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NSSC 2007 Commentary: Round 3

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Go to: Before the Tournament, Round 1, Round 2, Round 3, Round 4, Round 5, Round 6, Final Round 1, Award Ceremony.

Round 3

Today's last game, round 3, started moments after the last round 2 result slip was turned in. With an event this short, each round's pairings are based on the previous round's pairings, so we keep our eye on those games that take a bit longer to ensure that we get the result slip as soon as the game is finished. Players wait patiently with their parents and coaches in the atrium area outside the playing room, combing over the standings and talking about their games while they await the next round's pairing.

At table 5, Hopkinton Middle Team 1 (MA) played HIDEOUT/UM/TARE for 67 points. Their opponents, Hopkinton Middle Team 3 (MA) challenged. The play was acceptable and the winning team was estatic at the ruling, and one student said to me, "I didn't know if TARE was good!"

At table 33, both teams are at the challenge machine. I see REVOLVe on their board.

Table 34 featured VOYAGED, SAILOR, and GLOATINg, which was later extended to GLOATINgs*, which isn't acceptable.

I get called over to table 3 with no teams in sight. Random paperwork at the table reveals a 448-232 Ridgefield Library Team 1 (CT) won vs. Edward Devotion Team 1 (MA). Christine Economos points out the lovely TYIYN (a monetary unit of Kyrgyzstan) and an opening play of SEIzURe for 62. Later DUNCES went down creating SEIZURED*.

Edward Devotion Team 2 (MA) defeated Magnolia 6th Grade Campus (TX) this round, 390-278. I see QuASI/FRILLS for 51 and as I glance over the scoresheet, I make an observation. One team made 19 plays and the other made 20 plays, which was a lot of plays in one game!

NBC news (local channel 10) was filming here this round and ESPN has been filming all day. At one point, an ESPN camera operator was at table 2. The students, South Side Middle Team 3 (NY) vs. Our Lady of Victory Sapphire (MD), weren't at all nervous about the attention. At one point, the students started waving at the camera saying "hi Mom" and "hi Grandma" while continuing to play the game.

I catch Aiden from Thayer Public Library (MA) at the Zzyzyva machine. He's in the middle of looking up Q without U words, his game now finished. I mention that QANAT is one of my favorites.

This round, Annette Bailey chose to concentrate on a couple of games to get a focused look at a game or two in progress. The first game that caught her eye was at table 26 between Grisham Middle (TX) and Meigs Magnet Middle (TN). Matt Canik, an NSA rated player in his own right, is half of the Grisham team. He made a vow to his mother before the NSSC that he would shave his own head (and he has a full head of almost shoulder-length hair!) if he didn't play well, so he has an ongoing tremendous incentive to play well each and every round. Annette points out that Charlotte Kim, his teammate, has made no such promise. In their game, Matt stated, "We got everything." The winners played MoLESTS for 81, AILERON for 77, and ONAGERS for 73. Midway through the game, the Meig's team held the impossible QUIPYOD on their rack with no possible Q play. They were hoping that their opponents would open the board, but Matt and Charlotte decided to trade tiles. Several turns later, after playing the Q, the Meig's team held FFUUIEE, as they watched Grisham score 39 with ROSE/QIS. A turn or two later, Grisham made their last play, announcing "five and out." So relieved, the Meig's team said, "thank you." Sometimes it is just great to end a game. Matt told his opponents that this was not his first NSSC, but that their game this round was his favorite Nationals game to date. Their final score: 569-239, in Grisham's favor.

Only one game has ended up in a tie so far and it was this round between St. Gabriel School (CT) and Snoopy's Corner (CA), 268-268. Midway through that game, St. Gabriel was in the lead by 60 points with NIOANK on their rack. At that point, their opponents held a bingo-prone stem rack, and continued to do so for several turns. What is remarkable about this tie is that St. Gabriel was able to stay in the game, despite the risk of a potential bingo from the other team. Both teams were surprised at the final score and St. Gabriel's Scott Kunth exclaimed, "A tie! And the math was right!"

At table 8, Darnell-Cookman Middle (FL) faced off against Lakeland Copper Beach Middle (NY). As Annette walked by she caught the losing team, Darnell, congratulating their opponents on a good game, despite losing by 320 points. Some good sportsmanship there! The plays that contributed to the win were: tAENIAS/REVS, TIARAED, and STARTER/RIF. Brandon Saba from the winning team exclaimed that he'd just learned TIARED from a list he'd been studing. Jazelle and Amaris, from Darnell, were pleased with their FANS/FIGS play for 28.

Almost all the games were finished by the time Annette and I both happened upon the same game that had just wound up at table 40. Walter C. Young Middle Team 2 (FL) defeated Hampton Bays Elementary (NY), 508-196. The better plays made by the winning team were DEAREST for 66, oOZIEST for 71, and NAIlERS/BAN/NA for 92. Their other notable plays were monster X and J plays: BOX/DO/EX and JAG/MEG on the triple word. Worth noting in the "there is no justice" department, when the beautiful oOZIEST went down, Hampton Bay Elementary held AAAEEOT. Not all students use the "alpha sort" method of arranging their tiles and Annette gleaned that these students had been well coached. This goes to demonstrate what we all know: sometimes you can be very good and get very bad tiles.

As the students finished their games, they headed out to the atrium and took a right to head toward the pizza party. The NSA supplied pizza for an army and all students, coaches, parents, and family members were invited to join in. I saw pepperoni, cheese, broccoli and black olive, and a spinach medley offered with sodas and sparkling water to wash it all down. Students in event T-shirts sat in groups at tables and on the floor and there was much merriment in the room.

Round 3 standings are posted outside the playing room and pairings for tomorrow are printed and ready to be posted tomorrow morning.

Tonight, players are invited to the after-hours room at the nearby event hotel, the Biltmore, for more games and merriment. And then, tomorrow, we've got three more games followed by a finals round. What fun!