Here we go again.
C1: Champion Simon Whiteley (4 wins, 365 points.) is a professional singer living in Windsor Castle. He's half way towards octochampdom, can he get closer to next month's finals today?
C2: Challenger Philip Creed is from Lancaster and hoping to do a teaching degree soon. He once tore his trousers when meeting a new customer while getting out of the car, just a week into his job!
He's also a former bingo caller.DC: Susie Dent and Sir Ranulph Fiennes.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: U O E M D B K S A
R02: T Z B I E M S A N
R03: 25, 75, 50, 6, 6, 10. Target: 434.
TTT: THEYDEAL - "They deal with their differences in a noisy way."
R04: W G S I E O Q T P
R05: I E A D N G P T H
R06: 100, 4, 9, 9, 3, 5. Target: 573.
R07: E U A S D M L C O
R08: J T C I A U N L E
R09: 50, 75, 25, 5, 10, 4. Target: 114.
TTT: NILTREES - "He pays close attention to the magazine, perhaps?"
R10: G R H U O S R A F
R11: E I A E P T R S H
R12: N R M I A O L R E
R13: A O I N T Y R L E
R14: 3, 7, 10, 6, 2, 9. Target: 523.
R15: R O O T B I N G E (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: U O E M D B K S A
C1: ABUSED (6)
C2: MASKED (6)
DC: BUSKED (6) DUMBOS (6)
OT: ABODES (6) ADOBES (6) AMUSED (6) BASKED (6) BOAKED (6) DAUBES (6) DEMOBS (6) DUMKAS (6) MEDUSA (6) MOUSED (6) ODEUMS (6) SMOKED (6) SOAKED (6)
Score: 6–6 (max 6)
We start today with a classic pancake round.
Round 2: T Z B I E M S A N
C1: STAMEN (6)
C2: ZANIEST (7)
Ran special: "MAZ-I-EST" (7)
OT: AMBIENT (7) BASINET (7) BATSMEN (7) BEZANTS (7) INMATES (7) MAINEST (7) MESTIZA (7)
Score: 6–13 (max 13)
Quite a few sevens this time but Simon can't see one and Philip's ZANIEST hands him the advantage. Ran also continues his interesting method for pronouncing words.
Round 3: 25, 75, 50, 6, 6, 10. Target: 434.
C1: 434. 75 x 6 - 10 - 6 (10)
C2: 434. (50 - 6) x 10 - 6 (10)
Score: 16–23 (max 23)
Simon sticks with his T selection but this time it fails to make things interesting.
Teatime teaser: THEYDEAL -> HEATEDLY
Round 4: W G S I E O Q T P
C1: POSTIE (6)
C2: POSTIE (6)
Ran special: "SPIG-OT" (6)
OT: EGOIST (6) STOGIE (6)
Score: 22–29 (max 29)
Just sixes and both contestants choose the same one.
Round 5: I E A D N G P T H
C1: HEADING (7)
C2: HEATING (7)
DC: PAINTED (7)
OT: HEAPING (7) PATHING (7) PINHEAD (7) PITHEAD (7)
Score: 29–36 (max 36)
Another uninteresting selection with some routine sevens but Ran does at least shock everyone by pronouncing PAINTED normally.
Round 6: 100, 4, 9, 9, 3, 5. Target: 573.
C1: 572 X
C2: 571 X
RR: 573. (9 + 9 - 4 + 100) x 5 + 3 (10)
Score: 29–36 (max 46)
Definitely tougher than it first appears as our players offer one and two away respectively, only to both realise that they are a bit off, so nothing doing here.
It's that time of the day when Ran says more than one word at a time. He recalls his brief acting career and "top-heavy" women.
Round 7: E U A S D M L C O
C1: MODULES (7)
C2: CALMED (6)
DC: SOLACED (7) MUSCADEL (8)
OT: LEUCOMAS (8)
Score: 36–36 (max 54)
Simon spots MODULES to draw level, while DC impress with a fine eight.
Round 8: J T C I A U N L E
C1: LANCET (6)
C2: JAUNT (5)
DC: LUNATIC (7) CUTLINE (7)
OT: TUNICAE (7) TUNICLE (7)
Score: 42–36 (max 61)
The champ has turned things around in the last couple of rounds as he now leads for the first time.
Round 9: 50, 75, 25, 5, 10, 4. Target: 114.
C1: 114. 75 + 25 + 10 + 4 (10)
C2: 114. 75 + 25 + 10 + 4 (10)
Score: 52–46 (max 71)
Teatime teaser: NILTREES -> LISTENER
Round 10: G R H U O S R A F
C1: ROUGHS (6)
C2: ROUGHS (6)
Ran: SHAG (4)
DC: RUGOSA (6)
OT: GOURAS (6) SHOFAR (6)
Score: 58–52 (max 77)
Not much in this rounds so Simon and Philip do well to spot ROUGHS. It may only be a four but our DC guest's interesting word steals the show.
Round 11: E I A E P T R S H
C1: HEARTIES (8)
C2: PASTIER (7)
DC: SHERPA X PREHEATS (8)
OT: THERAPIES (18) THERAPISE (18)
Score: 66–52 (max 95)
Simon gambles on HEARTIES and it pays off big time, leaving him fourteen ahead of Philip with just four rounds to play. Could this be a match winner? There were two related nines missed by everyone, though.
OoW: Susie reveals the origins of some character names from Tolkien's classic "The Hobbit".
Round 12: N R M I A O L R E
C1: MORAINE (7)
C2: MANLIER (7)
DC: MINERAL (7) ALMONER (7) MARLINE (7)
OT: AILERON (7) ARMOIRE (7) LOAMIER (7) LORIMER (7) LORINER (7) MARINER (7) RAILMEN (7) ROMAINE (7)
Score: 73–59 (max 102)
Flat round, not for the first time today.
Round 13: A O I N T Y R L E
C1: RELATION (8)
C2: RELATION (8)
DC: ORIENTAL (8) INTERLAY (8)
OT: ORNATELY (8)
Score: 81–67 (max 110)
RELATION's arguable one of the easiest eights to spot for most contestants and with the good standard we've seen today, it's no surprise to see them both find it. The game's not quite over yet but Philip needs to win the last two rounds. What will he pick for his choice of numbers?
Round 14: 3, 7, 10, 6, 2, 9. Target: 523.
C1: 523. Mistake in working.
C2: 523. 9 x 6 x 10 - 7 x 2 - 3 (10)
Score: 81–77 (max 120)
How many contestants pick one large in this situation and then see an easy one turn up? Not Philip as he bravely plumps for the six small option and is spot on. It looks like Simon has equalled him and won the game but he admits to making a mistake! Out of the blue, the stage is set for a crucial conundrm.
Round 15: R O O T B I N G E
C2 buzzes on 1.5 seconds to say REBOOTING which is correct.
Final Score: 81–87 (max 130)
Philip makes the most of his good fortune with a quick conundrum solve and he has pulled off an unlikely comeback! Today saw a really good close game between two decent players. Simon's now out of the running for the finals but Philip will begin his defence tomorrow. If he's still around next week, I'll be recapping his sixth game but since no one looks like they want to make the finals since Bradley Cates finished three weeks ago, who knows who will be occupying the champion's chair next week? Whoever it is, see you then, you be sure of it!
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=69