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Written by HG

Category: News

Published: 12 October 2026

Hits: 67

Over the weekend of the 3^rd and 4^th of October there were two 7 game tournaments held in Manuden, Essex. In the first tournament there were 20 players in Division A and 8 in Division B.

4 East Berks Players took part in the first event… and here is how they got on.

Wanda :

 I was very pleased to have won 6 out of 7 games on the Saturday and winning the B division.

 My biggest win was the first game of the tournament by 208 points but most of the others were only 30 point wins (and one loss of 56).

My penultimate game was against Chrystal Rose and we were both on 4 wins but she had a bigger spread than me so I needed to win this game. Chrystal was ahead for the first third of the game but then I managed to pull away with a double double score of 108 for MUGGIER. I managed to maintain a lead until the end to end up on 5 wins. I won the last game by 120 points to win the division.

Some bonuses I played:-  ADAPTED-73, MISFITS-85, NATURIST-77, MUGGIER-108

Some bonuses my opponents played:- BEANIEST-83, AERONAUT-60, GAUNTLY-66

Richard :

On 3-4th October I played in Division A of the Manuden Tournament.

On day 1 I had a very good start winning game 1 despite my opponent getting 3 bonuses in his first five moves.

In Game 2 I had a 3 early bonus start of FALTERED for 98, ABUSING for 69 and INEXACT for 84. I was also scoring well with non bonus plays while my opponent was struggling with poor tiles. After another bonus of SAINING I finished with my biggest winning margin in a tournament game of 646-293. 

This good run continued with wins in game 3 and 4 to lead the tournament. Game 5 was against the top seed where I bonused early with EURONOTE but he replied with back to back bonuses of DEMIGODS and ERODABLE. I kept in the game with a bonus of STEROID but then picked up CJLRTXY that ended my hopes I also went on to lose game 6 by 150.

Despite this I won the final game to finish in second place with 5 wins from 7 and a spread of +397..

Richard -, EMICATED 83, EURONOTE 77, BALLOTEE 66, , SAFRONAL 95
Opponents -DRISHEEN 78, DEMIGODS 80

Helen :

I hadn’t checked to see who was playing at the Manuden tournament before I arrived, to find that there was a strong field.  I was rated 12^th of the 20 players in Division A.

Game 1 didn’t go well for me, with my opponent playing 3 bonuses in the first 4 moves (WASHIER, VAULTERS and ADOPTER) to leave me 150 points behind, from which I never recovered.  Having also lost game 2, more narrowly, I won game 3 to leave myself on 1 win from 3 at lunchtime.  Not too bad so far.

After lunch, I lost the next game by just 10 points, then won the next two games easily to be placed at 3-3, in 8^th place after 6 games. 

My final game was against the 5th rated player, and the game didn’t go my way, oh no, not at all.  I scored a respectable 380 points, but my opponent ended up on 590 points after playing 5 bonuses, 3 of them in the last 4 moves including a 9-timer, PREADULT, for 118 points (the other bonuses were RETRIALS, ROSETING, FASTENED and SENECIO).

I finished in 12^th place, exactly where my start rating had suggested.  A good but not brilliant day.

Some bonuses I played:  UNCTIONS 60, PHOTONS 72, BARGESTS 67, INTERAGE 70
Some bonuses my opponents played: BONNETED 70, DEBONAIR 63, PORRECT 72, PREADULT 118, SENECIO 81

Graham :

Sometimes the first few racks of a tournament set the tone for the whole day.

My first rack of the first game contained an X and a Q -  a good healthy amount of points on the first 2 racks were promised. The game continued in a similar vein, I bonused a few moves later with MITTENS and then spent the game defending – a low scoring win 391-371.

During the day I was to play the 1,3,4 and 5 seeds and came a cropper against 2 of them (losing 269-502 to one and 342-536 to another) . I finished the day on 4 wins out of 7, which as I was one of the lower rated in the division was very pleasing.

Bonuses from me included : PORGIES 84, SUPREME 93 (overlapping 5 other words), SOUARIS 80 PATENTED 94 STELLAR  65

Against : CONGRESS 80, HUITAIN 93 TOURISMS 86 POUSADA 77

Well done to Wanda and Richard for winning prizes!

Details

Written by HG

Category: News

Published: 02 October 2026

Hits: 153

Best improver for the fourth quarter of the season is Johnny Sammon (after winning best improver for the third quarter too!), ahead of John Bush in second place and Daniel Face in third place.   Welcome to Raminder Birchall and Liz George, and welcome back to Rhiannon Lee.

High-scoring words:
·       124       TAJINES           Richard
·       122       STREIGHT       Richard (9-timer)
·       114       SEXTANT         Wanda
·       110       SYMPATHY      Deborah
·       108       DEFILES          Johnny
·       104       OXIDATES       Helen
·       101       HEAPING         Graham
·       101       JOSTLED         Fiona
·       98        POWDERS       Keith
·       94        FUSSILY          Charles
·       94        JOLLIEST         Charles
·       92        STEWING         Helen
·       90        JUNKIES          Charles
·       89        MATINEE         Hepzi
·       89        SANDING         Joy
·       88        LAWYERS        Daniel
·       87        HABITUALS      Graham            (9-letters)
·       87        STARVER         Daniel
·       85        ATONIES          Daniel
·       84        ONERIEST       Daniel 
·       84        RETAINS          Maire
·       84        SLANTED         Daniel
·       84        VOUCHER        Joy
·       83        PUREEING       Charles
·       83        VITALISE          Joy
·       82        TWIRLED         Joy
·       82        VIRUSES          Joy
·       81        CAREENS        Jim
·       81        TEARING         Maire
·       80        MANURES        Hepzi
·       78        ADDENDA        Joy
·       78        GORDITA         Daniel
·       78        SMOKIER         Charles
·       78        SPOILER          Maire
·       77        AREOLATE       Daniel
·       77        DILATERS        Daniel
·       77        PRAWNED       Maire
·       76        APATITES        Daniel
·       76        POUTERS        Jim
·       75        ATONIES          Daniel
·       75        REVISES          Jim
·       75        SEEDIER          Maire
·       74        DIORITE           Johnny
·       74        ENTHRONES    Joy                   (9-letters)
·       74        FUNNIEST        Johnny
·       74        HAIRIER           Helen
·       74        INHALER          Daniel
·       74        MOUNTED       Maire
·       74        OUTLIER          Daniel
·       74        SEEDLING       Daniel

Other words: 73 EVACUATE Charles, 72 TUSSLES Hepzi, 71 HAIRNET Fiona, 71 INSERTS Jim, 71 MOONERS Maire, 71 RESTORER Maire, 71 TALONED Daniel, 70 ARAISES Hepzi, 70 RETINOL Johnny, 70 SECRETS Maire, 70 SERIATE Charles, 69 ANGRIES Jim, 69 ATELIER Daniel, 69 OTARINE Jim, 69 SPOUTING Fiona, 68 INSURED Daniel, 68 RESTING Maire, 68 SALUTES Hepzi, 68 SANDERS Maire, 68 SEATING Maire, 68 SLINTER Maire, 68 WANKIER Daniel, 67 GROUNDED Daniel, 67 RINDERS Maire (not a valid word), 66 DERAILS Maire, 65 AUNTIES Daniel, 65 INVESTER Maire (not a valid word), 65 SNOWING Mary, 64 ANOESIS Hepzi, 64 SALTINE Jim, 63 DEFAULTS Jim, 63 TARRIES Maire, 62 RELATION Daniel, 62 SALARIED Daniel, 61 DURATION Daniel, 60 POPULATED Helen (9-letter word), 59 ARISTATE Helen, 59 RESONATE Helen, 58 SEEDIER Maire, DERANGED Amanda, SELVAGE Amanda

Unusual moves:            CIVILIZED Richard 9-letters, made by extending CIVIL, DISGRUNTLED  14 Charles, APNOEA 11 Charles

·      Many bonuses or high-scoring moves by one player in a game:

·       AVERAGED 64 NEURITES 63 TOONIES 72 RETAILED 88            Richard
·       AVERAGED 64 NEURITES 63 TOONIES 72 RETAILED 88            Richard
·       DIALECT 74 OUTRIDES 68 SAUTEEING 66 INGROWN 74            Helen
·       PATROLS 75 ESPECIAL 60 ADORNER 74 TAILING 62 Graham
·       REERECT 74 PLOUTER 69 MINUTES 66 JAVA 66        Helen
·       TREPANG 67 ENTASIA 73 GIBLETS 68 MANDRILL 67  Helen
·       CANTDOG 79 IONISES 71 RELIANT 82 Richard
·       DELETION 68 ROADINGS 72 ARIDEST 77        Wanda
·       DERAILED 64 AREOLATE 60 RIOTISED 66      Daniel
·       GAINERS 71 BANTERED 67 SAPIENT 80         Daniel
·       RESTING 73 USHERED 79 LEGATORS 80       Wanda
·       SCENTED 69 REMNANTS 60 ALASTOR 64      Graham
·       SOFTWARE 72 WOODIEST 63 RAVENOUS 76 Daniel
·       STREAMER 80 ACETONE 79 THEORISER 86  Pat
·       TINIEST 84 SEROTINE 59 LOAMIER 70            Daniel

New personal bests: Johnny 569, John 413, Daniel 521.  Well done to all!

Details

Written by HG

Category: News

Published: 07 September 2026

Hits: 309

On Sunday August 23rd, Richard and Fiona played in a 7 game tournament in London, run as part of the Mind Sports Olympiad. 

Here are their reports :

 Richard :

On 23nd August I played in the 7 game MSO Tournament. It was based in the Mercure Hotel in Earls Court and there were numerous other tournaments taking place for Chess, Backgammon, Draughts and numerous other board games. This did mean it was noisy and there were spectators walking in to watch the games.

Games 1 and 2 were wins for me of over 100 so a good start. Then played Rik Kennedy in game 3. He bonused early with KINDLED -I responded with DILUTES. After his second bonus of UNCAPES he led by 4. I then found AIRLINER for 76 and SAVORIER for 86 to lead by 69.

I thought I had a third successive bonus playing ROOMLET. There was no hold and I drew all my tiles face down. At the second the first tile was about to hit the rack he challenged but like me had presumed it was good. It was not! The only bonus was TREMOLO. This played but would have opened a 9 timer. Disappointed though as I knew the word and Rik blocked the spot to prevent me playing it the turn after.

Despite ROOMLET coming off I had an out in 2 to win but it relied on me knowing the correct 4 word outplay in one of two spots. My rack was AENR but the word had to end in a vowel. The trouble was I couldn't think which of RANE or NARE was good and ended going for RANE. NARE was the only play out and RANE was challenged off. I had considered non outplay options but they didn't score enough. The result was a 407-389 win for Rik.

I paid brutally for that miss after lunch as all four games resulted in 3 or 4 bonuses played against me with opponents averaging 494 per game! Lost 2 by about 200 and one by over 100. In the other game I did pull level after 3 bonuses of my own but had to empty the bag, picked the Q and got stuck with it losing by 44. The only consolation was that there was little I could do to change the results of these games.

Richard : CAROLERS 64, BARTISAN 61, DEVOTING 92, SAVORIER 86, COORIED 82, HAROSETS 86, PLONGD 27
Opponents - REEDBED 70, CAESURAE, PERIDOTE 86, MISNAME 90, GELADAS 75, MANITOS 72

Fiona :

I played at the Mind Sport Olympiad (MSO) Scrabble tournament.  MSO is always a bit different, with lots of different board games in different rooms, a lot of noise, and people casually wandering in and out to see what's happening.  

The tournament was seven games in one open division. 

I had a very good game with Barry Grossman, finding three bonuses to have a good lead, and tried to keep blocking bonus lanes, but he bonused out in an awkward spot on his last move to take the game.  One of my bonuses was UNITARDS - the S was played to make FEINTERS which I was very unsure of, so wasn't surprised when he challenged, but was very surprised when he only challenged UNITARDS!  FEINTERS is not valid so I was very lucky! 

My next game was against David Shenkin who I've never yet managed to beat!  This time proved no different, with awkward tiles not helping.  My real downfall came mid game when I at last had a bonus on my rack AEIMNOS on my rack with a handy T on the board.  I was immediately going to play AMNIOTES, but realised MOANIEST would score more but open the triple.  After some deliberation I played MOANIEST.  It's not valid in Scrabble!  David challenged it off, and played his bonus in the same spot - a 150 point swing which I couldn't recover from. 

I'm sure you've all heard me whinging incessantly about the dictionary differences between Countdown and Scrabble, but that one really surprised me - there's so many nonsense comparatives in scrabble but the perfectly ordinary 'moany' is not a word!  I went into the lunch break feeling a bit disillusioned on 3 losses.   The afternoon fared much better and I won 3 of the four remaining games to finish 20th out of 28th, which I was quite happy with given my disappointing start!

Details

Written by HG

Category: News

Published: 29 August 2026

Hits: 350

On 22nd August Richard and Pat played in the 7 game Oxford Tournament.

Here are their reports - Richard in a tough A division and Pat in an equally strong B division.

Richard :

I played in the 7 game Oxford tournament. It wasn't that memorable as I only won 3 but I did have some good games and unusual bonuses.

In game one I found ORIBATID as a double double on move 1. Also bonused with CHAUNTS to edge the game 443-416. After a good win in game 2 played top seed Harshan Lamabadusuriya. Usually I get well beaten when I play him but I started with 3 bonuses in four turns - EBRIATED for 90, MIDWATER for 67 and TRAMELED for 78 which gave me hopes of an upset.

Harshan was scoring well however with non bonus plays and PREACHES for 86 so kept in range. I then spotted I had RELINING through an open E but sadly it was blocked inadvertantly by his play of SOV. and after his next move of ORGIA he has set up an S lane with one in the bag taking the lead by 416-406. I could not really block effectively with the one vowel I had and score so had to take a chance he wouldn't have a bonus and leave the spot playing GLARING for 22. However, he then bonused with TOADIES to win. (game board attached)

After a one sided loss in game 4 lost an entertaining game 5 against Bob Lynn. He bonused with BEADIER and NOSEGAY in moves 2 and 3 but after my WEXE for 65 and ECCLESIA for 71 the scores were close. He bonused again with UNTRADED for 68 but I had SOONEST for 84. Not enough for me to win though as he had the initiative in the end game and I had awkward tiles.

Game 6 looked like another loss as I had a lot of low scoring plays in mid game my opponent scored 97 for LACQUER to take a good lead. I had to bonus to have a chance of winning. Played BUY to set up a new bonus lane and hope he played elsewhere. There was a nice spot for CASTE for 37 so the lane was left free. I then picked up the J and found POTJIES for 101 to win 417-378 (board attached)

In the final game I disappointingly missed some plays that cost me the game. Doubted OUTPRICE so didn't play it and then later had a bonus of ARUGOLA at a crucial point but missed where it played hooking the A above SH this miss cost me as he bonused with SALTIES and then got ZAG for 48 to win.

Best words;

Richard : ORIBATID - 95, EBRIATED 90, MIDWATER 67, TRAMELED 78, POTJIES 101, ECCLESIA 71
Opponents - LIFELIKE 82, LACQUER 97, NOSEGAY 83, UNTRADED 68, STIRRUP 66

Pat :

On Saturday I took part in the one-day tournament in Oxford.   The tables were quite spread out,  as there were only 29 players today. They were split into 2 divisions. I was in Division B. I won 3 games, lost 3 games and had a bye. Unfortunately I left my scoresheets behind, but I can remember playing GOOSIER and RABBITS.

 As neither Richard nor I was likely to win a prize, I took this general photo of the action. Richard is in the centre of the picture.