Round 15 Charlie Southwell, the even-tempered, calm WSC director, just handed me a piece of paper that said: BIGCRAP (Nyman) and FATDUNG (Sherman). I looked at him quizzically and he explained that yesterday as he walked by the table, he noticed that Nyman had the first rack, which isn't a bid deal in itself. However, today, while walking by the same table (Table 1), he noticed that Joel Sherman, who was sitting in the same seat as Mark was yesterday had the second rack. Charlie is blaming the seat. Rita Norr just took a challenge for SLOB, which is only acceptable in Scrabble play. Paul Avrin thought this was completely unfunny and that I shouldn't type it in. Just to annoy him, I am. Table 1 ended up starting a bit slower (Nyman vs Sherman) than usual. Seems that neither liked the other's clock. Sherman had a Kaisha and Nyman had a U.S. Chess analog timer. The "dispute" was settled when Jim Kramer, now acting as a back up word judge/runner/general I'll do anything to be here duty carry outer, offered his digital clock, which was acceptable to both parties. The game then commenced. John Williams just walked by a board and saw the word WORDLIST: it isn't good! The word judges tell me that it was Cheng Wui Pui (MAY) who tried that play. It turns out there is no WORDLIST in their word lists! The word judges have seen their second 10-letter word of the Worlds (not that only that many have been played, it is just only that many that have been challenged): GENERATERS. It is unacceptable. In the Cappelletto (USA)/Pray (OMN) game I mentioned earlier, Brian pulled out a win of 443-331. I think he'll be requiring a cup of tea per round now! David Boys (CAN) announced to the word judges that he wasn't finishing today until he'd won 8 games. He concedes that Dina, his significant other, may have to play a lot of games with him tonight after the tournament to make that proclamation true! When he won his last game, he ran into John Chew and said, "Phew, only 7 more to go!" Wimal Fenando, the father of Naween Fernando (BAH), just came up to me and asked for access to photos. We gave him the web address. I hope he gets them. Jan Dixon reports via Charlie Southwell (who introduced the story with "Edley lives permanently attached to a golden horseshoe.") that Edley beat Tiekert (both USA). Edley played a bingo that he and Ron believed to be good. The word was OUTDIVE (ironically OUTVIED would have won big, and it wasn't an unacceptable word). OUTDIVE wasn't acceptable and it wasn't challenged and sadly,it lost Tiekert the game. Susi just came up and greeted Ron with, "Don't you know free challenges are the way to go. You **** ****!" I guess she heard about his lack of challenging before he could tell her. He was all embarassed. Edley is here. He says they both played with mistakes. It still took Edley HAIQUE for 48 points to win the game. And, it took 5 minutes to convince himself that it was good. In Ron's defense, he hates frivolous challenges and he thought it was a new word. Edley is now 11-4 and Tiekert is 10-5. In the Mead/Geary (USA) match, Jim won 405-403. Jere is not sure how he could have won his game with Geary. ALLERGIn was Jere's. And VErRUCAE was Geary's. Bob Lipton (USA) just picked up one of Mead's blanks and said, "I forgot what these looked like!" Jere has lost two close games this morning. I see SOREDIA, SUTURAL, QOPH, ZLOTE, and ITAS. Albert Hahn (CAN) lost a close one to Charnwit (THI). FIRRINg#, which was challenged, was good. Hahn's play. 388-323. Hahn lost 30 points on time. Ouch. He attempted to bingo out with ANTIDIET, but Charnwit told him to pick it up. Charnwit played UTTErER, good in both dictionaries. In Randy Hersom's (USA) game, he missed a bingo in game 1 and never recovered. He played Peter Elbourne (MAL). The score was 418-357. Russell Byers (GBR) has lost two today. You couldn't tell, he is still smiling. Game 1 Jeff GRant (NZ) got him and Matt Graham (USA) got him this round. He admits he's been outplayed today, thus far. However, he isn't far from taking the lead again. He is 10-5. Mark Nyman (GBR) lost to Joel Sherman (USA). There was an 18-point difference. Mark says Sherman missed ASPORTS, and he could have lost by much more, so he is happy, actually. Those Brits. They view competition so strangely. They are so.... so.... dignified. :) Steve Gruzd isn't being so happy today. He was 7-4, he is now 7-8 and he is walking away from me. He only likes me when he is winning. :( I understand. Penny Downer (GBR) played Esther Perrins (AUS), the battle of the top women. Robin Pollock Daniel is convinced one of them is going to finish very high up. She bequeaths her highest woman in the world standings to them. She isn't doing as well this tournament. Penny won by 8 points. Wow. My proofreader is busy playing in the Worlds right now. Please forgive my errors and mistaken country affiliations. I KNOW that Lynne Bulter is from New Zealand, by the way. :) sherrie saint@mit.edu