What is Scrabble?

Scrabble is essentially a word game which can be played by 2-4 players at a given time on a board which comprises a grid of squares in a 15 X 15 format. The squares are assigned different scoring attributes. There are 100 tiles to draw from and players must draw 7 tiles initially and maintain the same number on their racks till they are exhausted. Each tile has a point value attached to it. If all 7 tiles are used in a word an additional 50 points is added to the players score. The goal is to win by scoring more than your opponent. Scrabble is now increasingly played competitively across several countries on the globe and in several languages.

Featured post

Scrabble Word Study Tools

 My colleague Ishika takes you through some useful tools for word study namely Zyzzyva, Aerolith, and Anagram Quizzer. I chip in on my favor...

Monday 25 November 2019

Nigel's Incredible Run in International Scrabble Tournaments in Bangalore

The double world champion has had an amazing run in in international scrabble tournaments in Bangalore. He takes a 10 title streak into the MuSigma International scrabble tournament to be held in January 2020. This must rank among the best title streaks in all of scrabble. Here is a look at Nigel's dominance:

Tournament
Year
Winner
Games Won
Spread
Runner Up
Games Won
Spread
iGATE 2009 International
2009
Pakorn
19
1469
Nigel
18
2794
iGATE 2010 International
2010
Nigel
19
1522
Sherwin
18
1628
2011 iGATE International
2011
Nigel
25
3354
Sherwin
18
1095
2012 iGATE International
2012
Nigel
21
2298
Akshay
17
797
2013 iGATE International
2013
Nigel
26
1610
Olaiya
25
1494
2014 iGATE International
2014
Nigel
29
1891
Alastair
24
1257
2015 iGATE International
2015
Nigel
32
3723
Douglas
23
996
2016 iGATE International
2016
Nigel
28
3614
Hubert
26
1531
2017 Capgemini International
2017
Nigel
30
2413
Pichai
23.5
1097
2018 Capgemini International
2018
Nigel
28
1936
Hubert
24
921
2019 Capgemini International
2019
Nigel
25
1763
Goutham
24
927
2020 MuSigma International
2020
Nigel
23
2246
Hubert Wee
22
1917
Source: WESPA


MuSigma International Scrabble Tournament 2020

Thursday 7 November 2019

WESPA World Scrabble Championship Goa 2019 - Division A

Heres a recap of my games in Division A of the WESPA World Scrabble Championships in Goa. Coach Tikolo won it. Yours truly in second:

Game 1 against a rising star in Indian scrabble and a fellow chemical engineer and he dominates from start to finish my rotchies not withstanding and a desperation phoney oralise:


Game 2 against my good friend and I just about bingo more than him to take it:


Game 3 I start with readily, then bingo 3 more times to take it easily:


Game 4 my only highlight was a double double with Organza. It was all him the rest of the way to win by 100 plus:


Game 5 was my worst loss to a very good player from New Zealand. Her warpaint and rejoneos were nice indeed:


Game 6 was a good win for me. Was pleased with my unsawed and chinones:


I loose by over 100 in this one despite my phoney aven staying on the board against my good friend and end day 1 on 3-4:


Start well day 2 but give up spread as I try booteed needlessly after challenging off trialings. Just pushed through in the end:


Did take the next one with very good tile flow:


Talking about what you should not do in scrabble, phoneyed thrice trying winkier,minkier and tarsy,changed twice and blew a 100 point lead to lose by over 60:


Lose the next one to my good friend, who led all the way through so now at 6-6:


The next one was a very good game against a very good friend. The crucial blank pickups in the end meant that I found my only 9 letter word of the tournament with believers  and was able to extend  locating to relocating and go out in 2 and eke out a smallwin:



Was lucky not to lose by 150 plus in the next one as he phoneyed with a blank and an s, he did block my bowlines earlier on. Just happy to reduce spread:


7-7 now and I kind of wake up. This was a multi bingo game for me and I extended water on the board to topwater. Unakites was nice and an easy win in the end:


End the day on a high note with a good win against a good friend, 9-7 after day 2:


Day 3 starts good but I needlessly chicken out of medlars mid game and sizers towards the end to give up valuable spread in a narrow win:


Finally a good game against the brilliant New Zealander who had dominated me thus far. Kinda picked everything, gobshite was nice:


So from 7-7 I have pulled it back to 11-7 and enter a close game which he should have won had he played vom instead of mob, instead I win by 5:


Now I play the king and start with a double double with upstates and bingo 3 more times to just about win:


Now I meet my good friend and fellow chemical engineer yet again. I challenge doably and cabalers off (the anagram was berascal) and still find myself down 57. I hit Nandines which he challenged. It let me win by 5 in the end:


Up against yet another rising star of Indian scrabble. Started by changing 2 ee's and ended up picking an a and another e, thought I should change again but suddenly see chaetae, vidames came next and two more.He minimized spread with godetia and I am on an 8 game winning streak:


Well all good things have to come to an end and they certainly did that in the next game. My 3 bingos to his 1 not withstanding, Coach Tikolo runs out a winner by over 100 and wraps up a well deserved title. Playing for second:


From coach to chief and I build a 150 point lead with virando and trephine. He comes back well with subtones and takes the lead with a few moves to go. It was all his if he had hit any one of bi/tri/re cycles. He was under a bit of time pressure and missed and that's the only thing that prevented a Nigerian 1-2-3. I finish 2nd winning 9 out of my last 10:


Try These Quizzes

Amazon Deals

Discussion Forum

More Quizzes

Latest Scrabble Buzz

Scrabble Blogs

Learning From the Master

Learning From the Master

See Our Pins

Different Words Same Meaning

Citolas, Citoles, Cithrens, Citherns, Cithers, Citterns - A Guitar
Waivode, Waiwode, Woiwode, Voivode - An army leader
Cagouls, Cagoules, Kagouls, Kagoules, Kagools - An anorak
Eulachan, Eulachon, Oulachon, Oulakan, Oolakan, Ulikon - A candlefish
Kiester, Keister, Hurdies, Patootie - The Buttocks
Didakei, didakai, Diddicoy, Didicoi, Didicoy - A Tinker
Cabala, Cabbala, Kabala, Kabbala, Kabbalah, Qabala, Qabalah - a Jewish doctrine
Yoghurt, Yaourt, Yogurt, Yoghourt - A type of curd
Narwal, Narwhal, Narwhale - An Arctic aquatic mammal
Lekythus, Lecythus, Lekythos - An ancient oil Jar
Germen, Germain, Germaine, Germin - Something that serves as an origin
Filemot, Philomot, Philamot - A dull brown shade
keblah, Kibla, Kiblah, Qibla - The direction muslims face while praying
Litchi, Lichi, Lychee, Lichee - A fruit
Poursue, Pursue, Persue, Poursew Pursew - To follow
Pummelo, Shaddock, Pompelo - A citrus fruit
Repreeve, Reprive, Repryve - To delay
Baklava, Baklawa, Baclava - A middle eastern desert
Nilgai, Nilgau, Nilghai, Nilghau, Nylghai, Nylghau - a large antelope
Cassina, Cassene, Cassine, Cassena - an evergreen tree
Narghile, Narghily, Nargile, Nargileh, Nargily - a hookah
Dirdam, Dirdum, Durdum - uproar
Shechita, Shehitah, Shehita - krosher killing of animals
Mezuzot, Mezuzoth, Mezuzah, Mezuza - a Jewish scroll

Combo Words of Two Words that are Good Both Ways

Bedrail - Railbed
Dovering - Ringdove
Hangover - Overhang
Turnover - Overturn
Runover - Overrun
Roadside - Sideroad
Outburn - Burnout
Woodworm - Wormwood
Linecut - Cutline
Outpass - Passout
Outspeak - Speakout
Comedown - Downcome
Upclose - Closeup
Outback - Backout
Pinhead - Headpin
Mateship - Shipmate
Cutover - Overcut
Upstart - Startup
Outshoot - Shootout
Overwing - Wingover
Fantail - Tailfan

Common Words with Not so common Anagrams

Tailors - Oralist, Rialtos, Sliotar
Almonds - Dolmans
Mustard - Durmast
Stadium - Dumaist
Romance - Cremona
Cauldron - Crunodal
Acolyte - Cotylae
Cilantro - Contrail
Decagon - Congaed
Ethical - Alethic
Strongly - Strongyl
Ungrazed - Gazunder
Expires - Prexies
Detangle - Danegelt
Teardown - Danewort
Erasions - Sensoria
Innovate - Venation
Inundate - Antidune
Invocate - Conative
Antidote - Tetanoid
Liaises - Silesia
Coalise - Celosia
Isotherm - Moithers
Heroism - Moreish
Sedation - Astonied
Marries - Simarre
Tsunami - Manitus, Santimu
Cheerio - Echoier


Those Handy Pyramid Words!

Pyramid words are words which start at 2 letters but can be extended to 7 letters and beyond. For example take the word loofahs, we start with lo, next we get to loo, followed by loof, loofa, loofah and loofahs. Thus by knowing loofahs we get to know a total of 6 words. Other examples include:
Abasers, Amenders, Amusers, Barbers, Bingers, Chained,
Chiasmal, Daledhs, Divests, Erasers, Fasties, Godsons, Hookahs, Jambees, Jamboks, Kaingas, Kinases, Lapsers, Maliced, Mentors, Nursery, Parkiest, Poleyns, Reeders, Reposes, Singers, Skaters,Tapetis, Teasers, Ureases, and Woosells.

There are some reverse pyramid words too. Take the word drooped for example, we start with ed, then ped, then oped, then ooped, rooped and finally drooped.Other examples include:
Aemules, Afeared, Borates, Cleared, Demures, Escapes, Glaired, Hamates, Lemures, Mananas, Penates, Retapes, Scraped, Testates, Upreach, Vacates, Whooped, Yslaked and Zananas.