What is Scrabble?

Scrabble is essentially a word game which can be played by 2-4 players at a given time on a board which comprises a grid of squares in a 15 X 15 format. The squares are assigned different scoring attributes. There are 100 tiles to draw from and players must draw 7 tiles initially and maintain the same number on their racks till they are exhausted. Each tile has a point value attached to it. If all 7 tiles are used in a word an additional 50 points is added to the players score. The goal is to win by scoring more than your opponent. Scrabble is now increasingly played competitively across several countries on the globe and in several languages.

Featured post

Scrabble Word Study Tools

 My colleague Ishika takes you through some useful tools for word study namely Zyzzyva, Aerolith, and Anagram Quizzer. I chip in on my favor...

Sunday 14 February 2016

Bangalore Scrabble League Tournament 2016 Kicks off

Chris Imison's brain child the Bangalore Scrabble League Tournament 2016 has kicked off. To level the playing field handicaps have been issued to each player based on their India ratings. There are 27 players in the fray. Each player plays another twice face to face by August 2016. That implies each player completes 54 games in 6 months. A total prize money of Rs 10,000 is on offer. The entry fee is Rs 500 per player. Here are the participants:

CONFIRMED ENTRANTS RATING HANDICAP
SANJOY  1589 -65
MOHSIN 1533 -60
RAJVEER 1482 -55
MANJU 1406 -45
RADHIKA 1295 -35
LENNIE 1275 -35
DIPANKAR 1262 -35
NALINI 1162 -20
VINOD 1160 -20
NUPUR 1133 -20
UMITA 1093 -15
REX 1049 -10
YASH 943 0
SARAS 935 0
AUBREY 968 0
HEMANTH 900 5
NEELAM 838 10
CHRIS 834 10
ARVIND 832 10
VIDYA 822 15
SHAILAJA 796 15
SHANKAR 720 25
DEEPA 548 40
GIRISH 539 40
HARSH 500 45
JIVITESH 500 45
CHIRAG 500 45

Sunday 7 February 2016

Nigel Wins Cape Town International Scrabble Tournament 2016 with Five Games to Spare

Nigel continued his dominance of the Scrabble scene in 2016 running away with the Cape Town International Scrabble Tournament with over 5 games to spare. He recently won the iGATE scrabble championship in similar fashion winning it with over 3 games to spare. Here are the final standings from the original coverage on poslfit.com

Rank
Name
Home
W-L
Spread
1
38.0-4.0
+4458
2
30.5-11.5
+1642
3
29.0-13.0
+1940
4
28.5-13.5
+2213
5
27.0-15.0
+2770
6
27.0-15.0
+955
7
26.0-16.0
+2172
8
26.0-16.0
+905
9
25.5-16.5
+1193
10
25.0-17.0
+1751
11
25.0-17.0
+1636
12
25.0-17.0
+1275
13
25.0-17.0
+1230
14
25.0-17.0
+850
15
25.0-17.0
+717
16
24.0-18.0
+981
17
24.0-18.0
+952
18
24.0-18.0
+782
19
23.5-18.5
+383
20
23.0-19.0
+631
21
23.0-19.0
+118
22
22.5-19.5
+775
23
22.5-19.5
+537
24
21.5-20.5
+377
25
21.5-20.5
-345
26
21.5-20.5
-383
27
21.0-21.0
+125
28
21.0-21.0
-596
29
20.5-21.5
+225
30
20.0-22.0
+13
31
20.0-22.0
-97
32
19.5-22.5
-77
33
19.0-23.0
+39
34
17.0-25.0
-1331
35
16.0-26.0
-1551
36
16.0-26.0
-1953
37
15.5-26.5
-1475
38
15.0-27.0
-2249
39
14.0-28.0
-1024
40
13.0-29.0
-1710
41
13.0-29.0
-1965
42
12.0-30.0
-2050
43
12.0-30.0
-2603
44
12.0-30.0
-3280
45
6.0-36.0
-4026
46
5.0-37.0
-4930

Also have a look at some annotated games:

Saturday 6 February 2016

Cape Town International Scrabble Tournament 2016 Standings after 36 Rounds

Nigel continues to lead after 36 rounds in the Cape Town International Scrabble Tournament going into the final day. Here are the standings from the original coverage on poslfit.com:


Rank
Name
Home
W-L
Spread
1
32.0-4.0
+3597
2
26.5-9.5
+1226
3
25.5-10.5
+2236
4
25.0-11.0
+2636
5
24.0-12.0
+1889
6
23.0-13.0
+1036
7
23.0-13.0
+589
8
22.0-14.0
+1123
9
21.5-14.5
+1163
10
21.5-14.5
+424
11
21.0-15.0
+1760
12
21.0-15.0
+1155
13
21.0-15.0
+887
14
21.0-15.0
+652
15
21.0-15.0
+527
16
20.5-15.5
+390
17
20.0-16.0
+1133
18
20.0-16.0
+1066
19
20.0-16.0
+871
20
20.0-16.0
+528
21
20.0-16.0
+527
22
20.0-16.0
-208
23
19.5-16.5
+802
24
19.5-16.5
+207
25
19.0-17.0
+431
26
19.0-17.0
-15
27
19.0-17.0
-138
28
19.0-17.0
-341
29
18.0-18.0
+5
30
17.5-18.5
+97
31
17.0-19.0
+230
32
16.5-19.5
+165
33
16.0-20.0
-285
34
14.0-22.0
-1024
35
14.0-22.0
-1273
36
13.0-23.0
-926
37
13.0-23.0
-1747
38
12.5-23.5
-1459
39
12.0-24.0
-1824
40
11.0-25.0
-2353
41
10.0-26.0
-1493
42
10.0-26.0
-1769
43
10.0-26.0
-1893
44
10.0-26.0
-2770
45
5.0-31.0
-3273
46
4.0-32.0
-4561

Cape Town International Scrabble Tournament 2016 Standings after 33 Rounds

Nigel continues to lead after 33 rounds in the Cape Town International Scrabble Tournament. Here are the standings from the original coverage on poslfit.com:
Rank
Name
Home
W-L
Spread
1
29.0-4.0
+3271
2
25.0-8.0
+2861
3
24.5-8.5
+1378
4
23.0-10.0
+2010
5
22.5-10.5
+1928
6
20.5-12.5
+769
7
20.5-12.5
+540
8
20.0-13.0
+1041
9
20.0-13.0
+683
10
20.0-13.0
+651
11
20.0-13.0
+564
12
20.0-13.0
+415
13
19.0-14.0
+1393
14
19.0-14.0
+1135
15
19.0-14.0
+1119
16
19.0-14.0
+772
17
19.0-14.0
+746
18
19.0-14.0
+487
19
19.0-14.0
+170
20
19.0-14.0
+47
21
18.5-14.5
+992
22
18.5-14.5
+250
23
18.0-15.0
+951
24
18.0-15.0
+710
25
18.0-15.0
+127
26
18.0-15.0
-28
27
17.5-15.5
+603
28
17.0-16.0
+504
29
17.0-16.0
-127
30
16.0-17.0
+346
31
15.5-17.5
+159
32
15.5-17.5
+27
33
15.0-18.0
-291
34
12.0-21.0
-972
35
12.0-21.0
-992
36
12.0-21.0
-1269
37
11.5-21.5
-1282
38
11.0-22.0
-1829
39
10.0-23.0
-1896
40
10.0-23.0
-2623
41
9.0-24.0
-1657
42
9.0-24.0
-2451
43
8.0-25.0
-2031
44
7.0-26.0
-1775
45
5.0-28.0
-3014
46
3.0-30.0
-4412

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Different Words Same Meaning

Citolas, Citoles, Cithrens, Citherns, Cithers, Citterns - A Guitar
Waivode, Waiwode, Woiwode, Voivode - An army leader
Cagouls, Cagoules, Kagouls, Kagoules, Kagools - An anorak
Eulachan, Eulachon, Oulachon, Oulakan, Oolakan, Ulikon - A candlefish
Kiester, Keister, Hurdies, Patootie - The Buttocks
Didakei, didakai, Diddicoy, Didicoi, Didicoy - A Tinker
Cabala, Cabbala, Kabala, Kabbala, Kabbalah, Qabala, Qabalah - a Jewish doctrine
Yoghurt, Yaourt, Yogurt, Yoghourt - A type of curd
Narwal, Narwhal, Narwhale - An Arctic aquatic mammal
Lekythus, Lecythus, Lekythos - An ancient oil Jar
Germen, Germain, Germaine, Germin - Something that serves as an origin
Filemot, Philomot, Philamot - A dull brown shade
keblah, Kibla, Kiblah, Qibla - The direction muslims face while praying
Litchi, Lichi, Lychee, Lichee - A fruit
Poursue, Pursue, Persue, Poursew Pursew - To follow
Pummelo, Shaddock, Pompelo - A citrus fruit
Repreeve, Reprive, Repryve - To delay
Baklava, Baklawa, Baclava - A middle eastern desert
Nilgai, Nilgau, Nilghai, Nilghau, Nylghai, Nylghau - a large antelope
Cassina, Cassene, Cassine, Cassena - an evergreen tree
Narghile, Narghily, Nargile, Nargileh, Nargily - a hookah
Dirdam, Dirdum, Durdum - uproar
Shechita, Shehitah, Shehita - krosher killing of animals
Mezuzot, Mezuzoth, Mezuzah, Mezuza - a Jewish scroll

Combo Words of Two Words that are Good Both Ways

Bedrail - Railbed
Dovering - Ringdove
Hangover - Overhang
Turnover - Overturn
Runover - Overrun
Roadside - Sideroad
Outburn - Burnout
Woodworm - Wormwood
Linecut - Cutline
Outpass - Passout
Outspeak - Speakout
Comedown - Downcome
Upclose - Closeup
Outback - Backout
Pinhead - Headpin
Mateship - Shipmate
Cutover - Overcut
Upstart - Startup
Outshoot - Shootout
Overwing - Wingover
Fantail - Tailfan

Common Words with Not so common Anagrams

Tailors - Oralist, Rialtos, Sliotar
Almonds - Dolmans
Mustard - Durmast
Stadium - Dumaist
Romance - Cremona
Cauldron - Crunodal
Acolyte - Cotylae
Cilantro - Contrail
Decagon - Congaed
Ethical - Alethic
Strongly - Strongyl
Ungrazed - Gazunder
Expires - Prexies
Detangle - Danegelt
Teardown - Danewort
Erasions - Sensoria
Innovate - Venation
Inundate - Antidune
Invocate - Conative
Antidote - Tetanoid
Liaises - Silesia
Coalise - Celosia
Isotherm - Moithers
Heroism - Moreish
Sedation - Astonied
Marries - Simarre
Tsunami - Manitus, Santimu
Cheerio - Echoier


Those Handy Pyramid Words!

Pyramid words are words which start at 2 letters but can be extended to 7 letters and beyond. For example take the word loofahs, we start with lo, next we get to loo, followed by loof, loofa, loofah and loofahs. Thus by knowing loofahs we get to know a total of 6 words. Other examples include:
Abasers, Amenders, Amusers, Barbers, Bingers, Chained,
Chiasmal, Daledhs, Divests, Erasers, Fasties, Godsons, Hookahs, Jambees, Jamboks, Kaingas, Kinases, Lapsers, Maliced, Mentors, Nursery, Parkiest, Poleyns, Reeders, Reposes, Singers, Skaters,Tapetis, Teasers, Ureases, and Woosells.

There are some reverse pyramid words too. Take the word drooped for example, we start with ed, then ped, then oped, then ooped, rooped and finally drooped.Other examples include:
Aemules, Afeared, Borates, Cleared, Demures, Escapes, Glaired, Hamates, Lemures, Mananas, Penates, Retapes, Scraped, Testates, Upreach, Vacates, Whooped, Yslaked and Zananas.