World Scrabble Championship Final

Canadian JOEL WAPNICK is the new World Scrabble Champion, beating Briton MARK NYMAN 3-1 in the final held in Melbourne on 7 November.

Wapnick won the best of five final by clinching a 403-402 win in game four. He had started the series by posting the second highest score of the tournament's 1,180 games, with a 624-307 victory. Nyman won game two 444-330 and Wapnick took the third game 462-339.

The result is a reversal of the 1993 World Final, which Nyman won 3-2 after being 0-2 down and 179 points behind in the fourth game.



Wapnick started the first game and found CHAPLET (a garland or wreath to be worn on the head) for 86 on his opening move. Three moves later, he moved into a 249-60 lead by posting FILTHIER across two double word scores for 106.

Although Nyman hit back with SEADROME for 74 next move, he was never in this game. Wapnick's next two plays were WARBLES for 85 (using both blanks) and SCRIEVE for 78 (a Scots verb meaning to glide swiftly - Wapnick preferring this play to the more obvious SERVICE) and Nyman's following move of INSOMNIA, found from a rack containing AIINNOS, could do nothing to close the gap.

Wapnick closed the game with high scoring plays including VATU for 33 (the currency of Vanuatu), BOX for 46 and PELF for 49 (a derogatory term for money).



Having lost game three, Nyman needed to win Game Four to keep his hopes of recapturing the title. Wapnick's opening play of ISOGRIV (lines marking equal areas of variation on a grid) looked ominous, although pressure led to him missing a move next go after a play of FUROUR was disallowed. Nyman took the lead with his play of LAICIZED for 90 (a verb meaning to open to the laity) and Wapnick hit back with STIFLERS for 84.

Two more bonus plays were to follow later in the game in consecutive moves: Nyman finding EMBOGUE (to discharge at the mouth of a stream), Wapnick playing TABORETS (a low stool), both words scoring 68.

Two further plays of JO for 42 (a sweetheart) and DEOXY (slang for deoxinate) for 50 by both players left the scores 383-382 in Wapnick's favour, with no tiles left in the bag.

Nyman's final rack consisted of INNOQTW, and with Wapnick holding GRT, Nyman had no choice but to make the highest scoring word possible that dispensed with the Q, QI (an individual's life force).

Wapnick calculated that with 8 points to be deducted from Nyman's score, and to be added to his own, a score of 12 would be enough to clinch the title. This he duly found with just 21 seconds left on his clock, finding GIRT (past participle of GIRD, to moor a ship by two anchors) to clinch the game by a single point.

The next World Championship is scheduled to be held in the USA in 2001.

New World Champion Joel Wapnick

Day 1; Day 2; Day 3;

- Paul Golder