2016 Canadian National SCRABBLE Championship

The 2016 Canadian National SCRABBLE Championship (CNSC), the ninth such event since its inception in 1996, will take place on May 13–16 at the Bond Place Hotel, 65 Dundas Street East, Toronto (map). Hasbro Canada is once again generously underwriting a $12,150 prize fund.

Web Coverage

The championship will receive major event web coverage typical of recent national and international championships, including photography and commentary and live annotated games from Board 1.

When the event begins, please take a look at the live webcast site.

News

2016-05-11

We have two last-minute bed offers for players still looking for accommodation, in north-central Toronto and an eastern suburb.

2016-05-11

Please check your email tonight for some important last-minute information and requests.

2016-05-11

The Early Bird webpage has been created.

2016-05-10

Thanks to Joseph Bowman for pointing out that the Gardiner Expressway, the main highway for access to downtown Toronto from the west, is scheduled to be closed for maintenance, weather permitting, from 23:00 Friday to 05:00 Monday. Players are strongly encouraged to take public transit, and if driving, not to rely on default routes suggested by GPS software.

2016-04-24

The equipment list has been updated: tile bags will be provided.

2016-04-22

Due to an unusual number of cancellations, the Canadian Committee has revised the qualification procedure for alternate players.

2016-04-13

Registration is closed.

2016-03-01

The Advisory Board has voted to uphold the qualification system as originally published. We are still waiting for final legal approval for the event.

2016-02-29

Pre-announcement of event dates and venue to help players make travel plans. Please note that some details are still pending final legal approval, and that the qualification system is currently the subject of an Advisory Board appeal.

For older items, see 2016 Canadian National SCRABBLE Championship News Archive.

Player Roster

You can follow the registration and qualification process in the qualification standings chart. Players marked with a ‘y’ are paid registrants; those with a dollar sign have informed us that their payment is en route, but will not be considered registered until payment is received and cleared.

Schedule

Here is an overview of what happens when. Please also see the more detailed full schedule.

Friday, May 13	09:15–18:30	Warmup 2016 Canadian National SCRABBLE Championship Early Bird (optional)
	19:00–19:30	Registration
	19:30–22:45	Rounds 1–3
Saturday, May 14	09:00–18:30	Rounds 4–11
Sunday, May 15	09:00–16:50	Rounds 12–18
Monday, May 16	09:00–15:00	Finals (best-of-five between top two finalists)

Please note that everyone is welcome to attend the regular weekly meeting of the Mississauga SCRABBLE® Club on the evening of Thursday, May 12th.

How to Compete

The CNSC is an invitational event for the top 52 players who qualify according to a qualification system (QS) maintained by the NASPA Canadian Committee. As described in the QS, competitors must play a minimum number of games during a qualification period (QP), be Canadian citizens or permanent residents and be members in good standing of NASPA. One place goes to defending champion Adam Logan, the next 51 places are awarded based on peak ratings.

Regardless of how you wish to qualify, you must register by making sure that John Chew receives your $75 entry fee together with your T-shirt size no later than April 13th. You may pay by cash, cheque or INTERAC e-Transfer, but not PayPal or credit card. Cash and cheque payments may be made by mail (9 Fulton Avenue, Toronto ON M4K 1X6) or in person at the Toronto SCRABBLE Club. If you are not sure whether or not you will qualify, please pay by cheque, so that your cheque can be destroyed or returned if you do not qualify.

As usual, to participate in the CNSC, you must comply with the CNSC rules, which set out in legal terms the agreement that you are entering into as a participant in the event.

Refunds

The CNSC is an invitational tournament of fixed size, so holding a place and then withdrawing can lead to a situation where the player who should have replaced you cannot make travel arrangements in time. You should therefore only register to play if you are sure that you can compete.

Format of 2016 CNSC Finals

The top two finishers in the preliminary round will earn berths in the best-of-five CNSC finals which will be held on Monday, May 16. The first player to win three games will be declared the CNSC champion for 2016.

The player who finishes first in the preliminary round will go first in games 1, 3, and 5 of the finals. The player who finishes second in the preliminary round will go first in games 2 and 4.

Any tie games will be considered, as is usual in NASPA tournament competition, a half game won and a half game lost for both players. If each player has 2.5 wins after five games, the player who has the superior point spread in the finals will be declared the winner. If both players have identical points spreads, a sixth game will be played with the player who went first in games 2 and 4 also going first in game 6.

A scheduled lunch break will take place after the third game.

Spectators

Spectators are invited to attend the finals on Monday, May 16th, where the best-of-five match will be relayed play by play onto a projection screen. Admission is free.

Spectators are also welcome to take a look at the preliminary rounds on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, but space is extremely limited. They should introduce themselves to tournament officials on arrival, and take care not to disturb games in progress.

Prizes

The $12,150 prize pool donated by Hasbro Canada will be awarded according to the same distribution as at the 2008 CNSC.

1st Place	$7,000 Possession of the trophy
2nd Place	$2,500
3rd Place	$1,000
4th Place	$500
5th Place	$350
6th Place	$250
7th Place	$100
8th Place	$100
9th Place	$100
10th Place	$100
High Play	$25 (daily)
Best Daily Record	$25 (daily)
Michael Wise Memorial Sportsmanship Award	TBA

Venue

Exterior photo showing Bond Place Hotel at left, east end of Yonge-Dundas Square at right

The Bond Place Hotel is located in downtown Toronto, one block east of Yonge-Dundas Square, the “Heart of the City”, in a popular neighbourhood known for shopping, dining and entertainment. Within a 200-metre radius are such other Toronto landmarks as the Eaton Centre (the largest mall in the region), Massey Hall (a century-old performing arts theatre), St. Michael’s Hospital and Ryerson University.

A limited number of rooms are available at $125, per room per night, based on single or double occupancy, not including 16% tax. This rate is available until April 13, 2016 by calling the hotel at 1-800-268-9390 and giving the group name Canadian National SCRABBLE Championship.

Parking

The hotel’s guest parking is located catercorner to the hotel on the northeast corner of Bond and Dundas (enter off Bond). It is not cheap, but hotel guests are entitled to 24-hour rates with in/out privileges.

In general, parking rates in the area vary according to the day of the week, and whether or not there is a special event (such as a theatre production, or public event at Yonge-Dundas Square) nearby. Most lots have separate maximum rates for day and night parking, but they differ as to when the night rates begin. Some lots are cash only; most accept Visa and Mastercard. It would not be unusual to be charged $35-$40 to park for 24 hours in this area. There are websites that let you calculate how much parking rates are at different times in different lots, that can save you quite a lot of money.

The best overall rates in the area by far are at the Ryerson University parking structure on the west side of Victoria (one block west of Bond), north of Dundas. They charge $16 (up $1 from 2013) weekdays until 6:00 P.M., $6 from 5:00 P.M. on, Saturdays $8 until 6:00 and $8 after 6:00 P.M., and Sunday only $10 (up $2 from 2013) for 24 hours.

There is a parking lot on the southeast corner of Bond and Dundas which may be convenient to players who are running late on arrival, but is one of the more expensive lots in the area.

The old lot on the west side of Church St. (one block east of Bond), a few buildings north of Dundas, is no longer there.

If you want to look further afield, don’t go north into Ryerson University, south toward St. Michael’s Hospital or west toward the congestion of Yonge Street; that leaves east into a mostly residential and light commercial area. If you park on street, make sure you pay careful attention to the signage, and are aware of a remote possibility of being ticketed under an unposted time limit of three hours’ parking on city streets unless otherwise signed.

If you’re driving in from the suburbs, please carefully consider the possibility of parking at a suburban subway station and taking the so-called Better Way to Dundas subway station. Thanks to recent changes in scheduling, you can even do so on Sunday morning.

Dining

Dining area outside the playing room, lower level, Bond Place Hotel

During the main event, breakfast and lunch will be provided to contestants and staff in the lounge. For both the early bird and main event, coffee and tea breaks will be served in the morning and afternoon.

The nearest food courts are in the malls on the other three (NE, NW and SW) corners of Yonge and Dundas. A list of additional restaurant suggestions will be posted here as the event draws nearer.

Staff

Representing Hasbro Canada	Greg Ferguson, Marisa Pedatella, Melanie Grant, Julia Minicucci, Deborah Wainer
Tournament Director & Web Designer	John Chew
Assistant Director	Mad Palazzo
Internet Reporter	Sherrie Saint John
Graphic Design & Event Planning	John Chew
Event Logistics	Kristen Chew, Lisa Kessler
Data Entry	Gary Sagara
Game Recorder Coordinator	Lisa Kessler TBC
Game Recorders	Lisa Kessler, Risa Horowitz, Jackson Smylie
Finals Host	Robin Pollock Daniel, Josh Sokol

Equipment

Players should take careful note of what equipment they will be provided, and what equipment they should bring.

Boards

Players must bring their own boards, but may if travelling from outside of the greater Toronto area arrange to borrow a local player’s board. If neither player in a scheduled game has a board, both may forfeit their game.

Racks

Racks will be provided at this event; players may choose to use their own racks instead.

Tiles

All players will be given a set of 2016 CNSC Protiles at registration. Please check their distribution carefully before playing your first game; as per NASPA rules, no changes may be made once a game has begun. Games must be played using CNSC Protiles, but players may bring and play with Protiles from past CNSC events if they wish (and are encouraged to do so to avoid having to play with two sets of the same colour at the same table).

Tile Bags

NASPA tile bags will be available; players may use these or their own. If using their own, the provided tile bag should stay at its table.

Clocks

Players are requested to bring their own digital game timers. A limited number of timers will be available on a first-come basis; if neither player in a game can find a clock, both may forfeit the game.

Scoresheets

A limited number of standard NASPA scoresheets will be available for player use, as well as plentiful supplies of blank paper.

Pens/Pencils

A limited number of writing implements will be available for player use, but we strongly recommend that players bring their own.

Further Information

If you have questions about the 2016 CNSC that are not answered on this website, please contact CNSC Director John Chew.