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WPC 2008 Commentary: Round 16

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 16

Bob Jackman (AUS) played Geoff Thevenot (USA) this round and it was a win for the "Man from Down Under," 412-315. Bob got down STAMPeD and challenged off Geoff's try of FUNNELER*. I see KAZIS on the board and Bob says, "a turtle." I'm impressed that he knows his animals (harkening back to the VERVET comment earlier in the event).

After games are over and when people are their most jello-brained, John O'Laughlin (USA) hands out an 8: AAIHLLNS. I write them down and John in a haltingly polite way says, "Oh Sherrie, I don't think this is a puzzle for you...." I get all worked up and say that I'm no dummy. Well, turns out I am. The word is SOWPODS, but I'm encouraged that my wrong guess of ANALLISH* is about as bad as SHALLIAN*, which all the "good" players seem to think. Can you figure it out?*

David Eldar (AUS) must be working on his blank deficit, as he beat Peter Armstrong (USA) with a whopping, 508-330. Looking over David's tiny but clear scoresheet: SPAVINED through the V for 72, RELIQUE (a nonbingo double-double through the first E for 64), ENTIRETY from the first E for 86, NApROXEN for 72, and OArIEST for 72.

We end today with Nigel Richards (MYS) two games ahead of the pack at 13-3. The group beneath him has swelled to five at 11-5: Adrian Tamas (ROM), Marty Gabriel (USA), Amit Chakrabarti (USA), Nawapadol Sayavesa (THA), and John Luebkemann (USA).

We exhaustedly made our ways out to dinners and to rest after the last game finished. A group of six of us went to two Thai restaurants until one could fit us in. We had napkins flying around the table with puzzles on them. I remember: AEILSUWY?. Can you figure out what that one turns into?

* The answer is HALLIANS.