This official annual event of the Baulkham Hills Shire's Orange Blossom Festival in NSW continues to grow in popularity. Through the efforts of the Baulkham Hills Scrabble Club's publicity the Hills Open attracts a lot of free media publicity. It is no wonder that this helped to make the Baulkham Hills Club the biggest in NSW.
Jacqui Taffell of the Sydney Morning Herald published two very sensible articles on the tourney and Scrabble strategy while Sydney radios 2GB and 2CH picked up on Jacqui's story. Radio 2CH gave a great commentary on the Hills Open last night (Sat. 8/9) at 5pm. Over a 100,000 Festival events programs are distributed within the Shire, thus the Club receives many inquiries from people requesting information on joining . During the tournament today we had a few callers inquiring, some of whom said that they will attend our Club next week.
Feedback which we have received reveals that many find the tournament exciting and different in its format. After we list every player in numerical order - we do not for example match player rated number one with number eleven, number two with number twelve , and so on. At game one we match number one against number two, and number three against number four and so on. We think this is a fairer way which gives everyone a very fair chance of winning the first game. After that the computer takes over.
Many high rated players may find our format as very daunting as happened today - whereby a novice beat a player rated over 1200. This story was repeated several times during the day. For example: Game one at the famous Table One: (67 players) -was ,Bob Jackman vs John Holgate. In game two we saw Jann Pincott vs Teresa Traynor sitting on Table One - both in D division. This gave the two D division graders and all those present a big thrill - D graders leading after game on one !.
Jann remained at Table One to play game three against Peter Shaw who was then rated 1532 and she , a mere 778 - while BJ & JH found themselves on tables 15 and 27,respectively and in the company of many C & D raters.
Jann Pincott lost the game three of course , -but at the end of the day she received the highest rating gain award (82 points). Such experiences we feel, give a great boost to the lower rated folks. They told us that , and more - that when they loose against the big guns, they still appreciate their company , the experience,and the advice which the high raters give them when the game is over.
Naturally, great high rated Scrabble players which we saw today are not afraid to play in open tournaments like the Hills. They proved their worth - Bob Jackman still collected the $300 cash prize and trophy, John Holgate still came second, and Peter Shaw took home the Highest word and Highest game awards. Donna Macdonald in the meantime, a C grader went up 56 points.
The Club acknowledged the 11 goodwill messages from players who said they would have loved to come but were unable to so. Amongst these were: Manop & the Richards family (Qld), Andrew Dempster and John Spaan from Canberra plus others from NSW Clubs. We enjoyed meeting Faye Williams from WA and Tafese Bizuneh from Ethiopia.
It was a great Srabble day and our visitors were marvelous. Congratulations to all players- and our own Club members for a job well done. We hope to see you all again at our "Kick-off 2002" on January 20 next year.
Results after game 7
BHSC2001 -- 2001 HILLS N
Rank Player Wins Mar
---------------------------------
1 Bob Jackman 7 586
2 Ian Close 6 346
3 John Holgate 6 322
4 John Barker 5 820
5 Peter Shaw 5 685
6 Jean McGiffen 5 548
7 Margaret Berliner 5 429
8 Graeme Lock Lee 5 413
9 Cheryl Michler 5 403
10 Judy Hay 5 285
11 Jan Serisier 5 205
12 Norma Tracey 5 192
13 Donna Macdonald 5 90
14 Nonie English 5 46
15 Penny Wells 4.5 50
16 Pat Schuberg 4.5 29
17 Audrey Newman 4 550
18 Jann Pincott 4 288
19 Peggy Womersley 4 139
20 Faye Williams 4 101
21 Colleen Howie 4 85
22 Elizabeth Ho 4 83
23 Judy McGuiness 4 72
24 Therese Newman 4 53
25 Nanette Reynolds 4 26
26 Margaret Andrews 4 21
27 Stacey Lock Lee 4 9
28 Victor Tung 4 1
29 Louise Kobler 4 -22
30 Merle Young 4 -79
31 Wendy Norton 4 -86
32 Helen Blanks 4 -230
33 Pearl Gillott 4 -273
34 Alan Gauci 3.5 -32
35 Margaret Ackman 3.5 -68
36 Bev Purkis 3 172
37 Ted Roberts 3 168
38 Jean Noonan 3 106
39 Betty Foreman 3 83
40 Linda Dimond 3 55
41 Jean Balmer 3 44
42 Liz Jackman 3 -19
43 Sharon Sorensen 3 -23
44 Richard Birch 3 -41
45 Diana Hilly 3 -65
46 Sandra Elliott 3 -108
47 Ann Fiddler 3 -120
48 Dolores Barbon 3 -124
49 Anne Henderson 3 -217
50 Lynn Parnell 3 -244
51 Teresa Traynor 3 -247
52 Maria Kaye 3 -299
53 George Khamis 3 -373
54 Cate Hayton 2 -128
55 Basil Sands 2 -149
55 Rosalie Tobin 2 -149
57 Jan Tomlin 2 -159
58 Silvana Newman 2 -188
59 Helen Ostler 2 -194
60 Rex Shakespeare 2 -220
61 Audrey Crompton 2 -281
62 Joy Morris 2 -297
63 Maree Heynen 2 -392
64 Renate Woods 2 -423
65 Alice Pullen 2 -568
66 Tafese Bizuneh 1 -484
67 Anne Cleland 1 -853
68 A Bye 0 -350
HIGH GAME: Peter Shaw 585
HIGH WORD: Peter Shaw 111
"DARKING"
Stats for Tournament : BHSC2001
+--------------------------+-----------+---------+-----------+---------------+
| state Name | National | State | Wins | Rating Points |
| | Old New | Old New | Exp Act | Old Change New|
+--------------------------+-----------+---------+-----------+---------------+
+Section: *2001 HILLS N + + + +
+--------------------------------------+---------+-----------+---------------+
| NSW Bob Jackman | 4 3 | 2 1 | 5.9 7.0 | 1872 +17 1889 |
| NSW John Holgate | 3 4 | 1 2 | 6.2 6.0 | 1880 -1 1879 |
| NSW Ian Close | 133 114 | 37 30 | 4.4 6.0 | 1458 +31 1489 |
| NSW John Barker | 19 21 | 7 7 | 6.2 5.0 | 1731 -24 1707 |
| NSW Jean McGiffen | 22 25 | 8 9 | 5.9 5.0 | 1706 -17 1689 |
| NSW Peter Shaw | 84 82 | 21 21 | 4.6 5.0 | 1532 +8 1540 |
| NSW Graeme Lock Lee | 47 48 | 14 14 | 5.5 5.0 | 1604 -10 1594 |
| NSW Margaret Berliner | 261 255 | 66 64 | 4.3 5.0 | 1266 +15 1281 |
| NSW Cheryl Michler | 149 147 | 43 42 | 4.6 5.0 | 1422 +7 1429 |
| NSW Jan Serisier | 122 135 | 35 37 | 6.1 5.0 | 1474 -20 1454 |
| NSW Judy Hay | 266 260 | 68 66 | 4.4 5.0 | 1252 +14 1266 |
| NSW Donna MacDonald | 463 418 | 107 100 | 2.6 5.0 | 971 +56 1027 |
| NSW Norma Tracey | 159 169 | 46 48 | 5.9 5.0 | 1409 -18 1391 |
| NSW Nonie English | 193 179 | 51 50 | 4.4 5.0 | 1364 +13 1377 |
| NSW Pat Schuberg | 259 231 | 65 59 | 2.8 4.5 | 1271 +36 1307 |
| NSW Penny Wells | 142 138 | 40 39 | 4.2 4.5 | 1438 +6 1444 |
| NSW Audrey Newman | 147 160 | 42 45 | 5.1 4.0 | 1426 -21 1405 |
| NSW Jann Pincott | 673 594 | 171 146 | 1.9 4.0 | 778 +81 859 |
| WA Faye Williams | 184 195 | 11 12 | 4.5 4.0 | 1372 -10 1362 |
| NSW Colleen Howie | 398 372 | 96 91 | 2.3 4.0 | 1052 +34 1086 |
| NSW Stacey Lock Lee | 558 532 | 137 128 | 2.9 4.0 | 891 +22 913 |
| NSW Victor Tung | 468 430 | 111 105 | 1.8 4.0 | 966 +48 1014 |
| NSW Judy McGuinness | 328 333 | 83 84 | 4.2 4.0 | 1140 -3 1137 |
| NSW Peggy Womersley | 492 464 | 119 108 | 2.8 4.0 | 944 +25 969 |
| NSW Elizabeth Ho | 232 238 | 60 61 | 4.5 4.0 | 1307 -11 1296 |
| NSW Nanette Reynolds | 300 303 | 77 77 | 4.4 4.0 | 1194 -6 1188 |
| NSW Louise Kobler | 174 164 | 49 47 | 3.6 4.0 | 1386 +9 1395 |
| NSW Wendy Norton | 428 412 | 103 99 | 3.4 4.0 | 1015 +20 1035 |
| NSW Margaret Andrews | 317 317 | 82 81 | 4.1 4.0 | 1160 -3 1157 |
| NSW Therese Newman | 652 601 | 164 149 | 1.6 4.0 | 798 +55 853 |
| NSW Merle Young | 595 572 | 145 139 | 2.8 4.0 | 856 +24 880 |
| NSW Pearl Gillott | 722 670 | 184 171 | 1.9 4.0 | 739 +45 784 |
| NSW Helen Blanks | 714 675 | 181 173 | 3.0 4.0 | 747 +31 778 |
| NSW Alan Gauci | 482 491 | 116 118 | 4.0 3.5 | 953 -10 943 |
| NSW Margaret Ackman | 605 613 | 151 156 | 3.7 3.5 | 842 -5 837 |
| NSW Jean Noonan | 104 123 | 27 35 | 4.4 3.0 | 1496 -26 1470 |
| NSW Ted Roberts | 230 242 | 59 62 | 3.8 3.0 | 1309 -15 1294 |
| NSW Bev Purkis | 380 386 | 91 95 | 3.6 3.0 | 1079 -12 1067 |
| NSW Betty Foreman | 113 130 | 30 36 | 4.3 3.0 | 1492 -26 1466 |
| NSW Jean Balmer | 305 319 | 79 82 | 4.7 3.0 | 1189 -34 1155 |
| NSW Ann Fiddler | 486 506 | 117 121 | 4.0 3.0 | 950 -18 932 |
| NSW Liz Jackman | 293 306 | 76 79 | 4.0 3.0 | 1202 -21 1181 |
| NSW Linda Dimond | 464 484 | 108 116 | 3.9 3.0 | 969 -17 952 |
| NSW Sharon Sorensen | 546 560 | 133 137 | 3.7 3.0 | 901 -14 887 |
| NSW Diana Hilly | 667 661 | 168 167 | 2.8 3.0 | 784 +4 788 |
| NSW Lynn Parnell | 493 499 | 120 120 | 3.2 3.0 | 944 -3 941 |
| NSW Dolores Barbon | 613 593 | 155 145 | 1.7 3.0 | 835 +26 861 |
| NSW Richard Birch | 258 279 | 64 71 | 5.5 3.0 | 1272 -50 1222 |
| NSW Sandra Elliott | 545 558 | 132 136 | 3.7 3.0 | 902 -14 888 |
| NSW George Khamis | 459 472 | 106 114 | 3.7 3.0 | 974 -14 960 |
| NSW Teresa Traynor | 892 880 | 233 230 | 2.3 3.0 | 585 +15 600 |
| NSW Maria Kaye | 920 891 | 242 234 | 2.1 3.0 | 569 +19 588 |
| NSW Anne Henderson | 803 816 | 202 212 | 3.7 3.0 | 674 -13 661 |
| NSW Rex Shakespeare | 559 582 | 138 142 | 2.8 2.0 | 889 -16 873 |
| NSW Jan Tomlin | 819 808 | 214 207 | 1.4 2.0 | 656 +12 668 |
| NSW Basil Sands | 757 758 | 191 191 | 2.1 2.0 | 710 -1 709 |
|*NSW Cate Hayton | 0 902 | 0 238 | 2.0 2.0 | 582 582 |
| NSW Rosalie Tobin | 814 836 | 210 219 | 3.2 2.0 | 662 -24 638 |
| NSW Joy Morris | 890 907 | 232 240 | 2.4 2.0 | 586 -7 579 |
| NSW Silvana Newman | 739 756 | 186 190 | 2.7 2.0 | 726 -14 712 |
| NSW Renate Woods | 1066 989 | 295 270 | 1.8 2.0 | 500 +5 505 |
| NSW Helen Ostler | 924 930 | 244 246 | 2.1 2.0 | 567 -4 563 |
| NSW Audrey Crompton | 972 958 | 260 256 | 1.5 2.0 | 517 +16 533 |
|*NSW Alice Pullen | 0 791 | 0 198 | 2.0 2.0 | 683 +1 684 |
| NSW Maree Heynen | 1018 1114 | 276 304 | 2.9 2.0 | 500 -17 483 |
|*NSW Tafese Bizuneh | 0 1115 | 0 305 | 2.7 1.0 | 500 -105
395 |
|*NSW Anne Cleland | 0 1065 | 0 292 | 2.6 1.0 | 500 500 |