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2007 Dallas Open Commentary: Round 2

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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, After the Tournament.

Round 2

Okay, just when we get used to John Chew's pairing program, he does something to toss us a curve. This time, it is a change to the pairing printouts. Not only are the different looking and now in color, they have PHOTOS of the players! No more, "what does so-and-so look like? I play them next...." Players now know what so-and-so looks like! Innovative and helpful, as always, John. Thanks.

The room is so quiet. Just the melodic tinkles of tiles being shook in bags near and far.

This year, not only is game 1 at a stand-alone table, now games 2, 3, 4, and 5 are being played at tables across the top of the room, one game per table. The rest of the players are at tables with two games each.

In addition to being an excellent director (I think Chris Cree (Dallas, TX; 1870) got dangerously close to referring to him as the best--in front of Mary Rhoades!), Bryan Pepper is a bit of a troublemaker, too. He sneaks around, grinning evilly, bringing me quips (only some of which I can repeat!). He packed a traveling fan so that if we overheated, we could cool off easily. He really does think of everything. Already half into a box of Junior Mints, he laughs and calls them "lunch." Let's hope not.

Keith Savage (Kenner, LA; 1797) and Terry Kang Rau (Newington, CT; 1419) are having a good game. Just a few plays in, Terry has played STANDER for 68 and PENDANTS through the E for 62. Her rack was AEUKRR? and his was AUFHTW?. I find out later that it was Terry's game: 446-352.

On a Steve Glass (Dade City, FL; 1848) vs. Gregg Speicher (McKinney, TX; 1366) game in progress, I see UPSTATe, SNORTeD, and UNMAKES.

ANtIGENE down the triple and TEREDOS are plays that grab my eye on an in-progress game between Wil Dabbs (Neosho, MO; 1430) and Doug Riblet (Austin, TX; 1679). They are at Wil's board, which is vibrant yellow, playing with shellacked navy blue tiles. The contrast is strong and eye-catching. They are towards the endgame and I hear Doug say, "I'm just going to check how many tiles are left." He proceeded to put the bag atop his head, one arm holding it, and with the other reached into the bag to count.

At a nearby table, Nathan Benedict (Tucson, AZ; 1850) is almost bent in half, he is so at one with the board in front of him, his head barely inches about the table top. Equally intense is Jim Hughes (Austin, TX; 1412) sitting erect with eyes wide, looking over the board, which at that point was pointed toward Nathan. I spy Jim's scoresheet and it is a close one. I want to stay and see it unfold, but an onlooker, even one paid to be there, can add even more stress so I evaporate into the shadows to spy on other battles. About 10 minutes later Cheryl Tyler (Lubbock, TX; 1652) hooks me by the arm and says, "you have gotta see this one." Cheryl is from Texas. They really say things like "gotta" down here. The Nathan vs. Jim game was now complete, 468-462, Jim's win. I take a quick shot and Nathan confesses that he stuck a G in front of LUTEINS forming GLUTEINS*, which he knows is a phoney. I get a quick rundown: Jim played LUTEINS, INERTIAl, and the lovely ADORNERS, a 140-point triple-triple. Nathan played IDEATES and the non-bingo PILLAGER through LAG (not a lot of game points, but style points galore!).

INTERLAP jumps off a board game between Thomas Conrad (Rio Rancho, NM; 1400) vs. Kent Nelson (Sandy, UT; 1832). As I watch, Tom lays down HOIDEN for 35. He created DOE, ER, NA, and make the front hook OMICRON. I see TOASTER, PENALIZES, fETCHES, and ORALITY.

Chris Cree (Dallas, TX; 1870) vs. Jacqueline Camper (Memphis, TN; 1415) and I see FoMENTS and NaETHING on their board. Almost fittingly, Chris slaps down TARZAN from the T for 32 as I walk by. I guess this makes Carla Cree (Dallas, TX; 1610) "Jane," then.

I heard Rod MacNeil (Somerville, MA; 1873) say, "really good game" and I look over and he's shaking hands with Matt Canik (Austin, TX; 1207). Rod had just won their game, 437-413, but he said it was a difficult one and that Matt played really well. I see OUTSOAR for 69, ZLOTE for 68, and QUERY for 51, all played by Matt and Rod's TINSELS for 78.

Mary Snider (Austin, TX; 906) and Stephen Knapp (Battle Creek, MI; 1629) are in a quiet endgame talk. Tiles have been moved all over and the board is a jumble of tiles. He spies me and says, "look at her outplay: I completely missed it and she got it down." He pointed out SORRiLY. Yeah Mary!

After suffering a hand-on-forehead loss to her opponent in round 1, I hesitated to approach Mady Garner (Sevierville, TN; 1192) this round, but she was playing the tanned and oh-so-cute Hawaiian resident, Greg Heidler (Waialua, HI; 1766), so I had to go say hi. Mady won their game, 362-342. I spot TAEnIAS, BLOWING, and PRIVATES on their board.

Ben Withers (Houston, TX; 1714) was talking over his endgame with Reid Hattaway (Baker, LA; 1372). I see pretty plays on their board: CAGIEST, DOMINIES, ENACTORS, BUTToNED, and LABROID.

Robin Pollock Daniel (Toronto ON; 1856) had a tough game this round, too, against another up-and-coming female player, Samantha Southard (Albany, NY; 1305), but this time Robin pulled out the win. On their board, I see GAROtED, BADNESS, MINARETs, and WALLETS. Robin said, "the level of play here is truly impressive. I sometimes play people and I can tell, even without seeing their rack that the play they've made isn't optimal. In both of my games today, my opponents played really well, making no 'questionable' plays. They've been enjoyable games." That is the very nature of an open format and we are delighted to see it working as it should.

Cheryl Melvin (Muskegon, MI; 1127) is a big fan of giraffes. This fondness extends to her carrying a giraffe print tile bag from table to table along with a metal, rhinestone festooned mini giraffe that actually opens up on hidden hinges. What is inside? Two blanks (they don't match the set of tiles she uses) that I think she keeps inside its belly to encourage good luck in tile pulling.

Sam Kantimathi (El Dorado Hills, CA; 1800) pulls me over to his completed board versus Mary Ellen Weisskopf (Huntsville, AL; 1425). He won the game, 536-273, but that wasn't what he wanted me to see. He'd played WHOLISM on the triple lane through LIS. What a find! He also points out his CRANKILY for 80. I bet this is how Mary Ellen felt toward the end of their matchup!

Michael Chitwood (Dallas, TX; 1304) is grinning ear to ear as he walks down an aisle on his way out of the playing room. He just had a game at the annotated board 1 against Brian Cappelletto (Chicago, IL; 1974). He proudly tells me about playing CRUISED for 85 and that he only lost by 54 points.

In the "can't you please find me a better opponent in a field of 128 players" vein, Robert Gillis (Owens X Roads, AL; 1495) faced off against his wife, Marsha Gillis (Huntsville, AL; 916), this round. And it wasn't pretty. Mr. Bob's Bible defeated Marsha, 595-211. As Bob handed in his slip, he said to Bryan Pepper, "you must have it in for me. I travelled all this way and had to play my wife." I saw her a bit later and said, "I think I know who will be doing the dishes for the near future in your home." And she deadpanned, "You are assuming he'll get to eat." That so cracked me up, I had to to leave the room.