The 6th All India Open Scrabble Tournament Goa 2009 - my first ever tournament in Goa. Commendably well organized, with commendably awesome food, it saw the participation of most of the Indian aces.

I had come to this tournament pretty motivated after my performance in the last open tournament held in Pune in February. Well, started this tourney with P.C. Jose and Aruna Grover as my first two opponents. I’ve had a history of losing to them every single time, and it continued to be. Lost to them 318-385 and 341-428, respectively, after which I was rolling with 4 wins in a row against Viji (550-378), Basil (411-398), Rajiv ( 434-416) and Patrick (436-388). Lost my 7th game to the Superkid Abhijit (375-413) and the 8th to Jacky (322-394). Like that wasn’t disastrous enough, I ended my 9th game and the 1st day with a nightmare against Irinieu (242-499).

After a very cool evening at Nostalgia, fresh and all set for day 2, I beat Udayan Phillip 472-248, but, that was about it. This feel-good factor was chased by 4 feel-terrible losses to Bhushan (358-391), P.C.Jose (336-344 - remember, I have a history against him?), Patrick (338-465), and Phil (336-425). I covered up my spread though in the last 2 games against Balaji (523-263) and Chris (559-260).

And, 1. there are times when you are so tempted to play certain words you’re unsure of, but the situation keeps you from playing it and being challenged off. Only later, you zyzzyva to find out the word would have probably won you the game. I made such blunders this time, quite a few of them.

2. Oh, and superstition’s no good. Neither the black nor the pink ink got me any great luck.

‘All’s well that ends well. And even if it doesn’t, it’s cool.’ - applicable to both, the tournament and this report. : )

Apology to have posted this in a little more than a little late. And, as did a lot of others, I would too thank the Goa Scrabble Club for organizing this fun-filled tournament.

Cheers

Nidhi

Hello again!

Starting from where I left off..

Day 2.

Jacky Fernandes…Jacky is one of my sparring partners on Saturdays and he’s been playing pretty steadily over the past month. I have 2 bingos this game and he 1 but it all came down to the end game. I eke out a win 403 - 400

Game 11.

Sanjoy..I had an amazing pick this game from begining to end to win 570 - 316

This is the end of no repeats with 5 games to go and I brace myself sitting on table 2 with Varisht meeting Sherwin on table one.

Game 12.

and Shaik again.. Shaik I might say let me off the hook on his opening move not spotting retying and playing tyreing instead. I block his bingo in case he spots it, with miz. I bingo next turn and Shaik attempts a series of phonies through the game which I challenge off to win 463 - 329

Game 13.

Charles for the 2nd time..We play a pretty tough game with Charles running out of time at the end and not blocking my q spot and win 435 - 363.

Am now feeling pretty good with all 4 wins and similar to day one, I meet Var on table 1 with Charles playing Sherwin on table 2. Var is one win ahead of me at this point and I needed to beat var the last 3 games to win the tourney.

Game 14.

Varisht..I start off with lobelet and thereafter the game gets pretty blocked me getting rid of an jeeueu rack by playing jeu both sides toward the end of my lobelet. I later play cotted for 40, Solarise for 77 and later pick up both blanks to play whirry for 41 to seal a win 413 - 333

Meanwhile Sherwin has won Charles on table 2. Two games to go..

Game 15.

Var again.. this game was frustrating for me as I kept dumping and picking up vowels with an ies on rack! Vars bingos on his 6th turn with rangolis followed by sediment and copaiva and thirty for 43. I finally get in insanie followed by wafery for 38, zhos for 52, and futz for 48 in consecutive moves but its a little too late. I lose 347 - 462 and with it hopes of a tourney win.

Sherwin steps up to table one to face Var. Sherwin needs a win with 72 + spread to win the tourney. I face Shaik for the 3rd time on table 2.

Game 16.

This game gets under way quickly with Shaik playing spitz on the trip for 62. I get oracies to equalise for 79. I later bingo with diarised to win 394 - 368.

Sherwin loses to var on table 1 thus falling to 3rd place enabling me to come to 2nd. Needless to say am over the moon!!

Congratulations to Varisht and Sherwin for a splendid performance.

This ends my first and possibly last tourney report. I rue the fact that I had not recorded a lot of my plays and bingos but will do so next time just in case!! You never know

Cheers
Douglas

Hi Everyone,

Thought I’d attempt to write a tourney report as the opportunity for me to do so otherwise is rather scarce!

The run up to the tourney was pretty good with practice sessions ( just 4 of us mostly ) playing 8 games religiously every Saturday and I did manage to win the last 4 sessions whilst dropping just a couple of games. So going in with reasonably good form I start off with..

Day 1.

My opponent first up was Ramchandran. A tough cookie, not really the kind of player you want to meet for your first game! This game ended up being rather sedate with both players fishing till I bingoed midway and cautiously sealed the board. finishing 350 - 285

Game 2.

My good pal Lennie awaits : ) I always enjoy playing Lennie as we banter on through the game whilst trying to stay focussed! I pick both blanks in one go early and win 413 - 331

Game 3.

Jose de Abreu.. a formidable player who normally gets the better of me. I open with veilier for a score of 76 + 5. He responds 2 turns later with perlite for 72 exposing the triple. I get zines there for 72 neutralizing his bingo. he then follows up with lacertid for 64. i get 3 scores of 35+ and pick up the b to hook ben”zines” for 57. Jose gets his 3rd bingo rogation for 80 but by then I was comfortably away to win 495 - 389

Game 4.

PC jose..I don’t have a record of my plays during the game I win 454 -379

Game 5.

Eventual champ Varisht..Var and me were the only ones on 4 wins and I was eager to put up a fight to stay ahead but it was not to be. Var won 451 - 377

Game 6.

Charles..again no record of this game! I win 395 - 343

Game 7.

Sherwin.. and reality begins to strike. he starts with Skirred for 84 follows up with zoo for 65. Bingos midway with sudating and formable and ends with mantoes! My highest score this game was cervid for 49. A game I’d rather forget.

Game 8.

Abhijeet pradhan.. this youngster not more than 2 feet tall is pretty amazing, undoubtedly future champion material. He had scalped quite a few biggies by this time and I was on my guard. I start with a bingo which again I have no record of ): and have steady 30 + scores with a bingo midway to win 487 - 322

Game 9

Shaik ahmed..another toughie who fights tooth and nail. He gets 2 bingos I get one but then I overlook his shaoling thinking its shoaling and deserved to lose 383 - 422

That ends a pretty gruelling day one with 6 wins and 3 losses. More to come later..

Cheers
Douglas

Scrabbled Thoughts and Expressions

Scrabble as a game is one that we have come to familiarity at some point in our lives enjoying the game on a snowy morning or a rainy evening in our drawing room.

But while most of us, especially, the youngsters of today have been exploited by dim-witted PC/Video games, there are the exceptional not too many who continue to nourish their mental faculty with the wondrous word game – SCRABBLE.

Not many may be aware that the game is immensely popular, to the extent that a World Championship is held every other year, the last in our very own Mumbai in 2007.

While the game may be second nature in countries like the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and closer home, Thailand and Malaysia, it is looking up in India.

Under the nomenclature of Scrabble Association of India (SAI), and with an enthusiastic and committed executive committee in place, not forgetting an excellent back-up support of its members, the fulcrum of SAI is going from strength to strength.

The very purpose of starting this post is to weave a continuity of not just thoughts and ideas that will benefit the Scrabble Scene in the country but also to share with ‘The Reader’ our experiences in tourneys in the form of summarized reports and anecdotes.

I initially felt that I should be expressing much more, but I think this would suffice for a start.

We look forward to the continuity of this channel of your thoughts and expressions on the game that has become an integral part of our lives.

Basil aka ‘Goan Bingo’

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