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 24 April 2016

Ranganathan Wins Goa Scrabble Championship 2016

Ranganathan Chakravathy has won the 2016 Goa Scrabble Championship. He totaled 11 wins and won on spread from Mohan Chunkanth who also won 11 games. There were 43 participants in all. Here are the top 10 from the final standings published by the Scrabble Association of India:

Player Rank Win  Loss Spread
Ranganathan Chakravathy 1 11 4 1288
Mohan Chunkath  2 11 4 533
Varisht Hingorani 3 10 5 1028
 Nakul Prabhu  4 10 5 728
Udayan Grover  5 10 5 682
Shaikh Ahmed 6 10 5 290
Charles Carneiro 7 9 6 831
Pramit Kamath 8 9 6 658
Carolann Pais 9 9 6 551
 Sudhir Kamath  10 9 6 392

Monday 18 April 2016

High Scoring Plays in Scrabble

Have a look at these high scoring plays in scrabble courtesy Nick Keller via Scrabulizer. They are possible but not probable. If you manage to get Oxyphenbutazone across the entire length of the board you net a whopping 1778 points.

Saturday 16 April 2016

Bangalore Scrabble League Tournament 2016 - Standings as on April 17

The Bangalore Scrabble League Tournament 2016 is well underway. Here are the updated standings. Manju is still on top, still a long way to go:

Standings
Player
Handicap
Win
Loss
Spread
Average Game Score
1
MANJU
-45
30
8.0
2203
410
2
SANJOY
-65
24
9.0
2019
402
3
NUPUR
-20
23
9.0
1134
396
4
MOHSIN
-60
19
8.0
1898
429
5
SHANKAR
25
18
14.0
353
397
6
CHRIS
10
16.5
23.5
-696
376
7
SARAS
0
15
15.0
-16
397
8
RADHIKA
-35
13.5
9.5
-32
398
9
HARSH
45
13
17.0
-692
394
10
YASH
0
11
11.0
75
390
11
DIPANKAR
-35
11
13.0
-248
378
12
LENNIE
-35
10
11.0
-239
371
13
RAJVEER
-55
9
4.0
675
412
14
ARVIND
10
8
15.0
-1140
376
15
SHAILAJA
15
8
18.0
-1276
374
16
NALINI
-20
6
12.0
-398
375
17
REX
-10
6
12.0
-581
370
18
VIDYA
15
5
11.0
-35
375
19
HEMANTH
0
4
5.0
-103
377
20
NEELAM
10
4
4.0
-131
366
21
DEEPA
40
3
19.0
-1307
369
22
VASAVA
45
1
5.0
-550
343
23
GIRISH
40
0
4.0
-617
309
24
SHILPA
45
0
1.0
-296
284

Tuesday 12 April 2016

The Shantha Viswanathan Memorial Scrabble Tournament for Newbies, April 2016

The family of the late Mrs Shantha Viswanathan is conducting a scrabble tournament in memory of their mother on April 24th 2016 at the Century club in Bangalore. Mrs Viswanathan was an avid scrabble player and enjoyed playing board games and solving puzzles. In fact she had recently become a member of the Bangalore Scrabble Club and looked forward to being able to participate in their games. Unfortunately this has remained a dream.
Our many thanks to the Bangalore Scrabble Club team who have kindly come forward to conduct this scrabble tournament  for amateur scrabble players in her memory. Below are the key details of the event and would be glad if you can come and participate in this and share this with friends and scrabble enthusiasts.

Tournament : Shantha Viswanathan Memorial Scrabble Tournament
Date Sunday April 24th 2016 
Timing : 10am to 6 pm
Venue:  Century Club, Bangalore

Rules for entry :
Registration Fee : Rs 150/-
Please send your registrations to: Girish (9901444744,email: technogirish@gmail.com) or Sheila ( 9848396542 ,email: sheram4958@gmail.com) on or before April 18th 2016

The tournament is open ONLY to players with a Scrabble Club Rating of 700 or less OR UNRATED players. 
All the games will be played as per International Scrabble rules. 
Checkout http://www.indianscrabble.com for more details.

Prizes:
1st prize - Trophy and a cash prize of Rs.5000/-
2nd prize -Trophy and a cash prize of Rs.2500/-
3rd prize - Trophy and a cash prize of Rs.1500/-

Food : Lunch will be served to all the players . We will also have snacks and drinks available .


Do let us know if you can join us or have any other questions.
Please share this with any friends in Bangalore, who may enjoy playing scrabble and can join us on April 24th 

Monday 11 April 2016

Word of the Day - Paragon

Here is the word of the day from our students at the communicare club at M.S. Ramaiah Institute of Management:

Paragon
Meaning - Model of excellence or perfection of a kind.
Usage - Mother Theresa is a paragon of virtue.

Synonyms: nonpareil, apotheosis, ideal, exemplar.

Antonyms: antithesis.

Anagrams - none
Front hook - none
Back hook - S

Wednesday 6 April 2016

Word of the Day - Absolve

Here is the word of the day from our students at the communicare club at M.S. Ramaiah Institute of Management:

Absolve
Meaning - To pronounce clear of guilt or blame.
Usage - The agitating leader, absolved her party of any responsibility in the intimidation of co-workers.

Synonyms: discharge, liberate, forgive.

Antonyms: charge, blame, convict.

Anagrams - none
Front hook - none
Back hook - D, S, R

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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.