The format was altered slightly this year with 10 players each playing 11 rounds, the 11th round being a repeat of the 10th round in which equal seeds were paired. NSW won or drew every round except the last, which went to Victoria.
It is admitted that Victoria was suffering from poor attendance, despite this event being announced at the lead up tournaments in Melbourne. NSW came to the rescue and lent Victoria their 11th seed in Gary Pollard to give the opposition a sporting chance. Unfortunately Gary could only manage to win one game, that being against his wife in the penultimate round.
New South Wales main trump card turned out to be Joanne Craig who had won every game going into the last round. In the previous round she had recorded a one point win over Frank Csarics, but Frank turned the tables in the last round to beat Joanne by one solitary point again and deny Joanne a clean sweep.
Paul Cleary recorded the highest scoring play for the weekend with IONIZERS for 203. In a later game against Sal Costanzo he snared the high game score with 620. Ironically he followed that game up with a score 280 and loss to Ian Newton. That's Scrabble!
Wilma Vialle provided the drama of the weekend by taking a fresh air dive off the dimly lit front steps of the Wagga RSL during the evening break. This mishap caused her to badly sprain her ankle, so much so that she had to complete the last two games of the day in a wheelchair.
In the Round Robin event for the dedicated travellers, Richard Birch asserted himself by winning all 7 games on Saturday. All this hard work was promptly undone by his losing the first three games the following morning - shades of Ed Okulicz. Meanwhile Michael Adler from Canberra kept on plugging away like the athlete he is to eventually take the honours.
As those that attended will attest, the playing venue was perfect (and free), the Wagga RSL club amenities were perfect, and the weather was perfect. Those that have never considered taking part in this weekend of Scrabble are denying themselves a completely different Scrabble experience.
Next year we are hoping for a much better roll up, especially from Victoria, and to attract more players we intend to have two head to head groups. The club will have accommodation available next year, even further incentive to come along.
Report from Harry Malcolm
Chile and I had a great time at Wagga Wagga and endorse Bob's encouragement for more attendees. Its a marvellous town, and a superb luxurious venue at the RSL club. Its a very easy weekend with good cheer and a variety of catering. Its a morning run on the XPT to get there on time on Saturday, and an afternoon run back the next day if time is a premium.
[My 11 games with 8 bonus quizzes]
I should have known Joanne Craig was in for a big weekend from her first game where she played DRENCHED 98 and BESOUGHT 72 for opening moves. She also laid down PIOYE for 35 and used KRONA which has no end hooks to bottle up the game 456-374. My only bonus was ATONIES.
John Barker hit me with ECLOGUE 64 AZIONE 32 then ENRAGED 83 on his 5th turn to race to a 136 point lead. He then compiled 100 more points in 3 plays, including BLEBS 39 and I goofed with *SDAIN as an end play. That was after I missed the bonus in EIUDNRS ! ROCKIEST was my only bonus.
Wilma still had full use of both feet for round 3. I had to "change 4" on the second move but missed the bonus in HJEES## and played JEES for 35, then LIGHTERS for 92 with those blanks. Wilma drew level again a few moves later with a quite brilliant AEROSAT 71 making 4 other words underneath. However she accidently later left herself with 6 tiles instead of 7 for her last rack, where she could have played a tws PILSNER under my MATER (ok ok).. I won by 5 points.
Luck was with me when I had all the goodies (except SS) against Alison Pollard. QUEP 35 BRISTLE 77 SAX 39 and a lucky ZEIN 69 after her HINTERS; then I found IDEATION on the tws for 414-342 win.
Last game before tea and I became a Paul Cleary entree. The highlight move in his win was using the letters in ULICONS/UNCOILS which were unplayable, to make EXCLUSION 72. He had opened with HEJAB 33 and played AGONISE 75 and tws TARRIEST 77. I had both the blanks but he won 442-312 as he frustrated me for openings. I did find a bonus in AULNTY# thru I.. there are 2 actually.
For $11.95 we enjoyed the buffet with dessert.. savoring soups, calamari, chicken, chips, endless salads and cold meats, pavlova, bread/butter custard, jellies, cream, canteloupe etc etc just great. Others went to the in- house Chinese restaurant, while another option was to add steak etc for a few dollars more. At 8pm it was eyes down for 2 more games.
Bob Jackman (MANJACK) was out to extend his 6-0 results on me but it was my turn. He had CONVE#TS 98 and JEHU 42 within 3 moves, but I had SUNDERS 69 and ANISEED 81 midgame as we both seemed to wrestle with otherwise poor rack combinations and our tile tracking. Bob was 27 behind as I had III left to play out.. but his only-chance try at *COFAVOURS left me 433-407 up. Bob was very decent when I played CLA#T 14 as CLART when he had played his # as an N... since I had written CONVERTS down he allowed the play to stand. Luckily this was early in the game.
I had wonderful tiles against Ros but she was uncomplaining. My 4 bonuses were NEATEST 72 ELOIGNED 74 USURIES 70 and one using AAEIUC# (2 possible). I missed a bonus from AOUUNS# (2 possible). 484-304.
Chile who is valiantly making a 10th member of the Vic team (997 rated) scored her first win in the last of the 7 Saturday games.
Sunday morning and Wilmas painful fall sees her limping today. Trevor Halsall, Joanne Craig and Paul Cleary are unbeaten on 7 wins. I have 4.
Kerry Constable NSW has won 5 including a 4 bonus win over Geoff Wright VIC. Luck again favours me and I play REFILLED 63 BEVERAGE 92 OUTVOTED 62 and one from EEISSS# (7 possible). The 561-297 win is my high score for the tourney. In EOBMMS# I found MAMBOES & MOBSMEN but missed the 3rd and playable anagram.
John Spaan played JILLET 29 and RUNNERS 71. His *ENDTIME was disallowed but has an anagram I didn't know. SELFING 96 and ETESIAN 77 set me up for a 405-309 win, tho I played *DEWANIER.. maybe confusing DEWAN/DEEWAN/DOUANIER.
Rod Talbot is always a great challenge but his plays of JEW 26 WRYLY 28 KNIT 29 PUL 26 had to overcome my opening bunuses of TOILETED 60 and SPECIAL 76. He played MINDERS but tried *SOBA, no other openings possible. I totally blundered by playing VIED for which he thanked me (ha!) from which he made IVIED and MINDERS 85 to draw level. I played OXIM 39 he answered with HAREM 51. I had TERRETS but nowhere to play, but found the freshly made MU for MUTTERERS 65. FID 35 and GOB 28 saw me home 422-402.
Joanne had a 10/10 record as we started round 11, a repeat of round 10 with players 1 to 10 playing their opposite from the other state. Rod and I played again. For my 4th move I threw in my rack of VVGGTEI which Rod answered with SPOTTERS 71. I replied with NEEDLESS 77. Rod played OUTHIRED 76 then OPERATIC 72 for three consecutive bonuses. I replied with VANTAGES 78 to trail by about 50, a margin that remained till the end, Rod winning 434-377. He played DWILE 37 and a clever strategic endgame, catching me out trying to set up RITZ/ZOA on tls for a potential 65. He gave the usual Rod "grin" as he suggested "try *GRITZ...it might be a word!", after making RIT into GRIT. (grrr) Meanwhile Chile has picked up a second win. yay yay yay !!
Back into plush RSL club for a chocolate milkshake and sandwiches snack before a quick taxi ride back to the grand Wagga Wagga station.. the XPT train is running late but no one minds. Its been a great weekend again.
Thanks to the organisers in both states seemingly headed by Bob and Geoff. We should mention the taxi driver who when told we were in Wagga for a scrabble tournment thoughtfully responded "oh we had a marbles tournament here too". ha!
[PS Naturally Victoria concedes NSWs emphatic win and congratulates you all... but one thought.... perhaps if we disregarded the 9th and 10th Vic players which gave NSW 19-3 of the result, well it would be 43 NSW - 45 VIC ! Nonetheless we thank Gary Pollard for standing in as our 9th player and for his contribution !!]
Answers to Bonuses in text.
INSURED missed
BHAJEES missed
JAUNTILY found also QUAINTLY
ACEQUIA found also CAMAIEU
ANUROUS missed also URANOUS
EMBOSOM missed also MAMBOES MOBSMEN
ESSIVES found also 6 more in ESSI#ES
DEMENTI opponent's
Border Challenge
NSW wins:
Joanne Craig 10
Bob Jackman 9
Paul Cleary 9
Rod Talbot 8
John Barker 6
Kerry Constable 6
Alison Pollard 6
John Spaan 3
Wilma Vialle 3
Ros Gibbons 2
Total 62
Victoria wins:
Trevor Halsall 9
Harry Malcolm 7
Sal Costanzo 7
Ian Newton 7
Frank Csarics 4
Dianne Davis 4
Angela VAn Niekerk 4
Geoff Wright 3
Chile Malcolm 2
Gary Pollard 1
Total 48
Round Robin (11 games)
Rank Player Wins Mar
---------------------------------
1 Michael Adler 9 725
2 Richard Birch 8 1016
3 Liz Jackman 8 485
4 Daphne Bezudenhuit 8 446
5 Margaret Ackman 8 246
6 Heather Sorenson 7 453
7 Ann Fiddler 5 -311
8 Sunny Wright 4 -198
9 Vivian Eckhaus 4 -456
10 Joy Morris 2 -525
11 Esther Clarke 2 -675
12 Merriss Adler 1 -1206
HIGH GAME: Richard Birch 513
HIGH WORD: Esther Clarke 185
"GRIEVING"
Stats for Tournament : BORDER CHALLENGE
+--------------------------+-----------+---------+-----------+---------------+
| state Name | National | State | Wins | Rating Points |
| | Old New | Old New | Exp Act | Old Change New|
+--------------------------+-----------+---------+-----------+---------------+
+Section: *CHALLENGE + + + +
+--------------------------------------+---------+-----------+---------------+
| NSW Joanne Craig | 17 9 | 9 5 | 7.7 10.0 | 1742 +47 1789 |
| NSW Bob Jackman | 4 5 | 2 2 | 8.8 9.0 | 1865 +4 1869 |
| NSW Paul Cleary | 3 3 | 1 1 | 8.7 9.0 | 1867 +6 1873 |
| VIC Trevor Halsall | 6 4 | 3 2 | 7.9 9.0 | 1853 +18 1871 |
| NSW Rod Talbot | 13 14 | 7 8 | 7.8 8.0 | 1763 +5 1768 |
| VIC Sal Costanzo | 70 45 | 35 22 | 4.6 7.0 | 1566 +48 1614 |
| VIC Ian Newton | 101 66 | 53 35 | 3.9 7.0 | 1504 +68 1572 |
| VIC Harry Malcolm | 21 20 | 9 8 | 6.2 7.0 | 1705 +16 1721 |
| NSW Alison Pollard | 127 109 | 35 28 | 4.6 6.0 | 1465 +29 1494 |
| NSW Kerry Constable :act | 83 74 | 22 19 | 5.2 6.0 | 1536 +18 1554 |
| NSW John Barker | 28 31 | 11 12 | 6.8 6.0 | 1669 -15 1654 |
| VIC Frank Csarics | 47 55 | 23 29 | 4.9 4.0 | 1604 -17 1587 |
| VIC Dianne Davis | 54 63 | 29 34 | 4.8 4.0 | 1589 -15 1574 |
| VIC Angela Van Niekerk | 73 76 | 38 41 | 4.6 4.0 | 1562 -12 1550 |
| NSW Wilma Vialle | 81 104 | 21 27 | 5.2 3.0 | 1544 -44 1500 |
| VIC Geoff Wright | 20 28 | 8 12 | 6.4 3.0 | 1728 -67 1661 |
| NSW John Spaan :act | 68 93 | 18 22 | 5.6 3.0 | 1569 -50 1519 |
| NSW Ros Gibbons | 177 207 | 50 55 | 4.0 2.0 | 1388 -41 1347 |
| VIC Chile Malcolm | 444 416 | 164 156 | 0.4 2.0 | 996 +32 1028 |
| NSW Gary Pollard | 215 233 | 57 60 | 2.1 1.0 | 1333 -22 1311 |
+-------------------------------------+---------+-----------+----------------+
Stats for Tournament : ROUND ROBIN
+--------------------------+-----------+---------+-----------+----------
-----+
| state Name | National | State | Wins | Rating
Points |
| | Old New | Old New | Exp Act | Old
Change New|
+--------------------------+-----------+---------+-----------+----------
-----+
+Section: *A + + +
+
+--------------------------------------+---------+-----------+----------
-----+
| NSW Michael Adler :act | 277 276 | 74 74 | 9.0 9.0 | 1233 +2
1235 |
| NSW Richard Birch | 316 322 | 82 84 | 8.5 8.0 | 1173 -7
1166 |
| NSW Daphne Bezuidenhout | 331 332 | 87 87 | 8.3 8.0 | 1151 -3
1148 |
| NSW Liz Jackman | 257 266 | 65 68 | 9.4 8.0 | 1275 -26
1249 |
| NSW Margaret Ackman | 618 536 | 151 129 | 4.8 8.0 | 835 +70
905 |
| NSW Heather Sorensen :ac | 682 626 | 172 153 | 4.1 7.0 | 771 +60
831 |
| NSW Ann Fiddler | 459 485 | 107 114 | 6.5 5.0 | 982 -27
955 |
| NSW Sunny Wright | 482 521 | 115 124 | 6.2 4.0 | 960 -42
918 |
| VIC Vivian Eckhaus | 716 712 | 212 212 | 3.8 4.0 | 743 +4
747 |
| NSW Esther Clarke | 1010 976 | 269 258 | 1.5 2.0 | 500 +10
510 |
| NSW Joy Morris | 922 923 | 241 242 | 2.0 2.0 | 565 -1
564 |
| NSW Merriss Adler :act | 924 945 | 243 249 | 2.0 1.0 | 563 -20
543 |
+-------------------------------------+---------+-----------+-----------