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2005 National SCRABBLE® Championship Commentary: Round 12

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Go to: Anagrams Championship, Before the Tournament, Round 1, Round 2, Round 3, Round 4, Round 5, Round 6, Round 7, Round 8, Round 9, Round 10, Round 11, Round 12, Round 13, Round 14, Round 15, Round 16, Round 17, Round 18, Round 19, Round 20, Round 21, Round 22, Round 23, Round 24, Round 25, Round 26, Round 27, Round 28, Final Round 1, Final Round 2, Final Round 3, Final Round 4, Final Round 5.

Round 12

From the better late than never department, let me report on a game from round 11. No photo, but a fun one nonetheless. It was a Keith Valentine (Everett, WA) vs. Joseph Jokubaitis (Watertown, CT) battle. Keith opened with BIZONAL for 106, which sort of set the tone for the rest of the game. He went on to play AERIEST for 79, INVADERS for 95, RESLATe for 65, and UTERInE for 68. Joe managed a bingo of his own, PRONATE for 76. A wonderful, for Keith, final score, 567-258.

As the players file out for lunch, someone hands me a slip of paper that reads: "Division 4, There is a man with a plant and a woman with a candle." I take it these are good luck totems.

Stop the presses! We have a woman at board 2 in division 1! Carol Kaplan (San Diego, CA) is facing off against Nathan Benedict (Tucson, AZ). Nothing against you Nathan, but go Carol!

I spot Patricia Hiller (Austin, TX) and Terry Lee (Huntington Beach, CA) at a WordJudge machine. As they walk away, I see that JAX* was ruled not acceptable.

Division 5, board 1, Anna Miransky (Toronto ON) defeated Maureen Morris (Calgary AB), 439-324. I hear Maureen say that Anna played everything and from a quick glance at SHEARING for 89, VISITERs for 78, and ZINNiA for 56, I think she may be right!

At nearby table 2, youngster Alison Hotten (Santa Cruz, CA) defeated Bob Kilpatrick (Washington, DC) with a resounding score of 480-214. When I took a photo, he bemoaned this loss being recorded for posterity. She points out the prettier plays: her REGLUES for 71 and EXoRCIST for 98 and Robert's QuILT for 35.

I thought games like this only happened to me, but Verna Berg Richards (New York, NY) flagged me over to see a game she lost by more than 350 points. She scored 192 to her opponent's 544. Way to go Judy Levitt (Los Angeles, CA)! Judy made some beautiful plays: STROBLIA from the S for 89, INFECTS, AVIATIOn, but her most amazing play was ETHNARCHS from the E to the S for 68! Verna kindly opened their game with VET, thinking it a safe play, and didn't Judy just pounce on it with AVIATIOn. Without the V, she would have had nothing. Anyway, great great great find, Judy. And spectacular sportsmanship, Verna.

Table 28 in division 2 had Mike Frentz (Seattle, WA) fall to Shane Tourtellotte (Westfield, NJ), 408-476. Shane played NIOBATES to the S for 89, then Mike got down AERIFIEd through the first I for 64. Shane then played ELATERID from the first E for 86. The last three plays of the game packed a huge punch: Mike's TYROSINE through the Y for 62, Shane's ZEES/TYROSINES to the triple for 105, and Mike's endgame bingo out of LUNATICs from the L for 72.

In division 5 at table 5, one of our younguns, Jesse Day (Arlington, MA) defeats Ken Kasney (Cypress, TX), 413-380. Each player had two bingos: Jesse's NITERIE for 69 and OUTLINE for 75 and Ken's PETITION for 72 and CARAVELs for 90. Jesse's mom is chaperoning him to the event and instead of waiting for him outside, she is instead playing in division 6, Catherine Day (Arlington, MA). The family that plays together, stays together!

Two of the nicest guys in SCRABBLE^® faced off in division 1 this round. I even stopped by before their game began to tell them this. And, wouldn't you know it? Neither wanted to beat they other so they tied with 391-391! The players: Jim Kramer (Roseville, MN) and John Luebkemann (Pineville, NC), who to now is still famous for being the only player in the event to had Panupol Sujjayakorn (Thailand) a defeat so far! In their tie, Jim played RAVINGS for 80 and John played LOAMIER for 86 and SHAPEUP for 85. The latter was challenged by Jim and now he knows a new word! Showing his human side, John tried HOOLIES*, but Jim called it off the board.

A late-ending game this round between division 3's Steve Hartsman (Brown Deer, WI) and Robert Gillis (Owens X Roads, AL). Steve opened with HOACTZIN through the Z for 78 after Bob played ZORI. Bob's next play was MIAULED through the N, hooking and making ZORIL for 84. Steve also played MENTHANOL through the N for 71 and Bob played LEGERITY through the first E for 66. Other good plays were Bob's VEXED/AX/BE/EE for 52 and FLOW for 54. Bob is now happy. He'd lost the last 5 games, but this one was his win, 427-405.