2013 CNSC

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Commentary: Round 8

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Go to: Before the Tournament, Round 1, Round 2, Round 3, Round 4, Round 5, Round 6, Round 7, Round 8, Round 9, Round 10, Round 11, Round 12, Round 13, Round 14, Round 15, Round 16, Round 17, Round 18, Award Ceremony, Final Round 1, Final Round 2, Final Round 3, After the Tournament.

Round 8

The first game done this round is between Christopher Sykes (Cambridge ON) and Jim Nanavati (Burlington ON). I hear Chris Lipe asks if anyone got down THORNLIKE. I guess HORNLIKE was on the board. Nope, didn't happen.

James Leong (Vancouver BC) vs. Jackson Smylie (Toronto ON): CuDDIES was James' opening play and Jackson replied with INSERTeD. JAmes played OLEATES and latish in the game ANCESTOR. Jackson got down GELATION. A fun nonbingo word: CUBEB. A 456-409 win for James.

I watch Dean Saldanha (Richmond BC) and Randall Thomas (Calgary AB) tromp off to the challenge machine. REEXCITE* is called off the board.

Carol from the SCRABBLE in the City club here in Toronto stopped by this round. She wanted to give support to her clubmates: Jim Nanavati (Burlington ON), Roger Cullman (Toronto ON), Max Panitch (Toronto ON). She said she was excited to see how well Roger was doing after a rocky start.

Gabriel Gauthier-Shalom (Montreal QC) and Jason Broersma (Caledon ON) were both stretching like lions at their boards, their arms extended above them and back. I see TRIFLED and SOIlLESS (having no soil, I guess!) on the board. The fun KOPJE is on the board. A 386-288 win for Jason.

Craig Rowland (Mississauga ON) vs. Bernard Gotlieb (Montréal QC). I see HyGIENE, ARIETtA, and DIGESTED on their in-progress board.

My favorite play so far at this CNSC. ZEAL was on the board coming down the left triple. All of a sudden, I hear the understated, "Wow, nice play," come from John Stardom (Ottawa ON). His opponent, Lou Cornelis (Stoney Creek ON) had just played ZEALOTRIES to the triple. It wasn't the points but rather the style. Just so pretty and looooooong. :) The way their board was set up, with everything mostly on the right side, it stood out like it had a spotlight on it! Lou lost this game to John, 414-430. John shakes his hand in front of my eyes and says, "Well, I had WHARFING for a 112-point double-double." I apologized for only having eyes for the ZEALOTIRES. Lou also played BoNNETED, but it was plays like YODLE/ hooking to make DINKY for 55 that helped put John up there in the score department. Great game for both of them!

Okay, I check in on Randall and Dean and find that the most Canadian of words has been played. Can you guess what it is?*

I've ben told that my colleague is busy typing up the Max Panitch (Toronto ON) vs. Jesse Matthews (Kelowna BC) game, but I point out TILAK and WINGY, which were just plain fun.

WENDIGOS for 80 jumps out at me. Unfortunately for Jason Ubeika (Mississauga ON), it was about his only good play. Kristiina Overton (Maxville ON) got down CLOQUES for 75, CAROLED for 70, and HOoTERS for 87 and won their matchup, 461-381.

Chris Lipe writes:

Wow, the round just started, and it looks like Christopher Sykes (Cambridge ON) and Jim Nanavati (Burlington ON) are almost done! Someone played HORNLIKE at 13D but sadly all six T's are on the board....

Blank bingo quiz -- Heather McCall (Toronto ON) has ABEIIV?, which makes no sevens and two eights (both TWL) (1)

Bernard Gotlieb (Montréal QC) is holding OSTTYYZ, while on turn two Craig Rowland (Mississauga ON) plays FLAK. I wonder what hook Bernie will be taking advantage of, hmm?

Ross Brown (Ottawa ON) plays EERIEST against Robin Pollock Daniel (Toronto ON) slotting a T in the third position of a 3x3 lane. Robin is holding AEHIOT?, so it looks very close but there is no 3x3 there. She plays THIOTEpA.

Director's call -- Andrew was drawing four tiles, and four tiles popped out of a hole in the side of the tile bag. New tile bag, and the game continues.

Ooh, Jesse Matthews (Kelowna BC) has got down VENDET(TA)s against Max Panitch (Toronto ON). Sexy play!

Shan Abbasi (Mississauga ON) is looking at AEEILNT, right after Matthew Tunnicliffe (Ottawa ON) bingoed with BANDAGES putting an S in the second position. That LINEATES* rack is so annoying! Although if you see it, and you remember it's completely dead, then you won't waste time looking for a bingo with it. Shan has been sitting there for three or four minutes; hopefully he's not worrying about that S.

Mark Edelson (Toronto ON), playing Chris Williams (Vancouver BC) is looking at DEGIIT? and the only lane is an open I for an eight. He nails it; the blank is a zed. Note that DIGITISE# is CSW-only.

Bernie, not having gotten enough of Y's earlier in his game, lays down HyGIENE against Craig.

Dang I'm getting tired. Is it tea break yet?

Jason Broersma (Caledon ON) is at 6-2 -- he just defeated Gabriel Gauthier-Shalom (Montreal QC). Jason played OILLESS* (with a blank L) for 74; it stayed on the board, and then Jason picked up the second blank and made ZESt / SOILLESS, making his phony bingo good, for 73. Badda bing, badda boom.

Robin pulled out a close win against Ross. After the game I asked her about THIOTEpA -- it was a couple points less than her other choices, THIONATE and ATHETOID, but each of those put a vowel next to a triple letter with some heavy power tiles out. Indeed, if she had played THIONATE, then Ross would have hit her with the Q hard. Good call to sacrifice a couple points in that position.

Poor Jesse Matthews. After his gorgeous VENDETTAS play, going into the late game, Jesse had a good lead on a closed board and emptied the bag. He drew the X, and Max Panitch had TR(AG)EDIES to bingo out, stick Jesse with the X...and win by 1. As of the writing of this piece, Jesse was somewhere far away walking, cooling off, and having a cookie. I can't blame him. The cookies they just brought are dayyum tasty.

(1) INVIABLE, VITIABLE