Comments from Russell:
Move 1
Start with the uneventful rack EIOJQN?. 8G JO 18 Joy plays I8 BURR/JOB 19
Move 2
Rack: EEIUNQ? I play 11E QUEERINg as soon as I spot it for 114. Joy: 9E ANA 14 Move 3
EOOOPVT I play for score, taking a risk opening the double-double. I didn't consider 8A POOVE 44.J6 VOE 27 Joy: 12H LO 13 Move 4
OOEDPST. 5E STOOPED 97 Joy E11 QUA 12 Move 5 EIODFTN. H11 ELFIN 24. The computer prefers FOETID for 37 or 41. I tend to agree. I played ELFIN to open the triple line because I liked my letters, and my opponent didn't seem to have much luck. Joy D12 NEAR 16 Move 6
AEEODMT. This goes down instantly. H15 NEMATODE 86 Joy I3 ZIP 24 Move 7
AIOCWWY. 15A COWRY 39 Joy: Changes 3 tiles Move 8 AAIDMNW .The computer prefers two plays to mine. MAIDAN 57 and DIWAN 36. I didn't know MAIDAN, and I didn't consider DIWAN. 14M MAW 31 Joy: C13 LEW 20 Move 9
AEIBDNS. 4A BANDIES 82. This takes me to 518. At this point I decide to go for 600. This means stretching the moves out as long as possible. There are 37 tiles left at this point. Joy: EHRSST?. B2 SHAtTERS 74 Fortunately, my opponent doesn't look for a triple-triple. Not that I knew it. (HERBiSTS 158) Other high scorers included BRaSHEST 86 Move 10 This is what the board looks like at this point My Rack: AEICDGH 518 v 192 Unseen: AEIIIIOU FGGKLLNPRRTTTVXY A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O ------------------------------ ------------------------------The computer suggests HEIGH (didn't know it). I entertained the possibility of plays such as ZECHIN/ZARNICH I choose to keep the E, and play 8A ARCH 39 Joy: 14G GIF 12
Move 11 EIIDGKTT. I go for the highest scoring move I could find with the least number of letters. 14B TEAK 41 Joy: Change 4 Move 12 EEIIDGT. I was eyeing this move when I played ARCH two turns
back. I am happy to break 600 and beat my own
tournament best.
A1 DIEB 28
Joy: 4K AX 21 Move 13 EIIGTLY.I go for highest score best leave. 3K YETI 30 Joy: IOUGRRT 2L RUG 26 Joy said "I was just happy to get 26: it was my highest score [except for the bonus] for the game". The computer agrees with Joy's move. Move 14 Holding LIG, I pull ILNP leaving the V in the bag. Any combination from the draw of ILNPV results in a 700 game. IIGLLNP. 1F PILLING 100 |
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