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NSC 2008 Commentary: Round 13

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Go to: 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, Award Ceremony.

Round 13

At Board 1 in Division 1, Nathan Benedict (Tucson, AZ) opened against Jason Katz-Brown (Cambridge, MA) by bingo-ing first DORNIcK (82) using one blank, then oUTFA(c)ED (70) using the other blank, and SAVELOY (96) naturally for his third play. After a fourth bingo, R(E)PLIERS (74) on his fifth play, he led 358-117, and went on to use a fifth bingo, TARTANS (74) to beat Jason 607-355. Thanks to John Chew for typing that in while I was out beating the pavement!

So, I know my mentioning it last round jinxed him, but the wonderful 12-0 run enjoyed by Phil Wertheimer (Short Hills, NJ) has come to an end. George Rhyne (Carlisle, PA) felled the young giant this round, 427-337. On their board I see HUTLIKE and HOARIEr. This latter play was made by Phil and it hooked to make MEr*, which neither of them noticed at the time. Phil was exceedingly okay with the loss, admitting he hadn't played well and that George had done a good job.

I stop for a minute and watch Nadine Jacobson (Edina, MN) play SCRABBLE with her braille set. She never touches the board on her opponents' clock, but when hers is running, she gently runs her hands over the board, feeling the dots. Sometimes she speaks softly, saying things like, "Oh, that's too dangerous a spot now, isn't it?" She types into a braille typewriter that she keeps to her left side. It prints dots onto a piece of paper and manages to use this larger format dot system on one 8.5 x 11 piece of paper. The other remarkable thing about this totally blind woman, is she uses only 25 minutes per game. The NSA would be happy to grant her more time due to her disability slowing her down, but she won't take it. She just doesn't see it as necessary. She is an shining example of what is right in our game and it overjoys me to see he at our major events. Maybe one day she might consent to an after-hours game with me.

I walk by an in-progress game between Wesley Eddings (Bryan, TX) and Andy Healy (Los Angeles, CA). The board is loud in that it is white and covered in black musical notes all over the non-playing surface, in a random pattern. On that board, I see QUINELAS, PARTAKE, RONTGENS, and NIDA?ES.

I finally catch the groom! Matthew Ridout (Lexington, KY) is playing Emely Weissman (Menlo Park, CA) this round. I see UNWIPED, FAJItAS, and ROAMING on their in-progress board.

Evans Clinchy (Boston, MA) vs. Joel Horn (Reading, MA). These two face off at the Lexington, MA, SCRABBLE club, so they get to see what happens in a non-church basement setting. I see Joel's DISORDER for 60 and fLOATED for 66. Evans has a bingo-bango-bongo: rECAGES for 74, DERELICT for 72, and NITERIE for 73. Evans' win this time.

Richard Popper (Wilmington, DE) tells me about playing TRiPLITE through the T for a 120-point triple-triple. And it drew a challenge, too!

Win Inthara (Orlando, FL) defeated Paul Izikoff (Miami, FL), 467-405. The board got picked up too fast for me to get more info!

John Stardom (Ottawa ON) vs. Kevin Leeds (Austin, TX). Kevin's LEADiER, STEARINS and John's ACLUTTER* (a phony anagram of CULTRATE) and ANERGIAS. John's win, 397-364.

Andrew Friedrich (Aurora, CO) defeated R Jason Sommer (Solvang, CA) this round, 328-314.

Rick Wong (San Jose, CA) trounced (sorry, no other word for it, really) Robert Gillis (Owens X Roads, AL) this round, 508-292. Bob's best play was HAHA for 40 points. Rick got down lovely plays like SUNLIKE for 85, StRAtIFY for 86, and TOLIDINE for 74. And it took Bob a long time to get that score, too! He ended the game wtih 0:00 on his clock!

Conrad Bassett-Bouchard (Moraga, CA) defeated Shannon Burns (Airdrie AB), 435-402. Shannon played DELICTS for 86, FENNEC (not sure how much but cool word! It means a fox.), and DUENNAs. Confrad layed TSARdOM and ABLAZE for 76.

Sammy Okosagah (Baltimore, MD) defeated Seth Lipkin (Hopkinton, MA), 400-358. Sammy got down HOMElAND from the H for 78 and Shannon later played VENOMS/HOMELANDS for 51.