National Scrabble Championships - 3rd to 5th April 1999

Click here for Michael Vnuk's game by game analysis
Report from Paul Cleary

90 players contested the 21-round 1999 Australian Scrabble Championships in style at the Landmark Park Royal Hotel in Sydney's Potts Point over the Easter period. All States and Territories were represented with several international players thrown in for good measure.

Bob Jackman got off to a strong start, winning his first 13 games and leading the field at the end of days 1 and 2. Paul Cleary held second position for almost all of the tourney but gained the ascendancy at the end of round 20 after scoring the tournament high game of 649.

Going into the last round, a King of the Hill final, both Paul and Bob were on 17 wins. The winner of their game would be the 1999 Champion. In a 20 move game, Paul drew most of the goodies and put down 4 bonus words (MOTELIER, DEITIES, ENHANCER, AGROUND) to win 510-295 and take the title with 18 wins, 1983 margin. Ivor Zetler took third place with 16/675 behind Bob's 17/1270.

Some of the best plays were these 9-letter bonus plays: OUVRIERES (around ES), PILCHARDS (~CH), MANHANDLE (~AN), REGULATOR (~OR), MOISTENED (~ED), ODALIQUES (~OD) and CANNONING (~ON).

Derek McKenzie played CUPOLAS for 100+ by hooking AIRWISE to PAIRWISE.

The usual handful of 9-timers included LESIONED (140), LOAMIEST (131) and Keith Bioletti's high word IDEOLOGY (176).

Congratulations to the ASPA (NSW) Committee and to all helpers for organising and running such a successful tournament. A special mention must go to Tournament Director Wilma Vialle who kept things moving with alacrity and good humour.



Results after game 21
1999 AUSTRALIAN CHAMPS -- MASTERS
Rank Player            Wins  Mar
--------------------------------
  1 Paul Cleary         18  1987
  2 Bob Jackman         17  1270
  3 Ivor Zetler         16   675
  4 Daniel Piechnick    15  1199
  5 Glenys Lawrie       15   456
  6 Joanne Craig        14   905
  7 Esther Perrins      14   575
  8 Sue Kyatt           13   849
  9 Anne Drew           13   693
 10 John Holgate        13   597
 11 Derek Mckenzie      13   595
 12 Rod Talbot          13   213
 13 Robyn Flynn         13   201
 14 Alistair Kane       12«  691
 15 Audrey Newman       12«  133
 16 Cheah Siu Hean (Sin)12   746
 17 Joan Rosenthal      12   578
 18 Trevor Halsall      12   406
 19 Nicole Findlay      12   401
 20 Meg Henderson       12   203
 21 Robert Tomkins      12   150
 22 Doris Schwenn       12    95
 23 Gloria Gallagher    12    89
 24 Graeme Lock Lee     12   -52
 25 Veronica Baines     12   -80
 26 Jeff Spring         12  -235
 27 Gerald Warner (Nz)  11«  261
 28 Rene Chelton        11«  130
 29 Jean Mcgiffen       11«  113
 30 Steve Sunter        11   493
 31 Robert Archer       11   481
 32 Betty Foreman       11   330
 33 Sue Gergelifi       11   263
 34 Harry Malcolm       11   200
 35 Michael Vnuk        11   193
 36 John Barker         11   138
 37 Marie London        11    30
 38 Penny Wells         11  -139
 39 Mary Mcmahon        11  -141
 40 Alison Rae          11  -220
 41 Ian Close           11  -231
 42 Cheryl Michler      11  -297
 43 Zina Costanzo       11  -579
 44 Carmel Dodd         10«  125
 45 Karen Richards      10«   25
 46 Sal Costanzo        10   294
 47 Marie Knight        10   233
 48 Marilyn Smith       10   201
 49 Angie Pearse        10   106
 50 Peter Shaw          10    98
 51 Lesley Mack         10  -166
 52 Frances Berry       10  -168
 53 Khen Meerding       10  -175
 54 Ethel Collins       10  -240
 55 Karrin Henderson    10  -277
 56 Jean Noonan         10  -298
 57 Julie Gardiner      10  -499
 58 Liz Jackman         10  -601
 59 Ruby Kotwall        10  -624
 60 Jan Serisier         9« -107
 61 Sam Greenberg        9« -319
 62 Ann McBain           9« -364
 63 Jeff Chelton         9   174
 64 Siva Sivapalasundram 9    15
 65 Barbara Berlin       9   -83
 66 Elizabeth Ho         9  -177
 67 Gerry Reynolds       9  -197
 68 Olga Visser          9  -273
 69 Ros Gibbons          9  -302
 70 Anne Michell         9  -329
 71 Joan Watson          9  -447
 72 Irene Lim (Mal)      9  -644
 73 Rose Young           9  -662
 74 Hanne Marks          8« -537
 75 Julia Sorell         8   362
 76 Patricia Mitchell    8     2
 77 Bruce Michael        8  -255
 78 Nanette Reynolds     8  -408
 79 Keith Bioletti       8  -491
 80 June Stephenson      8  -517
 81 Pat Warren           8  -537
 82 Trish Brighton       8  -552
 83 Jean Balmer          8  -785
 84 Dawn Spring          7« -685
 85 Sue Flack            7  -456
 86 Val Ryan             7  -487
 87 Kris Logan           6  -500
 88 Richard Birch        6 -1025
 89 Dianne Smerdon       5  -873
 90 Ann Novice           5  -940
HIGH GAME: Paul Cleary       649
HIGH WORD: Keith Bioletti    176
            "IDEOLOGY"

and here are the rating changes:

Stats for Tournament : 1999 AUSTRALIAN CHAMPS

+--------------------------+-----------+---------+-----------+---------------+
| state     Name           | National  | State   |   Wins    | Rating Points |
|                          | Old  New  | Old New | Exp  Act  | Old Change New|
+--------------------------+-----------+---------+-----------+---------------+
+Section: *MASTERS                     +         +           +               +
+--------------------------------------+---------+-----------+---------------+
| NSW Paul Cleary          |    2    2 |   2   2 | 15.6 18.0 | 1903 +41 1944 |
| NSW Bob Jackman          |    1    1 |   1   1 | 16.6 17.0 | 1959  +7 1966 |
| NSW Ivor Zetler          |   32   11 |  11   5 | 11.4 16.0 | 1702 +95 1797 |
| WA  Glenys Lawrie        |   33   15 |   1   1 | 11.6 15.0 | 1700 +72 1772 |
| SA  Daniel Piechnick     |   20   10 |   1   1 | 12.3 15.0 | 1746 +57 1803 |
| NSW Esther Perrins       |   11    8 |   5   3 | 14.9 14.0 | 1823 -12 1811 |
| NSW Joanne Craig         |   68   39 |  19  13 | 10.0 14.0 | 1587 +85 1672 |
| NSW John Holgate         |    8    9 |   4   4 | 14.5 13.0 | 1833 -24 1809 |
| QLD Anne Drew            |   84   53 |   2   2 |  8.3 13.0 | 1544 +94 1638 |
| QLD Derek McKenzie       |   15   16 |   1   1 | 13.4 13.0 | 1776  -6 1770 |
| VIC Sue Kyatt            |   23   22 |  11  11 | 13.3 13.0 | 1736  -5 1731 |
| NSW Robyn Flynn          |   45   57 |  13  18 | 15.0 13.0 | 1665 -38 1627 |
| NSW Rod Talbot           |   58   38 |  15  12 | 11.4 13.0 | 1639 +33 1672 |
| VIC Alistair Kane        |    5    7 |   3   4 | 15.5 12.5 | 1857 -46 1811 |
| NSW Audrey Newman        |   71   55 |  20  17 |  9.4 12.5 | 1568 +66 1634 |
|*NSW Cheah Siu Hean (Sin  |    0   50 |   0  16 | 12.0 12.0 | 1648     1648 |
| NSW Graeme Lock Lee      |  137   94 |  38  27 |  8.1 12.0 | 1449 +82 1531 |
| NSW Trevor Halsall       |   19   17 |   8   7 | 12.9 12.0 | 1763 -18 1745 |
| VIC Meg Henderson        |   40   60 |  23  33 | 14.6 12.0 | 1672 -50 1622 |
| NSW Joan Rosenthal       |    7   14 |   3   6 | 16.3 12.0 | 1844 -68 1776 |
| VIC Nicole Findlay       |   56   56 |  33  31 | 12.4 12.0 | 1640  -8 1632 |
| SA  Veronica Baines      |   76   72 |   3   3 | 10.7 12.0 | 1555 +31 1586 |
| NSW Gloria Gallagher     |   98   87 |  28  26 | 11.1 12.0 | 1522 +19 1541 |
| SA  Doris Schwenn        |  140   95 |   8   4 |  7.8 12.0 | 1446 +85 1531 |
| NSW Robert Tomkins       |  203  118 |  49  35 |  5.3 12.0 | 1331 +155 1486 |
| NSW Jeff Spring          |  144  109 |  39  32 |  8.8 12.0 | 1441 +67 1508 |
|*NSW Gerald Warner (Nz    |    0   70 |   0  21 | 11.5 11.5 | 1588     1588 |
| NSW Jean McGiffen        |   24   33 |  10  10 | 13.9 11.5 | 1735 -45 1690 |
| NSW Rene Chelton         |   62   59 |  16  19 | 11.2 11.5 | 1615  +8 1623 |
| NSW John Barker          |   18   40 |   7  14 | 15.9 11.0 | 1768 -97 1671 |
| QLD Michael Vnuk         |  108   76 |   4   3 |  8.5 11.0 | 1511 +51 1562 |
| VIC Robert Archer        |   53   51 |  31  28 | 11.4 11.0 | 1650  -6 1644 |
| TAS Marie London         |   55   61 |   3   3 | 13.0 11.0 | 1649 -36 1613 |
| VIC Steve Sunter         |   12   19 |   6   8 | 15.5 11.0 | 1804 -68 1736 |
| NSW Sue Gergelifi        |   96   64 |  27  20 |  7.2 11.0 | 1525 +76 1601 |
| NSW Cheryl Michler       |  227  122 |  54  36 |  3.0 11.0 | 1284 +195 1479 |
| VIC Mary McMahon         |   81   97 |  44  48 | 12.2 11.0 | 1550 -22 1528 |
| VIC Harry Malcolm        |   17   32 |   9  19 | 14.8 11.0 | 1770 -74 1696 |
| NSW Betty Foreman        |   63   82 |  17  25 | 13.8 11.0 | 1604 -54 1550 |
| NSW Penny Wells          |  251  182 |  62  48 |  4.4 11.0 | 1240 +151 1391 |
| NSW Alison Rae :act      |  123  113 |  35  33 | 10.0 11.0 | 1478 +22 1500 |
| VIC Zina Costanzo        |  115  125 |  59  57 | 12.2 11.0 | 1495 -22 1473 |
| NSW Ian Close            |  150  142 |  41  41 | 10.4 11.0 | 1432 +15 1447 |
| SA  Carmel Dodd          |   35   62 |   2   2 | 15.0 10.5 | 1695 -89 1606 |
| WA  Karen Richards       |  194  162 |  16  11 |  7.0 10.5 | 1348 +71 1419 |
| VIC Sal Costanzo         |   43   63 |  26  34 | 13.1 10.0 | 1666 -61 1605 |
| NSW Marie Knight         |   21   28 |   9   8 | 11.9 10.0 | 1743 -37 1706 |
| NSW Peter Shaw           |   16   30 |   6   9 | 13.7 10.0 | 1771 -73 1698 |
| QLD Julie Gardiner       |  174  172 |   9   9 |  9.8 10.0 | 1394  +6 1400 |
| TAS Khen Meerding        |   60   66 |   4   4 | 12.0 10.0 | 1633 -39 1594 |
| VIC Lesley Mack          |   79  129 |  43  60 | 14.4 10.0 | 1552 -87 1465 |
| VIC Angie Pearse         |   54   67 |  32  36 | 12.9 10.0 | 1649 -57 1592 |
| QLD Marilyn Smith        |  167  115 |   7   5 |  5.4 10.0 | 1400 +93 1493 |
| QLD Karrin Henderson     |  247  181 |  19  11 |  3.7 10.0 | 1249 +142 1391 |
| SA  Frances Berry        |  157  168 |   9  10 | 11.1 10.0 | 1429 -23 1406 |
| NSW Ethel Collins        |  175  166 |  44  45 |  9.2 10.0 | 1392 +19 1411 |
| NSW Jean Noonan          |  113  127 |  32  37 | 11.6 10.0 | 1500 -31 1469 |
| NSW Ruby Kotwall         |  119  114 |  33  34 |  9.4 10.0 | 1482 +14 1496 |
| NSW Liz Jackman          |  265  195 |  66  51 |  3.8 10.0 | 1223 +136 1359 |
| NSW Jan Serisier         |  121  137 |  34  39 | 10.9  9.5 | 1480 -27 1453 |
| VIC Ann McBain           |  163  180 |  77  80 | 10.7  9.5 | 1415 -24 1391 |
| NSW Sam Greenberg        |  109  139 |  31  40 | 12.3  9.5 | 1506 -56 1450 |
| VIC Barbara Berlin       |   10   23 |   5  12 | 15.8  9.0 | 1823 -106 1717 |
| NSW Jeff Chelton         |  155  154 |  42  43 |  9.1  9.0 | 1429  +1 1430 |
| SA  Anne Michell         |  233  201 |  17  14 |  4.9  9.0 | 1268 +82 1350 |
| QLD Olga Visser          |  212  171 |  13   8 |  4.9  9.0 | 1318 +83 1401 |
| QLD Joan Watson          |  221  214 |  15  13 |  7.7  9.0 | 1300 +25 1325 |
| NSW Elizabeth Ho         |  283  234 |  71  60 |  4.0  9.0 | 1196 +99 1295 |
| VIC Rose Young           |  114  165 |  58  76 | 13.0  9.0 | 1497 -81 1416 |
| QLD Gerry Reynolds       |  192  196 |  10  12 |  8.6  9.0 | 1351  +8 1359 |
| NSW Siva Sivapalasundram |  169  158 |  43  44 |  7.6  9.0 | 1398 +30 1428 |
| NSW Ros Gibbons          |  149  174 |  40  46 | 10.9  9.0 | 1437 -38 1399 |
|*NSW Irene Lim (Mal       |    0  222 |   0  58 |  9.0  9.0 | 1316     1316 |
| NSW Hanne Marks          |  176  187 |  45  50 |  8.9  8.5 | 1386  -7 1379 |
| VIC Patricia Mitchell    |   50  116 |  29  56 | 16.5  8.0 | 1657 -168 1489 |
| NT  Bruce Michael        |    0  200 |   0   1 |  4.4  8.0 | 1279 +73 1352 |
| QLD Trish Brighton       |  232  232 |  16  17 |  6.8  8.0 | 1273 +24 1297 |
| NSW Keith Bioletti       |   66  106 |  18  31 | 11.9  8.0 | 1589 -77 1512 |
| TAS Julia Sorell         |  180  209 |  21  25 | 10.2  8.0 | 1377 -43 1334 |
| NSW Pat Warren           |   83  144 |  24  42 | 13.2  8.0 | 1547 -105 1442 |
| NSW June Stephenson      |  302  277 |  76  73 |  5.1  8.0 | 1155 +57 1212 |
| NSW Nanette Reynolds     |  256  240 |  64  64 |  5.9  8.0 | 1233 +42 1275 |
| NSW Jean Balmer          |  255  242 |  63  66 |  6.2  8.0 | 1233 +37 1270 |
| NSW Dawn Spring          |  244  244 |  60  67 |  6.9  7.5 | 1254 +12 1266 |
| NSW Sue Flack            |  125  179 |  36  47 | 10.9  7.0 | 1471 -78 1393 |
| NSW Val Ryan             |  188  213 |  46  54 |  8.6  7.0 | 1359 -32 1327 |
| NSW Kris Logan           |  104  184 |  30  49 | 12.6  6.0 | 1514 -131 1383 |
| NSW Richard Birch        |  267  267 |  67  70 |  5.6  6.0 | 1219  +8 1227 |
| SA  Dianne Smerdon       |  269  290 |  19  19 |  6.3  5.0 | 1218 -26 1192 |
| SA  Ann Novice           |  197  250 |  14  17 |  9.3  5.0 | 1345 -86 1259 |
+-------------------------------------+---------+-----------+----------------+