Nathan Benedict [#9] at 2005 National SCRABBLE® Championship

[ Congratulations to David Wiegand, the 2005 National SCRABBLE® Champion, who defeated his opponent, Panupol Sujjayakorn, 338-467, 349-463, 501-364, 441-371 and 529-331. Live coverage of this event is now complete. Viewers may be interested in reading Stefan Fatsis’s article about the NSC in the Wall Street Journal. Please also watch ESPN's telecast of the finals, which will first air at 1 P.M. EST on Sunday, October 2nd, 2005, and then be rebroadcast several times throughout the season on ESPN and ESPN2. ]

On this page, you will find information about Nathan Benedict, who is a contestant in Division 1 at the 2005 National SCRABBLE® Championship, held August 20th – 24th in Reno, NV. This page is updated at least hourly between 09:00 A.M. and midnight PDT. Benedict currently has a record of 12-16, -526, and is ranked #71 in Division 1.

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): Nathan Surname(s): Benedict Home: Tucson, AZ, United States Age: 25 Awards: 11th at 2004 Nationals; 2003, 2004 Albuquerque NM; 2004-05 Los Gatos, CA; 2004-12 Tuscon, NM; 2nd place Grand Canyon 2003; 2003, 1999 Reno Early Bird Hobbies: Yoga, Crosswords, Siamese Cats Occupation: Law Clerk for Pima County Superior Court

Career History

6-year record against other players at this event	156-114 (0.578)
Past 1-12 months	78.5-49.5 (0.613)	WW L W L WWWW L WW L WWW L WWWW LTL W L WWW L WWWWWWW L WWW L WW L WWW LLLLLL WW LL WWWW LL WW L W L WW LLLL WW L WWW LLL W LL W L W LLL WWW L WWWWW LLLLLL W L WWWWWWWWWWW LL W L WWW
Past 13-24 months	43-21 (0.672)	WWTWW L WW L W L W LLLL W L WWWWWW L WW L WW L WWW L W LL WWWWWWWWWWW LL WW LL WW L W LTWWW
Past 25-36 months	15.5-20.5 (0.431)	W LLLLL W LL WW LLLLL WW LLLL WWWWWTW LL WW L W L
Past 37-48 months	15-17 (0.469)	WWW LLLL WW LLL WWWW LL W LL WW LLLL WWW LL
Past 49-60 months	3-3 (0.500)	WW LLL W
Past 61-72 months	1-3 (0.250)	LLL W

Rank Diagram

[rank diagram]
See legend

Round-by-Round
High score: 568 Average for: 374 Average against: 395
Round 1		Benedict recorded a bye with a spread of 50 points. Current ranking: #30. Current record: 1-0, +50.
Round 2		Benedict played #29 Steve Grob (Fenton, MI) and lost 366 to 393 (a spread of -27) . Before this event, Benedict had not played Grob in at least 6 years. Current ranking: #40. Current record: 1-1, +23.
Round 3		Benedict played #72 Larry Rand (Chandler, AZ) and won 396 to 358 (a spread of 38) . The last time these two played was 2005-04 at: PHOENIX, AZ Benedict’s record vs. Rand in the 6 years leading up to this event: 5-0 (1.000). Past 1-12 months: W. Past 13-24 months: WWWW. Past 25-36 months: no games. Past 37-48 months: no games. Past 49-60 months: no games. Past 61-72 months: no games. Current ranking: #29. Current record: 2-1, +61.
Round 4		Benedict played #26 J Goard (Foresthill, CA) and won 415 to 329 (a spread of 86) . The last time these two played was 2003-07 at: RENO, NV Benedict’s record vs. Goard in the 6 years leading up to this event: 1-0 (1.000). Past 1-12 months: no games. Past 13-24 months: no games. Past 25-36 months: W. Past 37-48 months: no games. Past 49-60 months: no games. Past 61-72 months: no games. Current ranking: #19. Current record: 3-1, +147.
Round 5		Benedict played #10 Evan Berofsky (Thornhill ON) and won 568 to 279 (a spread of 289) . Before this event, Benedict had not played Berofsky in at least 6 years. Current ranking: #5. Current record: 4-1, +436. Benedict is mentioned in this round’s photo captions (1 hit).
Round 6		Benedict played #14 Ira Cohen (Los Angeles, CA) and won 426 to 407 (a spread of 19) . The last time these two played was 2004-11 at: LAS VEGAS, NV Benedict’s record vs. Cohen in the 6 years leading up to this event: 9-8 (0.529). Past 1-12 months: LW. Past 13-24 months: WLWWWW. Past 25-36 months: LLWL. Past 37-48 months: WLL. Past 49-60 months: WL. Past 61-72 months: no games. Current ranking: #4. Current record: 5-1, +455.
Round 7		Benedict played #55 Lloyd Mills (Georgetown ON) and lost 384 to 422 (a spread of -38) . The last time these two played was 2005-04 at: PIGEON FORGE, TN Benedict’s record vs. Mills in the 6 years leading up to this event: 1-2 (0.333). Past 1-12 months: LLW. Past 13-24 months: no games. Past 25-36 months: no games. Past 37-48 months: no games. Past 49-60 months: no games. Past 61-72 months: no games. Current ranking: #12. Current record: 5-2, +417.
Round 8		Benedict played #66 Rusty Peltz (San Diego, CA) and won 397 to 292 (a spread of 105) . The last time these two played was 2003-01 at: NEWPORT BEACH, CA Benedict’s record vs. Peltz in the 6 years leading up to this event: 1-0 (1.000). Past 1-12 months: no games. Past 13-24 months: no games. Past 25-36 months: W. Past 37-48 months: no games. Past 49-60 months: no games. Past 61-72 months: no games. Current ranking: #7. Current record: 6-2, +522.
Round 9		Benedict played #85 Ian Weinstein (Coral Springs, FL) and won 446 to 360 (a spread of 86) . Before this event, Benedict had not played Weinstein in at least 6 years. Current ranking: #4. Current record: 7-2, +608.
Round 10		Benedict played #46 Jerry Lerman (Foster City, CA) and lost 292 to 429 (a spread of -137) . The last time these two played was 2005-02 at: PHOENIX, AZ Benedict’s record vs. Lerman in the 6 years leading up to this event: 2.5-1.5 (0.625). Past 1-12 months: TL. Past 13-24 months: WW. Past 25-36 months: no games. Past 37-48 months: no games. Past 49-60 months: no games. Past 61-72 months: no games. Current ranking: #7. Current record: 7-3, +471.
Round 11		Benedict played #59 Lisa Odom (St. Louis Park, MN) and won 399 to 343 (a spread of 56) . The last time these two played was 2005-04 at: BAT Benedict’s record vs. Odom in the 6 years leading up to this event: 2-1 (0.667). Past 1-12 months: WWL. Past 13-24 months: no games. Past 25-36 months: no games. Past 37-48 months: no games. Past 49-60 months: no games. Past 61-72 months: no games. Current ranking: #5. Current record: 8-3, +527.
Round 12		Benedict played #37 Carol Kaplan (San Diego, CA) and lost 372 to 479 (a spread of -107) . The last time these two played was 2005-02 at: PHOENIX, AZ Benedict’s record vs. Kaplan in the 6 years leading up to this event: 2-6 (0.250). Past 1-12 months: LW. Past 13-24 months: LWL. Past 25-36 months: L. Past 37-48 months: L. Past 49-60 months: no games. Past 61-72 months: L. Current ranking: #9. Current record: 8-4, +420. Benedict is mentioned in this round’s commentary (1 hit). Benedict is mentioned in this round’s photo captions (1 hit).
Round 13		Benedict played #20 Joe Edley (Coram, NY) and lost 321 to 344 (a spread of -23) . The last time these two played was 2005-04 at: BAT Benedict’s record vs. Edley in the 6 years leading up to this event: 1-3 (0.250). Past 1-12 months: L. Past 13-24 months: no games. Past 25-36 months: WLL. Past 37-48 months: no games. Past 49-60 months: no games. Past 61-72 months: no games. Current ranking: #15. Current record: 8-5, +397. Benedict is mentioned in this round’s commentary (1 hit).
Round 14		Benedict played #80 Panupol Sujjayakorn (Thailand) and lost 355 to 368 (a spread of -13) . The last time these two played was 2004-08 at: NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP Benedict’s record vs. Sujjayakorn in the 6 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. Past 61-72 months: no games. Current ranking: #24. Current record: 8-6, +384. Benedict is mentioned in this round’s commentary (1 hit). Benedict is mentioned in this round’s photo captions (2 hits).
Round 15		Benedict played #1 Tim Adamson (Saint Paul, MN) and lost 340 to 417 (a spread of -77) . The last time these two played was 2005-05 at: CHICAGOLAND, IL Benedict’s record vs. Adamson in the 6 years leading up to this event: 8.5-1.5 (0.850). Past 1-12 months: WWWWWW. Past 13-24 months: TLWW. Past 25-36 months: no games. Past 37-48 months: no games. Past 49-60 months: no games. Past 61-72 months: no games. Current ranking: #30. Current record: 8-7, +307.
Round 16		Benedict played #63 Komol Panyasoponlert (Thailand) and lost 377 to 425 (a spread of -48) . Before this event, Benedict had not played Panyasophonlert in at least 6 years. Current ranking: #38. Current record: 8-8, +259.
Round 17		Benedict played #42 Jim Kramer (Roseville, MN) and lost 357 to 517 (a spread of -160) . The last time these two played was 2005-05 at: CHICAGOLAND, IL Benedict’s record vs. Kramer in the 6 years leading up to this event: 1-0 (1.000). Past 1-12 months: W. Past 13-24 months: no games. Past 25-36 months: no games. Past 37-48 months: no games. Past 49-60 months: no games. Past 61-72 months: no games. Current ranking: #50. Current record: 8-9, +99.
Round 18	Larger photo available	Benedict played #27 Matt Graham (New York, NY) and lost 310 to 512 (a spread of -202) . The last time these two played was 2004-09 at: PARSIPPANY, NJ Benedict’s record vs. Graham in the 6 years leading up to this event: 2-1 (0.667). Past 1-12 months: LWW. Past 13-24 months: no games. Past 25-36 months: no games. Past 37-48 months: no games. Past 49-60 months: no games. Past 61-72 months: no games. Current ranking: #61. Current record: 8-10, -103. Benedict is mentioned in this round’s commentary (1 hit).
Round 19		Benedict played #53 Nick Meyer (Berkeley, CA) and won 436 to 385 (a spread of 51) . The last time these two played was 2005-01 at: RENO, NV Benedict’s record vs. Meyer in the 6 years leading up to this event: 1-0 (1.000). Past 1-12 months: W. Past 13-24 months: no games. Past 25-36 months: no games. Past 37-48 months: no games. Past 49-60 months: no games. Past 61-72 months: no games. Current ranking: #54. Current record: 9-10, -52.
Round 20		Benedict played #64 Trip Payne (Boca Raton, FL) and lost 332 to 341 (a spread of -9) . Before this event, Benedict had not played Payne in at least 6 years. Current ranking: #57. Current record: 9-11, -61.
Round 21		Benedict played #12 Jean Carol (Cincinnati, OH) and lost 283 to 460 (a spread of -177) . The last time these two played was 2005-01 at: RENO, NV Benedict’s record vs. Carol in the 6 years leading up to this event: 1-2 (0.333). Past 1-12 months: L. Past 13-24 months: W. Past 25-36 months: no games. Past 37-48 months: L. Past 49-60 months: no games. Past 61-72 months: no games. Current ranking: #66. Current record: 9-12, -238.
Round 22		Benedict played #55 Lloyd Mills (Georgetown ON) and lost 289 to 396 (a spread of -107) . The last time these two played was 2005-04 at: PIGEON FORGE, TN Benedict’s record vs. Mills in the 6 years leading up to this event: 1-2 (0.333). Past 1-12 months: LLW. Past 13-24 months: no games. Past 25-36 months: no games. Past 37-48 months: no games. Past 49-60 months: no games. Past 61-72 months: no games. Current ranking: #70. Current record: 9-13, -345.
Round 23		Benedict played #12 Jean Carol (Cincinnati, OH) and won 433 to 383 (a spread of 50) . The last time these two played was 2005-01 at: RENO, NV Benedict’s record vs. Carol in the 6 years leading up to this event: 1-2 (0.333). Past 1-12 months: L. Past 13-24 months: W. Past 25-36 months: no games. Past 37-48 months: L. Past 49-60 months: no games. Past 61-72 months: no games. Current ranking: #65. Current record: 10-13, -295.
Round 24		Benedict played #2 Steven Alexander (Portland, OR) and lost 338 to 474 (a spread of -136) . Before this event, Benedict had not played Alexander in at least 6 years. Current ranking: #70. Current record: 10-14, -431.
Round 25		Benedict played #23 Jeremy Frank (New York, NY) and won 406 to 344 (a spread of 62) . Before this event, Benedict had not played Frank in at least 6 years. Current ranking: #65. Current record: 11-14, -369.
Round 26		Benedict played #71 Steve Polatnick (Miami, FL) and won 426 to 380 (a spread of 46) . The last time these two played was 2003-07 at: RENO, NV Benedict’s record vs. Polatnick in the 6 years leading up to this event: 2.5-3.5 (0.417). Past 1-12 months: no games. Past 13-24 months: no games. Past 25-36 months: LLWT. Past 37-48 months: LW. Past 49-60 months: no games. Past 61-72 months: no games. Current ranking: #59. Current record: 12-14, -323.
Round 27		Benedict played #23 Jeremy Frank (New York, NY) and lost 331 to 390 (a spread of -59) . Before this event, Benedict had not played Frank in at least 6 years. Current ranking: #67. Current record: 12-15, -382.
Round 28		Benedict played #39 Zev Kaufman (Toronto ON) and lost 305 to 449 (a spread of -144) . Before this event, Benedict had not played Kaufman in at least 6 years. Current ranking: #71. Current record: 12-16, -526.

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