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CNSC 2008 Commentary: Round 2

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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, Final Round 4, Final Round 5, After the Tournament.

Round 2

It is so nice to be at another CNSC! I tend to forget about the incredible commraderie and good sportsmanship displayed at events like this. Everyone so happy to be here, so cooperative and collegial.

I stroll by a John Stardom (Ottawa ON) vs. Evan Kramer (Vancouver BC) game and see John's DESERTION played to the ON for 74. I later see John, smiling at me from across the Internet table. He is 0-2, but they have been close games and the tournament is still early. And there is that smile again. He isn't going to let a little thing like no blanks harsh on his mellow.

A battle is underway between Chris Williams (Vancouver BC) and Marilyn Murray (Richmond BC). I want to hover, but can sense that they are so intensely concentrating that my merely sharing their air might affect the game. After it is over, I ask Marilyn about some of the plays I wrote down. SLITTER and TIMELINE were hers and ARUGOLAS, ENTHUSED, FEIJOAS, and URIDEAL* were his. She didn't like the look of this last bingo (she knew that UREDIAL was good), and she held a bingo on her rack. Since the game was so close then, she couldn't afford to challenge and be wrong, so she took the phoney. I was about to console her on the loss when she said she won, 433-411! Way to go!

A very quiet Dielle Saldanha (Richmond BC) put down TENORIST to the T for 70 in her game against Glenn Dunlop (Brantford ON). I did not hear him ask, "what is the real score right now?"

Now, I know there is more to this game than that which makes me smile, but right now I have to admit that Steve Ozorio (Mississauga ON) gets attention for doing nothing more than making me smile. He played TOoTLES for 70 in has game vs. Joel Wapnick (Montreal QC).

I see a game wrap up between Jason Krueger (Calgary AB) and Lloyd Mills (Georgetown ON). Jason pulled out his scoresheet, turned it sideways and gestured his pen toward a word he'd written in the margin: INULAISE*. Lloyd, knowing what he was trying to get at, wordlessly scratched off the I with his pencil, signaling the proper spelling of the word. Jason did one of those, "oh yeah" head tilts and nodded. Lloyd's win, 390-365.

I know, I know, write about games and racks and plays, but let's first take a minute to mention style. David Boys (Dorval QC) and Craig Rowland (Mississauga ON) are wearing the nicest dress shirts today! Craig's is white with a tie (try as he might, you can still tell that he is doing some weight lifting!), and Dave is wearing a blue one that looks so good with his salt and pepper hair. There's something to be said for having to rush over here after the work day! No time to change into sweats and baggy T-shirts!

Once again, a tournament is taking place during the Sabbath for Zev Kaufman (Toronto ON). His trusty, worn, Dr. Spock baby book and old fashioned computer punch cards help him keep score (using page numbers as scores) and he tracks using a small wooden set of tiles that he turns over after the tiles have been played. As I wath, Zev bingos out for 74 with AERATIoN to the N, gets 18 off his opponent's rack, and wins, 463-356. Salvatore Desiato (Toronto ON) will win the next time they are matched, perhaps!

Sue Tremblay (Carlsbad Springs ON) is rising from her chair as walk by and greet her. She says she is sorry she didn't call me over after last round. She played five bingos and won, 556-361. I can tell she is off to check her next round pairings, so I head back to my computer table only to meet up with Sinna Vijayakumar (Mississauga ON) who wants to point out her fabulous bingos from the previous round (only in Canada!)! Sinna played ROtIFERS and Sue got down DAUNTING, BIRDLIKE, OVERLAPS, INSURES, and HApLOID! Way to go Sue!

One more game tonight and then we are off for a much needed break. Some of us have been here since 7 am!

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