Round 18

Adam Logan (CAN) just defeated Charnwit Sukhumrattanaporn (THA),

489-351.  Adam began with OOGAMIES, followed with bOWELING, and later

played LiNOCUTS and GRADUATE.  Charnwit's ASQUAT for 79 points was

impressive, but considerably insufficient (especially as Adam used

the U and the T for his last two bingos).  Adam also learned that

AMEND takes an E in OSW (as he knew it to in French).

I was a bit busy this round annotating a game between Akshay Bhandarkar
(BHR) and Mark Nyman (GBR)

Jim Nananvati (CAN) was down by around 100 points against Andrew Fisher
(GBR) and he played out with ANOoPSIA only to lose by 8. He caught
Andrew with 16 points, but not enough to squeak out the win. He sounds
like his allergies are kicking in. Maybe he is allergic to the GBR
team?

While I was watching the game unfold between Mark and Akshay, I saw
Felt finish his game and meander over to Philip Nelkon. Though I wasn't
within hearing their conversation, it looked like Felt was filling
Nelkon in on his win over Penny Downer (GBR). Felt admitted he had most
of the tiles, but felt he was a sharper opponent that round. Nelkon
tells me that he's only played Penny once and she beat him. She has
been playing for some years. She is from the Isle of Wight and is the
replacement player for the Scotsman Neil Scott who couldn't make the
WSC due to work commitments. Nelkon is sorry to see team GBR not doing
as well as earlier. I remind him that we have to share the luck. Which
leads me into the fact that Matt just won another game!

He beat Jeff Grant (NZ) at Board 1. Grant's first two moves were phony
bingos that got taken up. They were: MOBLINGS and GOMBRILS. Matt played

NOUNLESS and pROVOSt. Sal Piro, who watched the game unfold, tells me
that since Matt made the first three moves, he was essentially in
charge the whole game. Grant's only bingo was SCENTING (the only one
that stayed on the board, I mean).

Shafique (KEN) just lost to Allan Saldanha (GBR). Shafique remains the
#1 Kenyan player, but he'd much prefer to be the #2 Kenyan player and
be in 2nd place, than to be where he is right now. I think is around
10-15 in the tournament.

Jim Geary (USA) looks like he just got hit by a truck. He is a nobody
again, he says. I remind him that he is soon to be a groom and *that*
is something.

Joe Edley once again (this time with the tiles) beat out Ron Tiekert
(both USA). This time he won by 291 points. '

The next round will pit Jeff Grant against Matt Graham again! Matt is
14-4 }+116. And there are 4 with 14 wins.

sherrie

saint@mit.edu

p.s. sorry this is so scattered. more later.