KSSA Indian Open Scrabble Championship 2023 - Gameboards

The KSSA Indian Open Scrabble Championship 2023 sponsored by Mu Sigma concluded in January. Here are some game boards from the action:

My opening game against India's best missed dentist with a blank on the opening move and missed yetties the next and soon find myself a 100 down, came back with antisera, twiglets, and Qigong to secure an unlikely 453-398 win:

The next game was dominated by my opponent who had the excellent plays of axillae and ottoman for an easy 535-378 win:

The next board is action from one of the top tables, with an interesting play of ballonne:

In my next game, I had the lead throughout with some high probable bingos running out a 484-413 winner:

Another board from the top tables:

My next game was against one of India's young guns built a good lead and clinched it with forehand, 431-382: 

A good board from one of the top tables:

Was routed in the next one by my opponent who started with oxazole and had 3 more bingos in a 555-336 win:

Another board from a top table, featuring the s hook to podium:

I briefly led in this one after I played steming, but it was all him from there winning easily 512-362:

Led from start to finish in this one with some high probable bingos, winning 447-388:

Another game I lead all the way through, with some high probable bingos winning 487-376:

This was a game I blew after leading by over 100, by going into a defensive shell, probably should have changed, didn't, and lost 362-374:

This was a game I lead throughout had two good plays of similor and queridas that saw me through 433-394:

A game against one of India's young guns, that I deserved to lose after trying scowsing, still could've won it had I spotted tsaddik on the triple lane, lost 432-497:

This game was close with my suboptimal play of us jags instead of quay us costing me the game 373-375:

I missed aecidium early in this one and struggled throughout, losing  382-477:

Was lucky in this one after I started with azurite for 107, was up throughout the game, winning 532-400:

Was trailing throughout in this one after her manorial and tiercet bingos, only managed to reduce spread losing 415-382:

Never in this one, and was playing catchup most of the game, losing 391-434:

 

Played poorly in this one, stratous on the triple was definitely better than outrates early, missed stengahs as well, and trailed after his heatings but set up scowl/tasting to win 418-316:

Chickened out of outgiven in this one, which gave her the lenition play, and she ran out an easy winner 440-377:

Was trailing for most of this one, and he went out with detainees to win 513-383:

He started with aetatis, and was up nearly 100 after he played shouter. I came back with olefiant,  riblets, and striven to take this 424-368: 

Got a bit greedy in this one trying a double-double, had oper challenged off while farrens was valid, trailed by a bingo, came back with stearine, aboideau, and seamier clinched it 448-382:

Her hairpins, donative, my amulets, arenite, made this very close, went out with doobs to win 421-395:

Was up early in this one and led throughout for a 506-418 win:

This was close but tried titchy and riya (phony), in the end, which cost me the game 385-415:

A game I was up throughout. Chickened out of baguios/swelting but didn't matter. Won 458-340:

Close game this, he tried zincide, which I challenged off. His retiary, my avianize, he took the lead with synodal, I came back with bestain, and clinched it 431-413:

Another close one, he extended roseate to roseately, but after his drys play I thought he had gone out and hit the clock, allowing him to go out and throwing away the game 445-460:

Close game, but she phoneyed early with caesure (only cesurae), and later on, with moxy, I went out with induct to seal it 441-409:

Was playing catchup, dronish got me within 8, but he pulled away with potlucks, frigates, and virandas for an easy 569-439 win:

I had a comfortable lead in this one after we traded bingos, and ended up winning 489-439:

Final game had a chance to finish in the top 10, but was not to be as my opponent led throughout following his raucous and germain, I exchanged the Q got it back, and was stuck with it, losing 389-452. Lost all my 4 games to friendly opposition form Srilanka, giving up over 400 in spread:

All in all a decent tourney for me after a hiatus, went 9-4 in my last 13 games to finish 13th.

Playing the Bots on Scrabble Go -1

 Some interesting games against the bots on Scrabble Go:

Paravane was a good find:

Mairehau was not too shabby:

Agacante was a high probable find:

Need all the luck to beat the bots by 200+:

The common hitches find was nice:

The 9 timer of deciduae stood out, aikona was nice too:

Beakier was a decent find:

Smoochier was quite nice:

Nazified was nice, which takes the de prefix, clouring was not too bad:

KSSA Indian Open 2022

India's best player Sherwin Rodrigues has won the KSSA Indian Open Scrabble tournament organized by MuSigma. Here are some gameboards from the event:

Did find patinized through ZE:

and nostalgia starting with NO:

 

Nothing like yahrzeit through a floating A and poorwill(s) from the champ:

Here are some more boards from the top tables:

Scrabble Puzzle - Hook Words

The Karnataka State Scrabble Association (KSSA) recently looked at front and back hooks as part of their monthly Scrabble Shabble event.  

Can you identify the front and back hooks for the following words?

Cred, Anti, Clad, Envy, Cute, Akin, Hone, Hang, Bore, Aura, Plink, Plook, Onium, Samba, and Redia

Crescent City Cup 2022

A fabulous tournament with some excellent game coverage from Will Anderson and Conrad Bassett-Bouchard. The post-game analysis is a must-watch. Dave Koening ran out the winner. Here are some game boards from organizer and runner up Austin Shin:

Game 1 was a 476-410 win for Austin, Conidian was a nice play:

Game 2 ended up in a 418-451 loss. Interestingly at one point, both players had the exact same rack AEIMORT. Tribunal or turbinal would have clinched it:

Game 3 ended up in a 408-431 loss:

Game 4 was a huge 528-312 win, aided by the 9X ferrites:

Game 5 was a 407-493 loss:

Game 6 was a big 576-372 win, thanks to 5 bingos:

Game 7 was a good 486-389 win:

Game 8 ended up in a 546-384 win:

Game 9 resulted in a 401-445 loss, Fedayeen was nice:

Game 10 was a 468-326 win, and the scoring never stops en route  to an 8 game win streak:

Game 11 was a narrow 417-408 win, veratrium was a phoney but terrarium would have been a valid 9:

Game 12 was a come from behind (125 points) win, after surviving the 9X play staggier:

Game 13 a game between National champions ended in a 472-377 win. Parquets would have scored 137: 

Game 14 was a 512-392 win, prosely was a phoney, only leprosy in that rack:

Game 15 was a come from behind (135 points) win, the parallel play of brownest was nice, acini almost stopped the comeback blocking wiremen. Quins left no vowels and resulted in a VVJ rack for the opponent, which secured the 477-470 win:

Game 16 was a 506-420 win, meadowed was a phoney:

Game 17 was a 464-437win, budgies secured the win:

Game 18 saw the 8 game win streak come to an end with a 352-452 loss:

Game 19 began a 2 game series with the eventual champion and ended in a 416-525 loss:

Game 20 shows you why scrabble can be a game of inches, the play of iodic would have stopped anhedral that came right after agio was played and completely changed the game resulting in a 352-454 loss:

All in all a great tournament, with some great coverage.