bloom had not played Ali in at least 5 years. Current ranking: #100. Current record: 14-16, -798.

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