COGST SF - David O'Donnell vs. Julian Fell

[Julian Fell]

Countdown recap for Monday 13 October 2008.

C1: Challenger David O'Donnell.
C2: Challenger Julian Fell.
DC: Rich Priest
CV: Carol Vorderman (actually Grand Theft Jono and Dan Van).
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: A O I V S D B A X
R02: D T D E O O A G E
R03: I A O R R S N I Z
R04: D A O F M J E L U
R05: 25, 75, 100, 50, 2, 1. Target: 518.
TTT:
R06: R W T E I E O H I
R07: A E I F S H N R P
R08: U U S L T N A B T
R09: A O E S P G M I R
R10: 50, 10, 1, 3, 7, 5. Target: 725.
TTT:
R11: O E I N T L T A R
R12: C G N E A E O S P
R13: I E A S C N N E Q
R14: 100, 1, 3, 5, 1, 6. Target: 477.
R15: U R I C H L A D Y (conundrum)


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This game was played on Monday night and I've been meaning to recap it for ages - sorry for the delay. This was the second semi-final, to decide who would face up against Paul Howe in the Final.

Round 1: A O I V S D B A X

C1: AVOIDS (6)
C2: AVOIDS (6)
OT: BOVIDS (6)
Score: 6–6 (max 6)

Round 2: D T D E O O A G E

C1: DOTAGE (6)
C2: GOATEED (7)
Score: 6–13 (max 13)

Round 3: I A O R R S N I Z

C1: RAISIN (6)
C2: RAZORS (6)
OT: NORIAS (6)
Score: 12–19 (max 19)

Round 4: D A O F M J E L U

C1: FOAMED (6)
C2: MODULE (6)
OT: FEUDAL (6) FLAMED (6) FOALED (6) LOAFED (6) FOULED (6) MAULED (6)
Score: 18–25 (max 25)

Round 5: 25, 75, 100, 50, 2, 1. Target: 518.

C1: 515. (100 + 2 + 1) x ((50 + 75) / 25) (7)
C2: 515. (100 + 2 + 1) x ((50 + 75) / 25) (7)
CV: 519. (100 + 75 - 2) x ((50 / 25) + 1) (7)
Score: 25–32 (max 32)

Jono and Dan Van got the 519 - but it's the only method which gets you closer than 3 away (allowing that you can swap round how you make the 3 to multiply by), and WTP rates it as an 87% difficulty solution, so I think 515 is a pretty decent stab. David was still disappointed though

Round 6: R W T E I E O H I

C1: WRITHE (6)
C2: WHERETO (7)
Score: 25–39 (max 39)

(CountMax and CountGen list WHITIER^ from this selection; it seemed bizarre to me at the time, and I've since looked it up and it's definitely not in the ODE2r. WHERETO is the darren here.)

Round 7: A E I F S H N R P

C1: HERNIAS (7)
C2: PANFISH (7)
OT: HARPIES (7) SEPHIRA (7) SHARPIE (7) HEPARIN (7) NEARISH (7) PERFINS (7) SHARPEN (7)
Score: 32–46 (max 46)

(We reckon the mass-noun plural HEPARINS^ wouldn't be allowed - apparently there was a discussion about it on the forum)

Round 8: U U S L T N A B T

C1: SULTAN (6)
C2: SULTAN (6)
OT: BALUNS (6) BLUNTS (6) BUNTAL (6) BUTUTS (6) TAUNTS (6) TUTSAN (6)
Score: 38–52 (max 52)

Round 9: A O E S P G M I R

C1: EPIGRAMS (8)
C2: EPIGRAMS (8)
OT: GRAMPIES (8)
Score: 46–60 (max 60)

Round 10: 50, 10, 1, 3, 7, 5. Target: 725.

C1: 725. (50 / (7 - 5)) x ((10 x 3) - 1) (10)
C2: 725. ((50 - 1) x (10 + 5)) - 7 - 3 (10)
Score: 56–70 (max 70)

Round 11: O E I N T L T A R

C1: natrolite
C2: TENTORIA (8)
OT: ORIENTAL (8) RELATION (8) TOLERANT (8) TONALITE (8)
Score: 56–78 (max 78)

Round 12: C G N E A E O S P

C1: PEONAGES (8)
C2: ENCAGES (7)
Score: 64–78 (max 86)

(Brilliant from David! This round brought to an end my run of 35 consecutive maxes on the letters in COGST)

Round 13: I E A S C N N E Q

C1: CANINES (7)
C2: CANINES (7)
OT: NANCIES (7) INCENSE (7)
Score: 71–85 (max 93)

Round 14: 100, 1, 3, 5, 1, 6. Target: 477.

C1: 477. ((100 - 6 + 1) x 5) + 3 - 1 (10)
C2: 477. ((100 - 6 + 1 + 1) x 5) - 3 (10)
Score: 81–95 (max 103)

Round 15: U R I C H L A D Y

C2 buzzes on 2 seconds to say HYDRAULIC which is correct.
Score: 81–105 (max 113)


The letters weren't very friendly, but a decent game nonetheless. I think David was regretting throwing caution to the wind a bit too early with 'natrolite' (which I think he knew was bad almost as soon as he'd offered it), because PEONAGES was a great spot which should've earned him a crucial conundrum.

But I'm pleased to be back among the centuries, especially from a game with a max of just 113 I've still only had one, difficult, nine available in all my four COGST games so far (only had one available in the whole of COOT '08 as well)... must be karma after I had so many available to me on TV On the other side of the ledger, I have had the two numbers choices nearly every time, so can't complain too much

So the COGST final will pit no. 1 seed against no. 2 seed... should be interesting

Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=59

[David O'Donnell]

I don't think NATROLITE^ was such a crazy risk. It's listed in the Shorter Oxford and I knew I'd either spotted it there and checked its ODE worthiness or hadn't got round to checking it: either way I felt it was worth a punt. Had I not risked it Julian would have beat me on the conundrum anyway whereas a niner plus PEONAGES would have left me winning without a crucial conundrum - therefore I had to risk NATROLITE^

PS Well done, Julian. 35 maxes on the letters in a row is bloody impressive! Looking forward to the final against Paul, worth losing just to see that match up ... well, almost.

[Julian Fell]

Fair enough David, I thought NATROLITE^ sounded like a wild caution-to-the-wind guess, but you obviously had good reason to think that it would be in.

I would just say though, and it isn't just against you David - but if a person gets a non-crucial conundrum, that doesn't necessarily mean they would also have got it if it were crucial; a crucial and a non-crucial conundrum are rather different propositions! (though I know everybody disregards this when saying "I would've beaten you on the conundrum" etc. in the Spoilers threads...)

[David O'Donnell]

Fair enough David, I thought NATROLITE^ sounded like a wild caution-to-the-wind guess, but you obviously had good reason to think that it would be in.

I would just say though, and it isn't just against you David - but if a person gets a non-crucial conundrum, that doesn't necessarily mean they would also have got it if it were crucial; a crucial and a non-crucial conundrum are rather different propositions! (though I know everybody disregards this when saying "I would've beaten you on the conundrum" etc. in the Spoilers threads...)

Yeah, I agree, actually I was being a little facetious in my previous post. I should have gave myself a shot at a crucial conundrum if only to make the score seem more respectable. Looking forward to your final, if I don't get to see it please make sure it's recapped, cheers.