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WPC 2010 Commentary: Round 5

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Go to: Round 1, Round 2, Round 3, Round 4, Round 5, Round 6, Round 7, Round 8, Round 9, Round 10, Round 12, Round 13, Round 14, Round 17, Round 18, Round 19, Round 20, Round 21, Round 22, Round 23, Round 24, Round 25, Round 26, Round 27, Round 28, Round 29.

Round 5

Fortified from lunch, we return for four more games this afternoon. The NSC was a 7-game daily affair so this 8th game might just put some of us over the edge. I hear someone say that North American SCRABBLE player, Winter, would want 10 games, easily.

Bradley Robbins (USA) played Nick Ball (CAN) this round. I see Bradley's TENSILE and Nick's PUNkIET and LEnITED. A smiling Bradley seems to not care that he just lost, 424-360. I alert Nick to the fact that he's playing a champion and let him know of Bradley's 2010 National School SCRABBLE Championship title. A big smile broke over Nick's face and he leaned in and said, "I, took was a champion! In 1994, I was the UK School SCRABBLE champ!" They both grinned over this. Bradley's hair is slicked back and combed smooth and I take a guess that he went swimming over lunch. His mother decided he needed to get outside, breath some real air, and get some exercise. If Bradley follows in Nick's shoes, he'll go on to become a world famous astronomer!

Robert Linn (USA) vs. Jim Kramer (USA). I see Bob's MOOTErS and DINGERS and that he won, 419-303. Like me, Bob likes the small words that playing Collins opens up. He points out FIZ that got extended to RIZA with a high-scoring parallel play and Jim's LEP and NEF words.

Brian Bowman (USA) has just defeated Bob Lipton (USA), who was playing SOWPODS before Brian was born, I tease. I see Brian's SUBERATE and then a bunch of other fun plays: R?STAFIA, ACULEI, NONET, DHOBI, PIZE, JONG, VAG, and KUEH. The score, 408-365.

Chris Cree (USA) tells me he "smoked" Pakorn Nemitrmansuk (THA) this round, 549-399. This is a good thing, because it takes Chris to 3-2, which is a better place for him. He bellyaches if he has more losses than wins. :)

Chris May (AUS) challenged two good words this round, MYELINE and CHIRRE (which wasn't the word played, but rather the hook onto CHIRR that got the play down). Both words were good and Chris lost, 460-465 to Eric Kinderman (USA). He said he was beginning to feel the pinch of the 10-point challenge rule.