Youngest contestant

8 years old! Taking part in the pre match qualifier

Table 1

Where Nigel Richards spends most of his time. This board cost nearly R500k (see http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/20121120/expensive-scrabble-board/) 

Last chance qualifier

Tough competition in progress. Top 4 places will make it into the SCT. Currently 6 people on 3/3 with Tony Sim leading the pack

Test

I'm hoping to publish each game as it happens. This is a test of a game against Trev last week in which I played my best word ever - TELEMETRIC through EME.

Pre-match activities

It's getting exciting now as Scrabblers start arriving at the hotel. Most of the British team is here, many Australians and this morning I met some of the Americans at breakfast. Glad to see John Chew arrived safely because he is the uber-tournament organizer without whom the SCT would not be nearly as awesome. Enjoyed a game with Andrew Fisher - he played PRALINE, HAZELNUT, GODWITS, AGNOMINA and ESCRIBE so it was a walkover but still good to get my "feet wet".

Went to the Old Prague Square and took in the sights of their massive Christmas market. It was quite amazing. Will try to see the Castle today and maybe get in a game or two.

Greetings from Prague

Hi guys

I'm here in Prague and, despite a broken hand, ready to do battle with the world's best. I will post my games here and some of the pre-tournament activities.

Cheers
Dylan

Quiz - Top 20 Toughies (15,000)

1) EMORSUV (a woman)
2) AHIKORS (Japanese term meaning death caused by overwork)
3) KINOOST (green seaweed)
4) EIIILRV (projection of figures from a flat background)
5) DENOOSS (a homeopathic remedy)
6) AKIOPST (a New Zealand spider)
7) AADGHOR (an Indian manager)
8) EEHILPS (a freckle)
9) AEEHSST (behest)
10) AAMNOOS (a New Zealand shrub)
11) EEEGNPR (a centrepiece for a table)
12) ACKIORS (of sandstone, not AIR SOCK as I thought)
13) AAGMORS (a tree yielding nim-oil)
14) AACEPRU (a combination of martial art and dance)
15) AAEHNPS (a large vein in the leg)
16) ADEHIKS (a loose shirt)
17) AAGOPRU (the groper in Chinese cookery)
18) AAILNSS (a pond)
19) ACINOQU (a small clam)
20) AAGIOSS (an Intalian cheese)

Quiz - Top 20 Toughies (16,000)

Elise is a new Scrabble programme that has impressed even the inventors of Quackle and received many compliments from the wider Scrabble playing community. I'm busy downloading the 160MB application and will let you know how it plays.

Meantime, I've fallen behind in my studies but nevertheless, I'm forging ahead bravely. If you're in for a challenge, check out these words from the probability group 15,000 to 16,000. I missed them all. And then I missed them again. And again. If you get even 1 correct I will be impressed.

1) AAHIKOR
2) AAGKORT
3) AHINTUU
4) ACDIMOO
5) CDEKNOR
6) AAEIMMT
7) AACLNST
8) AEEKMNS
9) ALLOSTU
10) AAEGPRR
11) AAEGMTT
12) CEGIRRS
13) ACISTTU
14) EEHLLOT
15) EEEMSTU
16) ACOOPRT
17) ACCINOT
18) ACIILSU
19) DEEGRSW
20) ACFINOV