Go to: Commentary Games Players Photos Reports Standings

Back to NSC 2009 Live Coverage

NSC 2009 Commentary: Round 2

[ ]

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, Round 19, Round 20, Round 21, Round 22, Round 23, Round 24, Round 25, Round 26, Round 27, Round 28, Round 29, Round 30, Round 31, After the Tournament.

Round 2

I see Dave Wiegand (Portland, OR) open with JUN in his game with Webster Phillips (Montclair, NJ). A few moments later, a blank bingo comes down through the U: AUREAtED*. I didn't hear the score, but I did hear the "hold." Time to move on.... but I didn't get far enough away before they headed off to the challenge machine. The play came up, but I saw later that Phil got down a bingo the very next turn.

Cheryl Tyler (Lubbock, TX) brought her daughter here to help us at the event. Lauren walked around with me this round and I tried to point out good plays to her. As luck would have it, her mom was just finishing up a game with Bruce Adams (Rochdale, MA). We both admired Cheryl's OvERSEE and TAINTING. And Bruce only got two bingos, too: HEROISM and DEROGAtE. The latter, however, was a 131-point triple-triple through the G. Bruce's win, 441-398. The best play of the game was Bruce's BUTUT through the first U: talk about a rack cleaner upper!

I go through the aisles, seeking out last year's division 6 winner. He is now competiting in division 3: Bradley Robbins (Windham, NH). Katya Lezin (Charlotte, NC), a parent to two School SCRABBLE players like Bradley, had a big win this round, 512-335. She admits to the game being a bit odd. She let a phoney go: MUTILISE*, but only because it let her play MITTENED down the triple through the E. And then, she challenged his perfectly good play of FLUtERS, which lost her a turn.

A note is slipped to me by Bryan Pepper. Seven pretty bingos went down in a Paul Epstein (Keego Harbor, MI) vs. Marty Gabriel (Charleston, IL) game. Paul played THIONINE, OUTFACED, TRIADIC, and HEARINGS and Marty played DIALLAGE, REDENIES, and WOLVERS which front hooked to make ETHIONINE! Paul's win, 500-457.

Frank Tangredi (West Babylon, NY) is smiling ear to ear. He's just enjoyed a humdinger of a game with Robin Pollock Daniel (Toronto ON). Robin opened with GOING and several turns later, Frank front hooked to make TANGOING to the triple (so gorgeous). Robin played three bingos: GUErDOnS from the G, TEAMSTER from the first T, and DEERLIKE. Paul played two bingos: SNITCHED from the S and ARANEIDS through the D for a 130-point triple-triple. Robin later said that she debated REEDLIKE and DEERLIKE and played the wrong one! Frank's win, 543-504.

Orry Swift (Dayton, TX) excitedly pulls me over to his game againt Jason Hlady (Saskatoon SK). Orry opened with ABOMA and Jason replied with ITEMIZED through the M for 130 points. Soon thereafter, Jason played FANWorT for 64, pulling ahead, 194-37. A few more turns later, they exchanged bingos, Orry's INSCRIPT* and Jason's LEUCITES. Then the plays just kept coming in Orry's way. He played QUIRT/QI/UP for 71, LOANDERS for 76, AX/NA/EX for 52, and finally JAUK/JO/ARUTA for 59, wresting a victory out of the jaws of defeat wtih a 501-485.

Their game long picked up, Scott Kitchen (Bridgewater, NJ) saunters over to tell me about his first four plays against Carl Stocker (Hallandale, FL). They were: PADRONE, PUNGENT, DELETING, and DRAWLING. No shock: Scott won, 536-364.

David Pearl (Long Beach, CA) took a turn at Nigel Richards (MYS) this round at table 1 and lost, 375-398. A sole bingo for each: Dave's EASTERN for 69 and Nigel's SLITHERy for 86. Check out this game in the annotated game section!