The website of the Australian Scrabble Players Association (Victoria) Inc.
Watch this space for the latest news and happenings in the Victorian Scrabble scene, and to find lots of information and to check on news from the past click on the links at left.
Your social reporter is Marj Miller, and to pass on any news click here
mjwm@connexus.net.au
Upcoming Events:
Victorian Championship ~ 24 games ~ June 8/9/10
Queen's Birthday Tournament ~ 6 games ~ June 10
Clota Cottage Fundraiser ~ 7 games ~ June 30
World Youth Fundraiser ~ 7 Games ~ July 7
For full details of all tournaments click HERE
Next Travel Group Weekend - October 25/26/27 - click on the link at left for the details
Current Standings in the Victorian Matchplay
What a great contest Janet Bau and Tash Podesser had in the first round, finishing on 2.5 games each after five, with Janet taking out the sixth game to advance to a match-up with Michael Rubinstein in the next round. The other close tussle was between Khwanjai Thammaping and Marj Miller, with KJ playing great scrabble to emerge the victor after the fifth game.Here are the eight players remaining in the tournament, good luck to all, and we'll keep you posted as results come to hand.
 Peter Kougi |  Gwen Lampre |  Janet Bau |  Mike Rubinstein |  Trevor Halsall |  Mythili Rudra |  Nick Ivanovski |  KJ Thammaping |
Peter Kougi 3
Trevor Halsall 3
Nick Ivanovski 3
Natasha Podesser 2.5
Marj Miller 2
Michael Rubinstein 3
Mythili Rudra 3
Gwen Lampre 3
Jenny Brysha 0
Lorraine Thomas 1
Lainie Mercieca 0
Janet Bau 3.5
Khwanjai Thammaping 3
Julie Belle 0
Oliver Podesser 1
Mal Eden 1
Peter Kougi 3
Gwen Lampre 0
Janet Bau
Michael Rubinstein
Trevor Halsall
Mythili Rudra
Nick Ivanovski 3
Khwanjai Thammaping 2
Peter Kougi
Nick Ivanovski
Follow top-seed David Eldar's fortunes in the European Open in Malta, May 11-14 2013
Unfortunately a no-show taxi in London meant that David missed his flight and the first two games, but nevertheless he is doing very well, moving from well down in the field to first place after Round 17....
On the last day, with four rounds to play, David is leading by one game from Helen Gipson from Scotland, with Theresa Brousson of Malta a further half game behind......in the final washup David played Helen Gipson in the last two games, losing both to finish in second place. Well done, Helen and David, and good luck later in the week in the next tournament.
New South Wales wins the Tri State Challenge ~ April 27/28, 2013
Once again teams from the Australian Capital Territory (8 players), New South Wales (19) and Victoria (13) travelled to Wagga Wagga in N.S.W. for the annual challenge between the states. The start was somewhat delayed due to the unavoidable lateness of the XPT, from both directions, but all went smoothly after play began. John Hamilton (President of the A.C.T Scrabble Association) did a wonderful job as Chief Organiser and Tournament Director, and local Wagga Wagga personality Norm Byng was very helpful to all as the man on the spot. We were grateful to the local council for allowing us to use the venue, it was appreciated. The team from New South Wales - triumphant over the other two teams. |  The individual prizewinners, all happy! |
The individual prizewinners are shown above - from left to right - Richard Jeremy, 2nd overall; Heather Long, High Word (OPAQUEST for 128 points); Joanne Craig, 1st overall; Peter Bauer, High Game 580 points; Arlene Williams, Rating Band Prize, best performed player under 1100; Colleen Birch, Highest Rating Gain, 38 points; (missing from the pic is George Khamis, who also went up 38 points); next in line is Norma Fisher, 3rd place; and at right is Rocky Sharma, 4th place. Well played, everyone.
 The team from the Australian Capital Territory |  The Victorian team, still happy..... |  Jyoti Chandna & Bob Jackman |
Here are some photos from the travel, and the tournament...........
 A bit cold at Southern Cross - Carol Johnsen, Norma Fisher, Rebecca Booth |  Mostly ACT players - Ann Schick, Christine Foot, Mal Eden (Vic), Arlene Williams |  Tony K, Sharon Sorenson, Joanne Craig, Janene Whittaker & Rebecca Booth |  Rocky Sharma & Rod Talbot from N.S.W., with Richard Jeremy from the A.C.T. |
 Friends Jan Serisier and Sharon Sorenson, both from N.S.W. |  Rocky Sharma with Victorians Heather Long and Peter Bauer |  TD John Hamilton making faces, with Carol Johnsen, Balada Catanchin & Rob York |  Marisa Nuccitelli, playing in her first Challenge, with John Hamilton |
 Heather Long plays Peter Shaw |  George Khamis and John Barker, N.S.W. |  Danny Khouri vs Dorothy Barraclough |  Carol Johnsen plays Norma Fisher |
 Local Wagga player Norm Byng, with Carol Johnsen and John Hamilton |  At the Wagga Wagga Station, on the way home - Carol waves goodbye |  Waiting - Marisa, Carol, Danny, Colleen Walker, Norma, La'Reine Lang, Balada |  Still waiting - Peter and Heather, with Rob, Norma, Balada, Marj and Marisa |
Special thanks to John and Norm and all who worked to make the tournament a success, your efforts were appreciated by all who attended.
The Matchplay Kickoff and Draw ~ April 21 2013
Prizewinners on the day ~ Trevor Halsall, Janet Bau, Peter Kougi,
Oliver Podesser, Chris Scholten, Nick Ivanovski
The end of the day ~ Rob York and Peter
Kougi assist with the clean up
Forty-four took part in the 7th Victorian Matchplay qualifier event on a sunny autumn Sunday. Trevor Halsall triumphed, winning 7 out of 8. His only loss came at the hands of Michael Rubinstein, who also claimed the scalp of Peter Kougi (2nd), with Nick Ivanovski placing third. Janet Bau and Oliver Podesser both had good tournaments, taking out the 1400 and 1200 rating band prizes respectively while Chris Scholten scored the high word with MAXIMISE for 119.
Several players achieved solid ratings gains, notably Anne Bingham +64, Jenny Brysha +55, Janet Bau +51 and Lorraine Thomas +45. Some fine words observed on the day were: MAINLAND by Marisa and TINNITUS by Mythili. Norma did a fantastic job making sure players were well fed, and Lalitha operated the computer with her usual efficiency. Thanks to Mary Mackie who filled in as the reserve player, and to everyone who helped run this tournament.
The fixture for the knockout phase has been devised and qualifiers have been notified, and results will be brought to you as the matches are completed. Thanks to Nick Ivanovski for most of the pics, and to see the final results of the Qualifier check the National Scrabble website - click HERE
 Janet Bau, best player rated 1200 - 1400 |  Oliver Podesser, best rated player below 1200 |  Chris Scholten, happy with his award for High Word |  Katie Rowe plays Bridget Halge |
 Geoff Shepheard plays Mary Mackie in Game 4 |  Game 7 - Harry Malcolm versus Barry Harridge |  At Table 1 - Gwen Lampre versus Lainie Mercieca |  Game 2 - Marj Miller plays Marisa Nuccitelli |
Vale Eilene Howarth ~ April 4, 2013
Eilene was a keen scrabble player for a long period of time, participating in tournaments until 2006 when ill health necessitated her retirement from the game she loved. She was a very pleasant but tough opponent, and always enjoyed the friendly challenge of a good game, as well as catching up with friends.Eilene was also a devoted travel scrabbler who would travel anywhere for a game of scrabble. Her long standing friend Brenda Thurgar reports that Eilene traveled all over Victoria and to Tasmania with herself and the late Nan Smith - Eilene and Nan would play before breakfast, and late into the night, and any other spare moment as well....
Eilene was a popular member of the Frankston Scrabble Club for many years, and her friends at the Club sent flowers in her memory to the nursing home where she resided in recent times. Rest in peace, Eilene.
David Eldar is the 2013 Australian Scrabble Champion!
 David Eldar, Victoria, 2013 Champion |  David at the Presentation Ceremony |  Andrew Fisher, Victoria, Runner up |  Esther Perrins, N.S.W., third place |  Winner of the Plate, Rhonda Rickard, Qld |  Peter Bauer, Victoria, second in the Plate |  Sharon Sorensen, NSW, Plate third |  Easter fun for Sunny Wright & Anand Bharadwaj |
The large number of entries resulted in the stage being utilised
as a playing area. Click to enlarge
Second placing went to Victoria's fast-finishing Andrew Fisher, and Esther Perrins from New South Wales had a wonderful tournament to place third.
There were many outstanding performances in the Plate, with Rhonda Rickard from Queensland finishing first, followed by Peter Bauer from Victoria in second place, and Sharon Sorensen from NSW third.
Other Victorians who deserve a mention include Anand Bharadwaj, seventh in the Championship, and in the Plate Paula Messer finished in sixth place. Well played, everyone, it was a tough tournament indeed.
Southport proved to be a popular place to stage the Championship, with a total of 188 players taking part. It was good to see so many overseas players competing, and a quick count shows that more than a dozen attended, playing in both the Championship and the Plate.
 Competitors in the Plate: John McNaughton from New Zealand plays Veena Mohe, NSW |  Hardworking Queenslanders Wayne Willis and Martin Waterworth, with Michael Tang |  Peter Kougi listens intently as Richard Jeremy from the A.C.T. explains how to play the game |  Friendship spans the states - Helen Maurus Qld; Andrew Fisher Vic; & Chris May N.S.W. |
Queynie
A Trophy Owl
Cam Farlow
In the Plate Arnold Appelhof from Queensland scored 559 to collect the award for the High Game, and Mary Curtis, visiting from New Zealand, played OVERGOES for 167 points to win the High Word award.
All prizewinners received cash prizes as a reward for their efforts, and many received a cute Queynie owl, modelled on the emblem for the Queensland Scrabble Association.
(I have heard that one of the trophies was accidentally dropped and broken at the presentation ceremony, which is a shame as I know someone who would have really liked to have one.)
 Helen Maurus (11th), Trish Cearns and Olga Visser, Chief Organiser and Queensland President |  The youngest players - Shekinah from Queensland, and Lewis from New Zealand. Well done! |  Some of South Australia's competitors - Adam Kretschmer (10th), Trevor Tao and Tony Miller |  Representing Western Australia: Carolyn Watt, Tim Mason and Edie Mueller (5th) |
Part of the playing area.....with Paula Messer playing
in the centre right foreground
Almost all over - Naween Fernando, Wilma Vialle,
David Eldar and Andrew Fisher
Tournament Director Wilma Vialle kept everything moving along smoothly, and Barry Harridge did his usual sterling job of keeping everyone informed re what was happening. Thank you both for your input, it is appreciated.
Next year's Championship will be held in Sydney, and NSW President Tony Hunt will bring us news as it comes to hand.
Thank you to all who contributed to the above array of photos, including Kannan Sethuraman, Nick Ivanovski, Cheah Siu Hean, the Scrabble NSW website, Carol Johnsen, Andrew Fisher, Wayne Willis and anyone else I've missed. Also, some have come from earlier files....... To check the fortunes of all players, with details of the performances of individual players and stories from Barry Harridge, click HERE To see the final results check the National Scrabble website - click HERE If you are a facebook member click HERE to go to the Scrabble Victoria facebook page, click "Like" if you haven't already done so, please, then check out the reports and pics posted by the page administrator, Nick Ivanovski.
Vale Isabel Van Hoorn - 26.09.1944 ~ 22.03.2013
Isabel at Mount Martha
At the Mount Martha tournament in October 2009 Isabel was presented with her badge marking 1000 tournament games played, and this was where the lovely photo at left was taken.
In earlier times Isabel was a regular attendee at the Knox Scrabble Club in Ferntree Gully where she competed against other well known players such as Sylvia Galloway, Carmel Doney, the late Gladys Sharp, Harry Malcolm, John Parker and others, thoroughly enjoying the banter and camaraderie but remaining very competitive during her games.
One of Isabel's great loves was solving the word puzzles in the quarterly Scrabble magazine "Across the Board" and she was extremely good at it, winning at least one prize each edition, most often first prize against some very tough opponents such as Ruth Fewings and Cecilia Wootton.
Isabel's final tournament was the World Championship Fundraiser in June 2011, where she won five of the eight games she played.
Isabel is survived by her husband Gerard and children Shane, Jodie-Ann, Jeremy and Justin and partners, and eleven grandchildren. This lovely tribute from her family was published in the Herald Sun on Monday 25th:
You have been an inspiration with your amazing strength and courage during your battle. Your love, kindness and fairness will never be forgotten.
Isabel's funeral was held today, March 28th, at the Springvale Crematorium. Rest in peace, Isabel.
The Langwarrin Tournament ~ March 17 2013
Once again Langwarrin Club Convenor Geoff Gittus and his loyal Club members did a wonderful job of organising a tournament for us, and also feeding us very well with yummy cakes etc - thank you to all, your contributions and efforts were greatly appreciated. All fifty-eight contestants enjoyed the six game event, and Tournament Director Carol Johnsen, who is a regular attendee at the Langwarrin Club, did her usual expert job with the tournament software, and we thank you for your part in the success of the day, Carol. Recreation: Judith Westwood, Geoff Shepheard, Eileen Mills and Heather Iapozzuto |  Inter: Khwanjai Thammaping, Dieter Jedamski Diane Stoyan, Oliver Podesser, Glen Chandler |  Advanced: Wayne Stoyan (recording his first win) Lainie Mercieca and Katie Rowe |  Masters: Khwanjai, standing in for David Eldar, Marj Miller, Peter Kougi and Natasha Podesser |
Recreation saw victory to Heather Iapozzuto, who continues to improve her game and won five on the day. Second place went to Geoff Shepheard who has still only played 21 tournament games and also won five, and third place went to Eileen Mills, the best of four players who finished on four wins. Heather scored 447 to win the High Game award, and Judith Westwood played ATTIRING for 122 points to take home the High Word award.
Intermediate was won by Dieter Jedamski who was in fine form, winning five games and finishing ahead of Khwanjai Thammaping on margin. Third place went to Diane Stoyan on four wins, and the High Game award went to Oliver Podesser for a score of 497, almost reaching the magical mark of 500. Glen Chandler found the excellent nine-timer DUMPLING which scored 149 points, and gained her the High Word award for the section.
Advanced saw Wayne Stoyan win five games and place first for the first time, after playing well over 700 games - well done Wayne, a great achievement! Second place went to Lainie Mercieca, also on five wins, with Katie Rowe in third place on four wins. Katie also took home the High Game award for a score of 486, and Lainie played QUANTITY for 114 points to win the High Word award.
Masters saw more great play from Peter Kougi who won all six games and finished two games clear of David Eldar in second place, with Natasha Podesser third, also on four wins. David scored 573 points to win the High Game award, and Marj Miller won the High Word award for a score of 151 for NACRITES.
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Fun for the day came from Rob York who was participating in "The World's Greatest Shave" to raise funds to support leukaemia sufferers, and Rob chose to have his copious locks/beard/mo shaved at lunchtime - Norma Fisher did a wonderfully dexterous job with the clippers, commenting that she had honed her skills clipping her dogs at home......many people donated generously to the cause, and at last count Rob had raised almost $3000 from various sources, a great effort, Rob! Above is a series of pics of the extensive defoliation......
Several players achieved excellent ratings gains on the day: Lainie Mercieca +44, Wayne Stoyan +41, Dieter Jedamski +40, and Angie Pearse +39. Also of note was the rise in Geoff Shepheard's provisional rating, which rose from (909) to (1010) - it will be interesting to note Geoff's rating at the end of the provisional period of 50 games.
 Langwarrin Club regulars ~ Chris Radin, Brigid Murphy, Janet Stuckenschmidt and Krina Clark |  Marie D'Rosario and Marjorie Page, with Carole, Glen, Dianne and John in the background |  Tournament Director & club player Carol Johnsen, with Club Convenor Geoff Gittus |  David Eldar and Natasha Podesser, about to start Game 5 on Table 2. |
The 2013 Melbourne Team Challenge ~ March 3
2013 victors, Melbourne Victory (1): Captain Andrew Fisher,
Latha Weerakkody, Dianne Gibson, Mary McMahon, Marlene Ellis
Darren Khoo Beng Way played
the High Word for the Day:
RINSABLE ~ value 140 points
We welcomed Darren Khoo Beng Way from Malaysia - Darren competed in Wollongong in New South Wales in the inaugural World Youth Championship in 2006, and placed second in the same event in 2008 in Malaysia. Darren is in Melbourne for a year or so to study at Victoria University - best of luck with this, Darren, and we hope to see you at many events in the next 12 months.
Barry Harridge had written a clever and very fair new program which sorted the fifty competitors into ten teams of five players, with each team member pitted against the nine other players closest to them on the ratings list. This year we lacked a little of the team camaraderie of past years, and we hope to find a way to reintroduce more of this next year. It will still be serious scrabble, of course, but more fun as well!
I can recommend this format as a different style of tournament - it can move along quite quickly as the matchups for the day are known as soon as the draw is done, and as usual some games finished well before the 44 minutes allotted for each game. "Quick Nick" Ivanovski and rapidly growing Anand Bharadwaj had time to spare after their meeting, which they completed in 17 minutes...... while others pushed the clock to the limit! And in some games, past the limit.......
We wished Barry Harridge Happy Birthday for the following day, and thanked our reserve player Rob York for attending at the outset - your contribution is appreciated, Rob, as an exact number of competitors is required to ensure the success of the tournament, and it was reassuring to have you on hand if needed.
 The Bratpack (2): Lina Camilleri, Barry Harridge, Betty Egan, John Rider, Captain Naween Fernando |  The Very Lucky Players (3): Captain Peter Kougi, Lorraine Thomas, Gianna Devcic, Carole Eden, Sandra Masel |  The Ruby Reds (4): Gayle Cameron, Lois Binnie, Captain Michael Rubinstein, Julie Belle, Paula Messer |
 Eclipse (5): Audree Clifton, Captain Darren Khoo Beng Way, Gwen Lampre, Geoff Shepheard, Dorothy Barraclough |  The Aficionados (6): Marisa Nuccitelli, Carol Johnsen, Jenny Brysha, Glen Chandler, Captain Anand Bharadwaj |  Jacks High (7): Sue Bridges, Elizabeth McKean, Natasha Podesser, Captain David Eldar, Ann Goodwin |
 The Overdogs (8): Anne Menheere, Angie Pearse, Judith Westwood, Captain Trevor Halsall, Khwanjai Thammaping |  Emanon (9): Norma Fisher, Katie Rowe, Captain Geoff Wright, Mal Eden, Balada Catanchin |  The Knickerbockers (10): Oliver Podesser, Mary Mackie, Bridget Halge, Mythili Rudra, Captain Nick Ivanovski |
The final team placings are shown beneath the individual team pics, and to see the detailed results of the individual players click HERE
The Camberwell Tournament ~ February 10 2013
Thanks to Barry Harridge and all the Camberwell members for running such an enjoyable tournament for us! Below is a report from Barry, and thank you for some of the pics. Like a Scrabble party. That's how one player described this tournament. It was a fun day indeed. Tournament Director, Barry Harridge had promised good karma to those who brought rotating boards and we had enough for all tables. Patricia Mitchell, arrayed as the tile fairy, bestowed blessings on those who had brought boards, but reportedly her aim was a bit out. The tournament results from the Camberwell tournament of 1992 were on display and these were of great interest.We were also pleased to have Sue Bridges playing. She had not played for many years, and her recent relocation to Pakenham bodes well for her return to Scrabble. Meg Henderson, who has organised the Camberwell Scrabble Club for more than 30 years, spoke briefly to say that she was handing over the running of the club to Patricia Mitchell. Meg has done a wonderful job for the Camberwell Scrabble Club and has been an enthusiastic Scrabble player for a long time, and we wish her well in returning to tournament play soon, and in her ongoing research projects.
 Checking a word - Elise Dettmann and Anne Menheere |  A serious game - Anna Palmer plays Heather Iapozzuto |  Kevin Burfitt, reliving the old days, with son Hunter |
 Masters: Trevor Halsall, Dianne Davis and Peter Kougi |  Advanced: Paula Messer, Elaine Capewell and Patricia Mitchell |  Intermediate: Dorothy Rice, Glen Chandler and Dieter Jedamski |
Patricia Mitchell had not only been busy helping with taking entry money, tallying cash and playing tile fairy, but had also had to cope with being shunted back and forth between sections to get started. So it was ample justice, and obviously good play, which earned her first place in Advanced, just ahead of Elaine Capewell and then Mary McMahon. Mary had also claimed the high game score prize (499) and Paula Messer, who had also helped throughout the day, got the high word score, 132 for SQUIRED.
Intermediate had Glen Chandler in first place, followed by Dieter Jedamski and then Ann Hagley. Dieter had the high game score of 516, and Dorothy Rice got 132 for AERATING as the high word prize.
 Recreation: Betty Egan, Glenys Dettmann and Heather Iapozzuto |  New player Geoff Shepheard, with Jean de Neef and June Valentine |  Ann Hagley and Marlene Ellis, just finished their game in Round 4 |
Our new player for the day was Geoff Shepheard, who came along for a game after finding the details of the tournament on the internet. Geoff acquitted himself well, and we hope to see him again soon. It was indeed a fun day, and thank you to all the players who played in good spirit, and helped with packing up at the end of the day.
Full results can be found by clicking HERE
The Ballarat Summer Tournament ~ February 2 2013
Tess Robinson stands amidst her team of helpers, with Ruth Fewings
across the desk
The playing area at the Brown Hill Hall, with Dianne Gibson &
Lorraine Thomas enjoying the prestige of Table One
The convenor of the Ballarat Scrabble Club Tess Robinson had done a fantastic job (as always) of organising the event, this time without the wonderful assistance of Jenny McLeod, her hardworking regular helper. Jenny is experiencing a bout of ill health at the moment and paid a brief visit to the tournament during the day, and we all wish her well. Tess was ably assisted by her many family members, and we thank them all for their efforts. Barry Harridge helped with the task of setting up the tournament on the laptop, and the event moved along smoothly, with Tess's daughter's friend doing an excellent job of entering the results etc - thank you to everyone who assisted in any way, including those who transported equipment to Ballarat - thanks, Barry and Ann Goodwin. Players were treated to lovely food throughout the day, including lunch, and with the clement weather and surroundings I have been told it was a pleasant experience for all.
 Division A: Heather Long, Peter Bauer, Julie Belle, Harry Malcolm and Barry Harridge |  Division B: Carol Hoffmann, Mohammed Hegazi and Elise Dettmann |  Div C: Judith Westwood, Ruth Fewings & Debbie Hoffmann, with Kat (Tess's grandchild) holding Donna McKay's trophy. |
In B Division Mohammed Hegazi won five of the six games played to take out first place, followed by Elise Dettmann who was playing in only her second tournament, and also recorded five wins. Third place went to local Carol Hoffmann with four wins, and an excellent margin. Carol also claimed the High Game and High Word trophies, with a game score of 509 and a play of LEAKIEST for 101 points, and as you can see above Carol went home with a wonderful armful of trophies!
Division C saw a well deserved victory to Ruth Fewings from Bendigo. Ruth recorded five wins and finished ahead on margin from Judith Westwood, who also won five. Third place went to local player Donna McKay on four wins, and Debbie Hoffmann, also a local player, scored 80 for BUSTIERS to collect the High Word trophy.The High Game award went to Ruth Fewings for a score of 444, a lovely day for Ruth indeed.
 John van der Schoor from Melbourne, and Anne Menheere from Geelong, visiting the refreshment area |  Rebeccah Booth, recently relocated from Western Australia, records her winning score on the wall chart |  At the "Top Table" - Heather Long plays Lainie Mercieca, with Peter Bauer playing Dianne Gibson in the background. |
Special thanks to Barry Harridge and Lainie Mercieca for supplying the pics, it is appreciated. Well done to everyone, and again thanks to all for making the Ballarat event an enjoyable day out.
To check out the full results of this event click HERE
Vale John Lynch
Thank you to Patricia Mitchell for the following tribute to John, a friend and dedicated Scrabble player.The Scrabble community was saddened to learn of the recent passing of John Lynch who for many years had been a keen member of the Camberwell Scrabble Club. A fastidious and shy man, he had a wide interest in words and their derivations and was never seen without his reference books under his arm. John's other abiding interest was music and for many years he sang bass with the Hawthorn U3A choir, taking part in several public performances annually.
In later years, afflicted by Alzheimer's Disease, he dropped out of Scrabble but good friends drove him to choir where he still sang with enthusiasm. John was 70 years old when he passed away, rather too early for a keen Scrabbler as many of us will attest. Rest in peace, John.
The City of Sydney International Masters - January 26/27/28 2013
Wilma Vialle, Tournament Director
Alastair Richards versus Peter Kougi on Day One
It was a keenly fought contest, and going into the last game Peter Kougi was a game ahead of Alastair Richards (Qld). For Alastair to win he needed to win by at least 150, and hope that Peter would lose his last game. This is exactly how events unfolded - congratulations, Alastair, a great win indeed against some very tough opposition.
The following also collected prize money for placing in the top six - Peter Kougi (Vic) second, Andrew Fisher (Vic) third, Esther Perrins (NSW) fourth, David Eldar (Vic) fifth, and Russell Honeybun (WA) sixth. Our other Victorians finished as follows - Michael Rubinstein 16th, Mythili Rudra 17th, Matte Dunn 26th, and Natasha Podesser 31st - a good effort from all in a field of 54 players.
The Highest Local Ratings Gain went to Liz Jackman who gained 114 points, well done, Liz. The High Game for the tournament was played by Karen Richards, a score of 636, and George Khamis collected the High Word Award for playing SHAKIEST for 185 points.
Thanks to Scrabble NSW for the above photos - the ones below are file pics taken at previous events. Congratulations to all who achieved success in the event, well done. I expect this tournament will grow in stature and attract more players in future years, both local and overseas.
To see the full results click HERE
 Alastair Richards |  Peter Kougi |  Andrew Fisher |  Esther Perrins |  David Eldar |  Russell Honeybun |
The 2013 iGate Tournament in Bangalore, India
Carol Johnsen
The playing area at the iGate Tournament
The Trophy
Forty-three players competed in Division B in this 35-game event, and here are some snippets from Carol's posts on Facebook -
I had a wonderful tourney, finishing second in the B Division! At the commencement of day four I was 2nd placed and 6 games behind the leader Ramaprasad Nuggehaili, a local Bangalore player. For the 7 games on that day it was King of the Hill, so Ramaprasad and I played 6 successive games because I won the first 5 games and we drew the 6th game. That ensured that Ramaprasad had won the tournament because his margin was so high. The final game was between Sam Joseph and myself to vie for 2nd place.
The 5 point challenge certainly puts a different aspect/challenge to the game - especially in the B division with quite a few phoneys getting thru and which, in my opinion, affected the outcome of many games. I had an interesting game where my opponent played BALONIEs, which I knew to be a phoney.......but, it meant I still had won the game with OOART on my rack. If I had challenged her off, there was no way I could block the spot where I knew she could play BOwLINE which she had time to search for and which gave her a triple word score which would have won the game for her. By the way, they also gave an amount of money prize per bingo above a certain total. Overseas, the trend is more about the prize money than we tend to do in Australia.
Congratulations, Carol, a great effort!
The Bil Rose Aestival ~ January 20 2013
The late Bil Rose,
as we knew him
Wayne Stoyan,
speaking about Bil
We welcomed new player Angela Osborne to her first tournament, and she enjoyed her day and is planning to join us again. Well done, Angela, we hope you continue to enjoy the experience! It was good to see Alan Stewart and Frank Csarics, both back after a break from competitive play and hopefully enjoying the day. Also playing and in good form was David Eldar who flew in from the UK on Friday evening, and although looking rather tired played extremely well - its good to have you back, David, and good luck with your tournaments here in Oz over the next couple of months.
Wayne Stoyan had kindly offered to speak about his friend the late Bil Rose, and Wayne spoke of Bil's achievements in the Scrabble world - he loved words and poetry and began competing in tournaments at the age of 90, treating us each year at the Aestival tournament to a poem he had written. He gained recognition in the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest person competing in tournaments, and passed away in 2003, aged 98. Thanks for your welcome contribution, Wayne.
 ALMAGRO: Peter Kougi with David Eldar, tired but happy |  BAGHDATIS: Norma Fisher, Angie Pearse and winner Dianne Davis |  CILIC: Audree Clifton, still great at 90 years young, with Kris Howat & Bridget Halge |
 DJOKOVIC: Paula Messer, Patricia Mitchell. Missing from the pic - Marie D'Rosario |  EBDEN: Diane Stoyan (winner and High Word) and Dorothy Rice, High Game |  FEDERER: experienced players Fintan Conway and Stephanie Saunders |
Some great game scores were recorded on the day - Peter Kougi scored 627 points, the highest for the day across all sections. Other High Games recorded came from Norma Fisher 542, Kris Howat 507, Mary McMahon 505, Dorothy Rice 501, Fintan Conway 477 and Elizabeth McKean 457.
The High Word plays for the day were as follows: Judith Westwood BODEGAS 93; Glenys Dettmann HAILERS 95; Angie Pearse EXPLODE 98; Diane Stoyan SHORING 110; Audree Clifton DOZINGS 152; Peter Kougi OPERATIC 167; and the best for the day came from Paula Messer, who scored 185 for QUIETEST - nice one, Paula!
Two players achieved really notable ratings gains - Rena Aitken gained 56, and Bridget Halge went up 51 points. Well done, everyone, and thank you for the spirit in which the tournament was played.
To check out the full results of this event click HERE
 GAJDOSOVA: Judith Westwood, Rena Aitken, Elizabeth McKean and Latha Weerakkody |  Bridget Halge with friend and first-time player Angela Osborne - both really love the game. |  Some of the Almagro players - Naween Fernando, Trevor Halsall, Nick Ivanovski, David Eldar and Peter Kougi |
 From Greensborough and Watsonia Clubs - Judith Westwood, Balada Catanchin, Ann Goodwin, Marisa Nuccitelli and Dianne Gibson |  Relaxing with friends at lunch time - Gillian Renwick, Rod Casey, Carmel Doney, Mal Eden and John Parker |  Two former World Youth Scrabble Champions do battle - Anand Bharadwaj, the 2011 Champion, versus David Eldar, the inaugural Champion in 2006 |
Vale Evelyn Hill - January 9 2013
Evelyn was a regular tournament attendee until the late 1990's, and for quite some time was the convenor of the Greensborough Club. This is from the notice in the newspaper "She passed away peacefully and with dignity at Saint Vincent Hospital on the 9.1.2013. Loving mother of Stephen and Michael and aunt to Colin, Denise and Robert." Rest in peace, Evelyn.The Mornington New Year Tournament ~ January 13 2013
This new tournament on the Victorian calendar was the brainchild of Ray Alford, convenor of the Mornington Scrabble Club which meets on Thursdays from 1-5pm during school terms at the Bentons Square Community Centre, 145 Bentons Road, Mornington.Ray was ably assisted by his wife Lorraine who kept us all well nourished and watered throughout the day - thanks, Lorraine! President Carol Johnsen provided invaluable assistance with many things including computer duties, and together with a few other willing helpers everything ran smoothly - thank you to all, it was a very pleasant day out, with 70 players taking part in this 7 game event.
Ray welcomed a new player to the tournament scene, namely Elise Dettmann, daughter of member Glenys - we hope you enjoyed the experience, Elise!
Ray also welcomed two Queensland players, Elize Plaganyi and Quentin Abbott (who may be in the throes of becoming a Victorian), and an overseas visitor from the US, Betty Toole, a friend of Norma Fisher.
 Recreation players: Rena Aitken, Betty Toole, Elize Plaganyi & Marisa Nuccitelli |  Intermediate: Marie D'Rosario, Dorothy Barraclough & Janet Bau |  Advanced: all happy - Elaine Capewell, Katie Rowe & Paula Messer |
In Intermediate Marie D'Rosario had a great day, recording a margin of +680, the best for the day across all sections. Both Marie and Dorothy Barraclough finished on 6 wins, with Janet Bau in third place on five wins.
Advanced saw Katie Rowe in fine form, taking a break from her studies and winning six games ahead of four players on five wins - Elaine Capewell second, Paula Messer third, Kris Howat fourth, and Cheryle Jerram fifth.
 The Masters - Geoff Wright & Trevor Halsall |  Game 4 at Table 1 - Lorraine Thomas versus Peter Kougi |  Delighted prizewinners, Patricia Mitchell & Marisa Nuccitelli |
Ray came up with a prize structure which was a little different to the norm, with no player permitted to win two prizes - if you placed in your section you became ineligible for the special awards, so some of the information listed about the recipients of the High Game and High Word prizes may not be quite accurate, but well done to all!
Some excellent High Game scores were recorded - Elaine Capewell 581, Marie D'Rosario 578, Geoff Wright 549, and Elize Plaganyi 539.
Some good scores were recorded for the following words - SEXTAIN 110 - Geoff Wright, SKATING 103 - Gillian Renwick, & TEXTILES 95 - Patricia Mitchell.
Lastly, good ratings gains were recorded by Rena Aitken +50, Balada Catanchin +47, Paula Messer +45, Dorothy Barraclough +44, Katie Rowe +42, Marie D'Rosario +39, Marj Miller +37, Val Hardiman +37, Carmel Doney +34 & Anne Bingham +30.
Well played, all, and thanks again to Ray and Lorraine for all your hard work, it was appreciated. To check out the full results of this event click HERE Go to the top