The New South Wales Scrabble Championships were held at the Bankstown Sports Club this year over 3 days, with 95 keen Scrabblers attending.
The 3 day event saw 72 entries split into four evenly numbers divisions of 18 players each, with 8 games of 22 minutes a side played each day. There was an additional 23 players attending the one day event held on Monday with eight games to be contested.
As I scanned the room looking for notable plays I saw a most unusual sight. Bob Jackman was deducting 20 points from his score and Tony Hunt was adding 20 points. When Bob emptied the bag he had 5 consonants and not a single vowel. Tony managed to play off just a few tiles at a time and make a comeback from around 60 behind to win by just 8 points after the 40 point turnaround.
Put your self in this position. You just play LAPSERS for around 70 points to move you score along to 390 with your opponent sitting on 259. By playing your bonus you empty the bag of the last 6 tiles, and I imagine you would be feeling quite comfortable....I know I would be. Then your opponent goes out with ENDITING for 80 points and moves his score along to 339...not a bad play to narrow the margin at the end. The rub was that the last six tiles Olga Visser removed from the tile bag were.....Z, Q, V, B, P and O...a total of 31 points and a 62 point turn around on the adjustment of the scores. Well done to Peter Shaw for not giving up and turning a 131 deficit into an 11 point victory on the last move without the aid of a 9 timer.
Game 14 was quite eventful with the lights being cut to the playing room for around 10 seconds. This seems to be a little bit of a trend at the Banktown Sports club with the fire alarms sounding for a 10 minute period at another event held there a few months ago.
John Spaan and Joanne Craig traded blows with trying to find the front hook for ENDINGS with John trying a P and Joanne a V. Alas no joy for either.
Rene Chelton managed to get 97 points for SEAZE turning DIT into DITZ.
Rex Shakespeare managed to wrap a Z and an F around and existing IF to make ZIFF and a very handy 70 points in the late part of his game.
Kerry Constable managed to score her highest losing score in a tournament wither her 461 - 476 loss to Jan Serisier in game 21. I don't know if there was a higher losing score in the tournament.
Cheryl Michler had a great story to tell me on Sunday morning, not about Scrabble, but about the attention to detail that Scrabble players have. After arriving on Sunday morning Cheryl noticed that the diamond from here engagement ring was missing. As you can imagine Cheryl was a little upset. Kerry Constable had noticed the diamond on the floor the eevning before and handed it in to Wilma. Needless to say Cheryl was most pleased.
Kerry also managed to prove that Scrabblers have a great eye for detail late on Saturday.
My own tournament turned into a rather dour affair for myself. I was feeling quite good after day one with 6 wins from 8 games, but how things change. I proceeded to lose the last 6 games of day two and first six games a day three. A twelve game losing streak...certainly my worst ever. Can anyone report a better tournament losing streak? (I am happy to accept private replies!)
ASPA NSW held the Annual General Meeting after the Sunday day's play, which was well attended.
Colleen Walker won the "Joan Rosenthal" award for the player that gained the most ratings points for the full twelve month period prior to this years championships. Colleen gained over 400 ratings points during the past twelve months. Colleen managed to gain a further 23 points this weekend, starting the defense of her title for next year on the right foot.
Tresham Rendel had the high rating gain for the tournament. Tresham gained 153 points over the 3 days. A great result considering her expected wins was only 4 and she won 11 games.
Congratulations to all of the winners and thanks to the Scrabble NSW committee on a very well run event.
Results after game 24
2005 NSW CHAMPIONSHIPS -- MASTERS
Rank Player Wins Mar
---------------------------------
1 Edward Okulicz 20 1357
2 Chris May 16 988
3 Alistair Kane 16 644
4 Rod Talbot 15 261
5 Bob Jackman 14 342
6 Peter Shaw 14 194
7 John Holgate 13 765
8 Sue Kyatt 13 569
9 John Barker 13 -197
10 Tony Hunt 11 -10
11 Joanne Craig 11 -259
12 Karen Richards 9 140
13 Alastair Richards 9 -294
14 Jean McGiffen 9 -486
15 Carmel Dodd 9 -588
16 Paul Richards 9 -1191
17 Olga Visser 8 -984
18 John Spaan 7 -1251
HIGH GAME: John Barker 625
HIGH WORD: Edward Okulicz 167
"TRANSMEW"
Results after game 24
2005 NSW CHAMPIONSHIPS -- ADVANCED
Rank Player Wins Mar
---------------------------------
1 Susan MacGillivray 15 49
2 Alison Pollard 14.5 60
3 Graeme Lock Lee 14 1012
4 Hanne Marks 14 574
5 Kerry Constable 14 554
6 Justin Moyle 14 373
7 Rene Chelton 14 296
8 Trish Reynolds 13.5 156
9 Jeff Chelton 13 334
10 Jan Serisier 13 324
11 Wayne Jones 13 291
12 Betty Foreman 12 -41
13 Mal Ramsdale 11.5 -187
14 Rex Shakespeare 10 -327
15 Gary Pollard 9.5 -537
16 Mark Smith 8 -576
17 Raya Wilkinson 7 -1104
18 Audrey Newman 6 -1251
HIGH GAME: Graeme Lock Lee 578
HIGH WORD: Rex Shakespeare 185
"SQUINTER"
Results after game 24
2005 NSW CHAMPIONSHIPS -- INTERMEDIATE
Rank Player Wins Mar
---------------------------------
1 Ian Close 16 580
2 Bev Purkis 16 -76
3 Sam Greenberg 14.5 963
4 Pat Schuberg 14 585
5 Sharon Sorensen 14 575
6 Margaret Andrews 14 -98
7 Colleen Walker 14 -257
8 David More 12 221
9 Ann Fiddler 12 111
10 Cheryl Michler 12 -219
11 Jenny Templeton 12 -574
12 Janine Whittaker 11 -139
13 Michael Adler 11 -672
14 Judy Hay 10.5 57
15 Stuart Pridham 10 104
16 Margaret Berliner 9 -160
17 Natalie Tadday 8 -362
18 Denise Smith 6 -639
HIGH GAME: Stuart Pridham 522
HIGH WORD: Margaret Berliner 105
"DIALYSE"
Results after game 24
2005 NSW CHAMPIONSHIPS -- RECREATION
Rank Player Wins Mar
---------------------------------
1 Jean Balmer 17 585
2 Daphne Bezuidenhout 16.5 721
3 Don Hadley 16 540
4 George Khamis 15 607
5 Rocky Sharma 15 466
6 Sunny Wright 14 450
7 Liz Jackman 14 125
8 Frank Hunt 13 902
9 Christine Foot 13 501
10 Heather Sorensen 13 131
11 Treshem Rendell 11 -180
12 Philip Smith 10.5 -348
13 Sue Tuckett 10 123
14 Maree Heynen 10 -779
15 Edith Lowbeer 9 -149
16 Ivana Duria 9 -364
17 Arie Holla 7 -1058
18 Diana Field 3 -2273
HIGH GAME: George Khamis 484
HIGH WORD: Liz Jackman 108
"BAWDILY"
Results after game 8
2005 NSW CHAMPIONSHIPS -- OPEN
Rank Player Wins Byes Mar
---------------------------------
1 Sandra Elliott 7 339
2 Jyoti Chandna 6 409
3 Therese Newman 6 381
4 Bill Condon 5 452
5 Mary-Michal Oxby 5 130
6 Val Ryan 5 100
7 Jan Tomlin 5 74
8 Ram Mohe 5 61
9 Judy McGuinness 4 257
10 Veena Mohe 4 110
11 Shelley Cartwright 4 57
12 Lisa Peterson 4 20
13 Pearl Gillott 4 -110
14 Colin Driver 4 -238
15 Esther Rolfe 3 1 -176
16 Maria Kaye 3 1 -359
17 Tony Kalayzich 3 205
18 Laura Morgan 2 1 -133
19 Yvonne Edwards 2 1 -178
20 Sandra Da Silva 2 1 -181
21 Esther Clarke 2 1 -183
22 Joy Morris 2 1 -457
23 Hazel Knudsen 1 1 -580
HIGH GAME: Bill Condon 533
HIGH WORD: Veena Mohe 104
"ENQUIRER"
Stats for Tournament : 2005 NSW CHAMPIONSHIPS
+--------------------------+-----------+---------+-----------+----------
-----+
| state Name | National | State | Wins | Rating
Points |
| | Old New | Old New | Exp Act | Old
Change New|
+--------------------------+-----------+---------+-----------+----------
-----+
+Section: *MASTERS + + +
+
+--------------------------------------+---------+-----------+----------
-----+
| NSW Edward Okulicz | 5 2 | 1 1 | 17.2 20.0 | 1817 +45
1862 |
| NSW Chris May | 7 7 | 2 2 | 16.5 16.0 | 1797 -11
1786 |
| VIC Alistair Kane | 3 6 | 3 5 | 17.4 16.0 | 1826 -22
1804 |
| NSW Rod Talbot | 20 12 | 8 4 | 13.0 15.0 | 1691 +40
1731 |
| NSW Bob Jackman | 18 15 | 6 5 | 13.6 14.0 | 1699 +8
1707 |
| NSW Peter Shaw | 33 22 | 11 8 | 10.8 14.0 | 1607 +65
1672 |
| NSW John Holgate | 19 20 | 7 7 | 13.8 13.0 | 1697 -16
1681 |
| VIC Sue Kyatt | 60 29 | 27 11 | 8.2 13.0 | 1530 +96
1626 |
| NSW John Barker | 48 27 | 15 11 | 8.6 13.0 | 1552 +88
1640 |
| NSW Tony Hunt | 37 34 | 13 13 | 10.1 11.0 | 1597 +18
1615 |
| NSW Joanne Craig | 10 25 | 4 10 | 16.3 11.0 | 1762 -107
1655 |
| QLD Karen Richards | 36 44 | 3 3 | 10.7 9.0 | 1597 -35
1562 |
| QLD Alastair Richards | 52 48 | 5 4 | 8.5 9.0 | 1543 +11
1554 |
| NSW Jean McGiffen | 42 53 | 14 16 | 10.5 9.0 | 1575 -30
1545 |
| SA Carmel Dodd | 26 47 | 4 4 | 13.0 9.0 | 1637 -80
1557 |
| QLD Paul Richards | 43 52 | 4 5 | 10.2 9.0 | 1569 -23
1546 |
| QLD Olga Visser | 61 68 | 6 7 | 8.7 8.0 | 1526 -13
1513 |
| ACT John Spaan | 69 93 | 2 3 | 8.9 7.0 | 1518 -38
1480 |
+-------------------------------------+---------+-----------+-----------
-----+
+Section: *ADVANCED + + +
+
+--------------------------------------+---------+-----------+----------
-----+
| ACT Susan MacGillivray | 144 98 | 5 4 | 11.4 15.0 | 1403 +72
1475 |
| NSW Alison Pollard | 153 114 | 34 27 | 11.5 14.5 | 1393 +60
1453 |
| NSW Graeme Lock Lee | 84 95 | 21 21 | 14.8 14.0 | 1493 -15
1478 |
| ACT Justin Moyle | 127 113 | 4 5 | 12.6 14.0 | 1429 +29
1458 |
| ACT Kerry Constable | 85 88 | 3 2 | 14.5 14.0 | 1493 -10
1483 |
| NSW Hanne Marks | 129 103 | 31 23 | 12.0 14.0 | 1426 +40
1466 |
| NSW Rene Chelton | 124 110 | 29 25 | 12.6 14.0 | 1432 +27
1459 |
| QLD Trish Reynolds | 96 96 | 8 8 | 13.7 13.5 | 1480 -3
1477 |
| NSW Jan Serisier | 75 107 | 19 24 | 15.2 13.0 | 1506 -44
1462 |
| NSW Jeff Chelton | 110 129 | 25 30 | 14.1 13.0 | 1453 -23
1430 |
| NSW Wayne Jones | 226 151 | 46 33 | 8.4 13.0 | 1304 +92
1396 |
| NSW Betty Foreman | 183 157 | 38 34 | 10.4 12.0 | 1357 +31
1388 |
| NSW Mal Ramsdale | 203 180 | 41 37 | 10.3 11.5 | 1336 +23
1359 |
| NSW Rex Shakespeare | 166 194 | 36 40 | 11.6 10.0 | 1377 -31
1346 |
| NSW Gary Pollard | 221 211 | 44 43 | 8.7 9.5 | 1314 +16
1330 |
| NSW Mark Smith | 117 203 | 27 41 | 13.3 8.0 | 1443 -107
1336 |
| NSW Raya Wilkinson | 239 259 | 48 52 | 8.4 7.0 | 1291 -28
1263 |
| NSW Audrey Newman | 140 248 | 33 49 | 12.5 6.0 | 1408 -130
1278 |
+-------------------------------------+---------+-----------+-----------
-----+
+Section: *INTERMEDIATE + + +
+
+--------------------------------------+---------+-----------+----------
-----+
| NSW Ian Close | 258 227 | 52 46 | 14.4 16.0 | 1266 +33
1299 |
| NSW Bev Purkis | 342 255 | 81 51 | 9.9 16.0 | 1151 +121
1272 |
| NSW Sam Greenberg | 294 265 | 65 55 | 12.4 14.5 | 1211 +42
1253 |
| NSW Pat Schuberg | 281 266 | 61 56 | 13.2 14.0 | 1234 +17
1251 |
| NSW Sharon Sorensen | 301 281 | 67 61 | 12.6 14.0 | 1207 +27
1234 |
| NSW Margaret Andrews | 256 263 | 51 54 | 14.7 14.0 | 1269 -13
1256 |
| NSW Colleen Walker | 285 271 | 63 57 | 12.9 14.0 | 1226 +23
1249 |
| NSW David More | 277 302 | 59 67 | 13.8 12.0 | 1241 -35
1206 |
| NSW Ann Fiddler | 362 326 | 84 75 | 9.7 12.0 | 1125 +47
1172 |
| NSW Cheryl Michler | 264 292 | 54 65 | 14.1 12.0 | 1254 -41
1213 |
| NSW Jenny Templeton | 359 319 | 83 72 | 9.5 12.0 | 1130 +50
1180 |
| NSW Janine Whittaker | 372 339 | 89 79 | 8.7 11.0 | 1109 +46
1155 |
| ACT Michael Adler | 303 316 | 9 9 | 12.1 11.0 | 1205 -21
1184 |
| NSW Judy Hay | 309 330 | 68 77 | 11.6 10.5 | 1191 -21
1170 |
| NSW Stuart Pridham | 339 357 | 80 82 | 10.8 10.0 | 1157 -24
1133 |
| NSW Margaret Berliner | 322 355 | 75 81 | 11.2 9.0 | 1177 -44
1133 |
| NSW Natalie Tadday | 280 361 | 60 83 | 13.6 8.0 | 1235 -111
1124 |
| NSW Denise Smith | 333 408 | 78 97 | 11.1 6.0 | 1169 -102
1067 |
+-------------------------------------+---------+-----------+-----------
-----+
+Section: *RECREATION + + +
+
+--------------------------------------+---------+-----------+----------
-----+
| NSW Jean Balmer | 385 366 | 93 87 | 15.9 17.0 | 1095 +23
1118 |
| NSW Daphne Bezuidenhout | 529 412 | 127 98 | 11.4 16.5 | 960 +103
1063 |
| NSW Don Hadley | 417 394 | 99 94 | 14.7 16.0 | 1061 +27
1088 |
| NSW Rocky Sharma | 483 419 | 119 100 | 12.3 15.0 | 999 +54
1053 |
| NSW George Khamis | 531 461 | 128 111 | 12.2 15.0 | 959 +56
1015 |
| NSW Sunny Wright | 414 433 | 97 102 | 15.0 14.0 | 1061 -19
1042 |
| NSW Liz Jackman | 401 438 | 95 103 | 16.4 14.0 | 1081 -46
1035 |
| NSW Frank Hunt | 487 485 | 120 120 | 13.0 13.0 | 995 +1
996 |
| ACT Christine Foot | 399 454 | 11 11 | 16.2 13.0 | 1083 -64
1019 |
| ACT Heather Sorensen | 451 494 | 12 14 | 14.8 13.0 | 1022 -33
989 |
| NSW Tresham Rendel | 953 735 | 242 186 | 4.0 11.0 | 637 +153
790 |
| NSW Philip Smith | 711 652 | 178 161 | 8.3 10.5 | 803 +47
850 |
| NSW Sue Tuckett | 398 544 | 94 129 | 16.8 10.0 | 1083 -134
949 |
| NSW Maree Heynen | 681 631 | 167 153 | 8.0 10.0 | 826 +40
866 |
| NSW Ivana Duria | 593 635 | 145 155 | 10.6 9.0 | 896 -31
865 |
| NSW Edith Lowbeer | 438 573 | 103 141 | 15.1 9.0 | 1037 -120
917 |
| NSW Arie Holla | 770 776 | 191 194 | 7.4 7.0 | 759 -5
754 |
| NSW Diana Field | 1000 1050 | 262 279 | 3.9 3.0 | 611 -17
594 |
+-------------------------------------+---------+-----------+-----------
-----+
+Section: *OPEN + + +
+
+--------------------------------------+---------+-----------+----------
-----+
| NSW Sandra Elliott | 441 376 | 105 91 | 4.0 7.0 | 1034 +71
1105 |
| NSW Jyoti Chandna | 423 405 | 101 96 | 5.0 6.0 | 1050 +21
1071 |
| NSW Therese Newman | 265 275 | 55 60 | 6.4 6.0 | 1252 -6
1246 |
| NSW Bill Condon | 513 472 | 125 117 | 3.5 5.0 | 976 +29
1005 |
| NSW Jan Tomlin | 317 320 | 72 73 | 5.3 5.0 | 1185 -5
1180 |
| NSW Ram Mohe | 273 284 | 58 63 | 6.0 5.0 | 1245 -19
1226 |
| NSW Val Ryan | 475 460 | 116 110 | 4.4 5.0 | 1002 +13
1015 |
| NSW Mary-Michal Oxby | 760 707 | 189 176 | 2.9 5.0 | 764 +44
808 |
| NSW Judy McGuinness | 419 448 | 100 107 | 5.8 4.0 | 1056 -33
1023 |
| NSW Lisa Petersen | 605 594 | 148 145 | 3.8 4.0 | 888 +8
896 |
| NSW Shelley Cartwright | 456 465 | 109 113 | 4.5 4.0 | 1020 -9
1011 |
| NSW Veena Mohe | 510 515 | 124 125 | 4.3 4.0 | 977 -4
973 |
| NSW Pearl Gillott | 741 714 | 184 181 | 2.9 4.0 | 780 +22
802 |
| NSW Colin Driver | 732 619 | 183 149 | 1.7 4.0 | 789 +89
878 |
| NSW Esther Rolfe | 450 486 | 108 121 | 5.0 3.5 | 1025 -30
995 |
| NSW Maria Kaye | 972 951 | 248 242 | 2.6 3.5 | 625 +18
643 |
| NSW Tony Kalayzich | 325 379 | 76 93 | 6.5 3.0 | 1174 -69
1105 |
| NSW Yvonne Edwards | 597 629 | 146 151 | 3.8 2.5 | 894 -26
868 |
| NSW Sandra Da Silva | 786 817 | 196 201 | 3.1 2.5 | 750 -13
737 |
| NSW Laura Morgan | 945 925 | 238 235 | 2.2 2.5 | 647 +8
655 |
| NSW Esther Clarke | 829 861 | 204 218 | 3.7 2.5 | 727 -25
702 |
| NSW Joy Morris | 789 798 | 197 197 | 2.7 2.5 | 749 -3
746 |
| NSW Hazel Knudsen | 1117 1121 | 303 305 | 1.8 1.5 | 538 -10
528 |