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WPC 2008 Commentary: Round 18

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 18

The punchiness factor is being dialed up. Sam Kantimathi (USA) comes to get me at the Internet table to bring me to his finsihed game with Michael Quao (GHA). Sam says that upon greeting him this event, Michael said, "So, Sam, I know you are in the Guiness Book of World Records, is it for your giant scoresheet?" Sam then told him that it was just as big as Michael's mouth. These sounded like "fighting words" but they were still smiling. Sam says they have "bandied" for years. In this game, which Sam won, 481-403, he played the lovely FaRaDAIC to the C for 86 + 5. Sam also played VIOLENT, which Michael bottom hooked from the triple with CIGS/VIOLENTS. An interesting play was KILTIE from the KI on the triple lane by Michael.

Michael Early (USA) approaches with another snippet. In his game with Carmel Dodd (AUS), she got down DISHONESt/DOWt through the ES for 105. Mike played the triple-triple SNARFING for 158 + 5. It was a 544-445 win for Mike.

I walk past table 22 where Stuart Goldman (USA) is sitting, appearing to be contemplating his chi. All of sudden, he bursts out with "HEY! My opponent went overtime and didn't disclose it!" I look over and see his game picked up and his missing opponent's timer counting down. It is now 9 minutes over. I have NO idea when this game started or ended or what kind of ruling could be made is such a case, so I called "director." Mary Rhoades made her way over and ruled.

Howard Warner (NZL) vs. Anthony Ikolo (NGA): TITIVATE from the T and NEGROEs for Howard and ADIDERS and PEANUTS/TITIVATES for Anthony. A 466-408 win for the New Zealander!

Amit Chakrabarti (USA) vs. Dave Wiegand (USA). Looks like a rough game for Amit as he lost, 305-475. You could hardly tell from his disposition. He is smiling and chatting with Dave as I steal glances at Dave's scoresheet. ANOESTRA for 59, sWINDLE for 87, and EMBOlIC for 75. A fun nonbingo play was ARSHINE by Amit.

Chris Cree (USA) has had his crack at Nigel Richards (MYS) at board 1. I walk up as they are finishing their paperwork. Chris had a lot to say and I'll try to paraphrase. He said that games are lost in increments of bad decisions. For instance, Chris' opening rack was DEENRTT. Instead of playing TED, which in retrospect he should have, he says, he opted to trade one instead. He drew, of course, a K, which did nothing to improve the state of his rack. Then, holding a T, he opted to play KEN instead of KENT, and Nigel replied with own T to bingo in the spot that Chris had wanted for himself. So, instead of getting 72 for his bingo, Nigel got 86. Mistake number 2. Then Chris draws both blanks, which no one wants. Chris plays some easy bingo. Then there is the PBD (the post bingo draw). Whereas Nigel lucked into OBEAHED# for 97 points and Chris drew INNOOOU. So the misfish, the setup that didn't work, and then the PBD, and he spent the rest of the game out of step, one move behind. "With a guy like Nigel, who has 30% more dictionary than me, I have to have some breaks and I can't make any mistakes."

Jim Kramer (USA) vs Femi Awowade (Eng). Jim tells me about it in the aisle of the room, game picked up, no opponent in sight. He said, "I was 187 points ahead of Femi and I lost." He thinks, at least in part due to his phoney OUTRANT* that got called off by Femi. Femi then played WISED for 50 and ABIOSIS for 83 and won, 436-424. No triple-triples and only one bingo, but he played "solidly," said Jim.

We have one couple here in the field of 48 players: Liz Jackman (AUS) and Bob Jackman (AUS). How nice for them that they can travel to this part of the world and both play in this event!