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WPC 2008 Commentary: Round 10

Go to: Before the Tournament, Round 1, Round 2, Round 3, Round 4, Round 5, Round 6, Round 7, Round 8, Round 9, Round 10, Round 11, Round 12, Round 13, Round 14, Round 15, Round 16, Round 17, Round 18, Round 19, Round 20, Round 21, Round 22, Round 23.

Round 10

Nick Ball (USA) has a strong showing this round with a 502-343 win against Geoff Thevenot (USA). I'm drawn to their board by Geoff's HAFTORAH and appreciate his ODONTIC through the first O and T as a clever rack cleaning play! Nick played DOULEIAs, PYRaMIDS, and CURTSIES.

John Luebkemann (USA) defeated Steve Polatnick (USA) this round, 535-343. John opened the game with ANYWISE for 84 and then played BENEfICE for 86 on his next turn. Later on, he got his second bingo-bango: PENALITY for 82 and ASUNDER for 79. Steve played SPLATTED for 78 and probably feels it was an autobiographical move.

Chris Cree (USA) wanders by and says, "If only I'd known TRILLO#, it would be a different day right now!" He held FHHKOOS and saw FISHHOOK instantly AND had a place to play it, but it hooked on the back of TRILL, making TRILLO. Oh well.... That will teach him not to study his Collins' fives!

Albert Hahn (CAN) wraps up his game this round against John Barker (AUS), who Wilma tells Albert is the "Albert Hahn of Australia." About losing the game, he says, "I guess the Australian Albert is better than the Canadian Albert, seeing as we met on neutral ground and all and I lost..." It was a 477-422 win for the "Australian Albert." I ask Wilma what she means by this and she explains that John is a taxi driver (Albert has driven truck and car professionally) and that he can tell you about "such and such" in films, that he can tell you the "origins of things," and that he has an abundance of "esoteric" knowledge. Oh, and he's talk like Albert, too.

Howard Warner (NZL) isn't much into dissecting his games with me, rather he likes to jump on me with little tids and bits of info. This round it is that he's sometime today played DRUMLIEST through the UM. It was in a game against Sam Kantimathi (USA), which Sam won. His other favorite play thus far this event is ACHIOTE, a word he's long known (since he is a SCRABBLE player), but one he's never interacted with locally before. He's enjoyed seeing that word in local supermarkets and restaurants. Lastly, and most importantly, WHAT IS IT WITH ALL THE AMERICANS? Here it is, coming upon round 11 and is about to face his 10th American in a row. Isn't there any others here, he asks?

On a Carmel Dodd (AUS) vs. Peter Armstrong (USA) board, i see the very pretty ARAGONITE, I'm told was played through GO by Peter. A bit later NOtCHEs/ARAGONITEs came down. I see FORESEEN and Carmel's SYBARITE and INFLUX (this last one for mucho points).

John O'Laughlin (USA) vs. Trevor Halsall (AUS): INTONERS, LEaDIEST, THEAVeS#, and THEREMIN. Trevor starts to tell us what a theremin is and we smile and say that we have a player from Vermont who can actually play one! Kevin Colosa, a burgeoning expert player from Northern Vermont, showed up this past Spring's Boston Area Tournament with one in tow and he played a bunch of songs for us with piano accompaniment from other players at the event. Haunting, exciting, description defying.....

Michael Early (USA) tells me about his game with Chris Cree (USA). He is so excited I can barely write fast enough to keep up. He played SALUTES, creating LA, AL, MU, IT, NA, and AS for 93. Chris ended up winning the game, 487-361, but Mike was very proud to have stayed in it!

We went into this round with Nigel Richards (MYS) in first and four others hot on his tail and end this round with one of those hotties IN FIRST PLACE! Yes sir, Theresa Camilleri (MLT) just took over the top as one of four players wtih 8-2 spreads! How exciting for her!