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DO 2008 Commentary: Round 13

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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, After the Tournament.

Round 13

Many thanks to dear Robin Pollock Daniel, who is home sick and spending time between naps reading my commentary and reminding me that nuptials only has one U. It does? Reminds me of the time someone asked me how many letters Os there was in the word RAISIN...... Just where do you begin?

Uncharacteristic for me, I actually went to lunch today, which set me back. Ensuring that at least one of the web staff workers continued to have no life, John Chew stayed and watched the helm. He notes that I missed a prime photo op at lunch. Joel Sherman (Bronx, NY) and about 12 others were out in the grassy open lawn space outside our building playing frisbee. The thing that stuck John is that Joel was playing with much lower rated people! Or maybe that was a joke...

I approach a just finished game between Chris Lipe (Rome, NY) and Stefan Rau (Newington, CT). I overhear Stefan say, "Hey, maybe we should have a game one day where one us doesn't draw the bag against the other, what do you think?" This one-sided game was his win, 498-330. Chris pointed to the Z in AZO and said, "I had the Z!" I see Stefan's WINIeST for 98, PRESTER for 86, and ENDORSEE for 70.

April McCarley (Austin, TX) vs. Joey Krafchick (Roswell, GA). They are just wrapping up when the other teen in the room, Stephen Sneed (Ft. Worth, TX) and I approach their game. It was Joey's win, 332-277. I see his SHEENEd for 84 and he assures me it is good as April challenged it! At a pivitol point in the game, she tried UNSWEET* and he nervously challenged her. It came off: good challenge!

Michael Early (Fort Worth, TX) keeps me in the loop of his recent game. Jason Katz-Brown (Cambridge, MA) played HULLOAED for 65, HANDCARS for 68, IMPOSTER for 89, and CAvALIER for 86. Mike found SABRING for 70 and JOCK for 75.

Sam Kantimathi (El Dorado Hills, CA) played the word WILLYARD this game and it was challenged. He won, 486-287.

Jason Katz-Brown (Cambridge, MA) and others are gathering around his just completed board. I overhear him say, "instead of sLaBBED, I really wanted to play DUMBBELL or BEDABBLED."

I catch Brian Cappelletto (Chicago, IL) and Darrell Day (Richardson, TX) doing what they most enjoy doing, deconstructing a game. By the time I get there, there is almost no resolving what was played for all the what-ifs scenarios floated and tried. This kinda scene, with the tiles exploded onto the sides of the board, is such a part of competitive SCRABBLE. It is what separates the good from the terrific. Not all of can sit there and analyze to that level. The minuate would overwhelm us, the plate balancing act of the "if this"s and "if that"s piling up.... I never get at the finer facts of that game, but they do.

Ann Mirabito (College Station, TX) says to me, "I would like it known that I came within 45 oints of beat Joel Sherman (Bronx, NY)." On their board, I see the pretty TRIPEDAL played by Joel.