Games_World_of_Puzzles 2019-12-01

december 2019 | GAMES WORLD OF PUZZLES 3 9

BY SCOTT APPEL

more vowels than consonants. That being said, O8 is such
ELYKILSXWTSXXLEXMXƅWHIGMWMZIP][SVXLMXXSTPE]XLIVIɸ

Alec: AEHIMNW Played: WAHINE O8 56 (Total 255)
Scott: Best.

TURN 6
Carl: DEIIOST Played: SEDITION 12H 70 (Total 280)
Scott: Best—the only playable bingo.

Alec: ADMOOQS Played: QAID K10 28 (Total 283)
Alec: 5YEGOPIWE]W-WLSYPHƼWLJSV/5-5%859%
59%7-LIVIɸ Scott: Fishing is playing off certain tiles in
hopes of drawing well and cashing in a higher-scoring
play next turn). But playing Quackle’s suggested 14K
DOOMS is not the way to do it—too dangerous. FOOD
%WIIQWEPVMKLX8LIVIMWEFEGOYTSJ)59%MRGEWI
XLIƼWLJEMPWɸ

TURN 7
Carl: BIOPTXY Played: XYSTOI H10 48 (Total 328)
Carl: FOXY at 1L (53 points) looks pretty great. I saw this,
FYXEJXIVWSQIGSRWMHIVEXMSR-HIGMHIHXLEX<=783-WEG-
VMƼGMRKTSMRXW[EWQYGLFIXXIVJSVWIZIVEPVIEWSRW

MVWX-ƅPPFIELIEHEJXIVXLMWQSZIERH<=783-WIIQIH
to restrict Alec’s options, particularly in the long term.
I might be able to play on Row 14 next turn and begin
GPSWMRKHS[RXLIFSEVH&]GSRXVEWXEJXIV3<=%PIG[MPP
have access to several bingo lanes on Rows 11, 13 and
14 next turn.
7IGSRH-WE[XLEXXLIVI[IVIQER]-ƅWPIJXXSHVE[WS
KIXXMRKVMHSJXLISRISRQ]VEGOLEHZEPYI%HHMXMSREPP]
%PIG[EWPIWWPMOIP]XSFIEFPIXSFMRKSXLVSYKLXLI-SJ
<=783-JSVXLIWEQIVIEWSR
MREPP][MXLPIWWXLEREXLMVHSJXLIXMPIWVIQEMRMRKERH
strong tiles like ?ESSZ still out there, it seemed better to
HVE[ƼZIXMPIWXLERXLVII-TPE]IH<=783-GSRƼHIRXP]
,S[IZIV XLI WXVEMKLXJSV[EVH 3<= MW TVIJIVVIH F]
Quackle, and thus XYSTOI may be seen as a champion-
ship-deciding error.

Alec: ALMNOOS Played: MOONSAIL 15B 61 (Total 344)
Scott: 8LISRP]FMRKSERHELYKIFVIEOJSV%PIGLMWVEGO
[SYPHLEZIRSXFIIRZIV]YWIJYPLEH'EVPTPE]IH*3<=

TURN 8
Carl: &')-49 Played:49&% 8SXEP
Carl: 9&QMKLXWIIQFIXXIVEXƼVWXKPERGIFIGEYWI4MW
usually a better tile to keep than F. On this board, however,
an F is superior. With the right draw, I might deliver a coup
HIKVEGI[MXL',)SV'0)EX3ɸ

Alec: AGGHLTV Played: VAT 13B 30 (Total 374)

Alec: I saw HAG and HALT in same spot. HALT saves E3

:9+[LMGL-HMHRƅXGSRWMHIVFYXXLI,LEWQSVIWGSVMRKTS-

tential than the V, so I chose VAT.

TURN 9

Carl:')*--29 Played: 92*-<(8SXEP

Carl:-WTIRXJEVXSSPSRKPSSOMRKJSVTPE]WXLEXHMHRƅXFYVRXLI

*XLIVIEVIRƅXQER]92-0MWXLIFIWXEQSRKXLSWIWGSV-

MRKHIGIRXP]VMHHMRKQ]VEGOSJXLIHYTPMGEXI-ERHEKEMR

HVE[MRKXS'0)*',)*92*-<MWEKSSHWGSVMRKTPE]LST-

ing to draw something decent and outrun Alec in a tight end-

KEQI&YXXLIWXEVTPE]MW'9-*%[LMGLWGSVIWXLIWEQI

FYXXLVIEXIRWFMKTPE]WMJXLIVMKLXXMPIWEVISYX

-XLMROMJ-[IVIHS[RF]QSVI'9-*[SYPHWIIQQSVISFZM-

SYWFIGEYWI-[SYPHRIIHEFMRKSXS[MRERH'9-*STIRW

RI[PERIW%WMXWXSSHXLIKEQI[EWGPSWIERH92*-<

WIIQIHQSVIHIJIRWMZI

Alec: AGGHLSZ Played: ZAGS 14L 41 (Total 415)

Scott: %PIGORS[WXLIXMPIWYRWIIREVI')---03#ɸ'EVPLEW

no big threats looming—no matter which 7 tiles he actually

has, and Alec’s play scores enough to guarantee the win.

TURNS 10 AND 11

Carl: ')---03 Played: *3'-08SXEP

Scott: 'EVPHVI[SJXLIPEWXXMPIWPIEZMRKXLIFPEROMRXLI

FEKɸ,S[IZIVHVE[MRKXLIFPEROWXMPP[SYPHRƅXLEZIFIIR

enough to win.

Alec: GHL? Played:+M0808SXEP

Carl: EIIL Played:(-).8SXEP

Alec: H Played:9,)8SXEP

4PYWTSMRXWJSV'EVPƅWYRTPE]IH-0

Final score: 445–415.

'SRKVEXYPEXMSRWXSPSRKXMQI+%1)7VIEHIV%PIG7NSLSPQ

]SYV RI[ 2SVXL %QIVMGER 7GVEFFPI 'LEQTMSRɸ %PIG E

]IEVSPHQENSVMRKMRLEVTTIVJSVQERGIFIGSQIWXLI

youngest player ever to win the North American champion-

WLMTɸ'SRKVEXWXS'EVPSREXIVVMƼGTIVJSVQERGIERHXVIQIR-

HSYWXLEROWXSFSXL%PIGERH'EVPJSVXLIMV[MPPMRKRIWWXS

share their story with us.

;IVIGIRXP]TVSƼPIH.IWWI(E][LSFEXXPIH2MKIP6MGLEVHW

JSVXLI;SVPH'LEQTMSRWLMT?2SXIXLI;SVPHWYWIWXLI'SP-

lins dictionary, which has about 30 percent more words than

HSIWXLI2SVXL%QIVMGERHMGXMSREV]GEPPIH2;0Aɸ%LYKI

GSRKVEXWKSIWSYXXS.IWWIJSV[MRRMRKXLI'SPPMRWHMZMWMSR

EXXLI2SVXL%QIVMGER'LEQTMSRWLMTɸɸ

8SYVREQIRX[IFWMXIMRGPYHMRKƼREPWXERHMRKWMREPP

HMZMWMSRWLXXTIZIRXWGVEFFPITPE]IVWSVKREWGFYMPH

Scott Appel is a Scrabble grandmaster who has been playing tournament Scrabble for over 20 years.