Monday 4th January 2016 (CoC XIV, Game 1)

Andy McGurn · Post by **Andy McGurn** » Mon Jan 04, 2016 7:33 pm

Countdown recap for Monday 4 January 2016.

C1: Challenger Tom Cappleman.– Champion of series 72 and software engineer from Enfield who loves computer games and Lord of The Rings (also my first ever opponent at a CO event)

C2: Challenger Glen Webb - Octochamp and semi-finalist in series 69, also was number eight seed in series 23. He is a financial advisor from the West Midlands, he is a fan of 80s music.

DC: Susie Dent and Gloria Hunniford.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: W C T N U I O L T
R02: Y R S H E A E I U
R03: 4, 6, 9, 1, 7, 2. Target: 712.
TTT: ICECLEAR - "this eight will count as one of your five a day"
R04: D M Q R E A O A B
R05: S V N T I E I G D
R06: 5, 3, 1, 10, 6, 50. Target: 636.
R07: F N T S A E A I C
R08: G R S P E O E U N
R09: 2, 9, 4, 2, 1, 8. Target: 411.
TTT: LOSTBOYS - "the boys may not be lost but they're very crafty"
R10: D T S R A I O E V
R11: D G R N A E U E J
R12: T M P L O I O E U
R13: N X S R A E I H L
R14: 7, 8, 4, 7, 6, 100. Target: 899.
R15: B E L L C H O O K (conundrum)

And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: W C T N U I O L T

Tom: OUTWIT (6)
Glen: UNCOIL (6)
OT: LINOCUT (7)
Score: 6–6 (max 7)

Solid opening for both contestants, an obscure 7 was there, which presumably refers to the cutting of Lino

Round 2: Y R S H E A E I U

Tom: HERESY (6)
Glen: shearie
DC: EASIER (6)
OT: EYRIES (6) HEARSE (6) HEIAUS (6) RESEAU (6) SHAURI (6) SURAHI (6) UREASE (6)
Score: 12–6 (max 13)

Glen is asked to declare first and takes a risk, its evident that he is feeling the pressure early and feels he needs to take risks to have a chance. Tom seems sure that six is the max and he is right to think that.

Round 3: 4, 6, 9, 1, 7, 2. Target: 712.

Tom: 711. (((6+4+1)*7)+2)*9 (7)
Glen: 718.
OT: 711 (7)
Score: 19–6 (max 20)

Tom shows that he still has the numbers skills which helped him win series 72 and he takes his lead to double figures with a perfect one away.

Round 4: D M Q R E A O A B

Tom: ABROAD (6)
Glen: AMOEBA (6)
DC: RADOME (6)
OT: ABOARD (6) ABRADE (6) ROAMED (6)
Score: 25–12 (max 26)

Standard six maxer round sees both contestants get a max word.

Round 5: S V N T I E I G D

Tom: DIVESTING (18)
Glen: DIVESTING (18)
Score: 43–30 (max 44)

First nine of 2016 on the show and unsurprisingly both contestants spot it.

Round 6: 5, 3, 1, 10, 6, 50. Target: 636.

Tom: 636. (50+3)*((6*10)/5) (10)
Glen: 636. ((50-1)*(10+3))-(6-5) (10)
Score: 53–40 (max 54)

Glen stays with one large as it’s unlikely he could beat Tom on any of the five numbers selections. He’ll have to beat Tom on at least one letters round with the score being as it is (which seems like a tall order even this early on)

DC Guest : Gloria tells us about some mistakes she has made on TV including a recent occasion when she did so on loose women

Round 7: F N T S A E A I C

Tom: FASCINATE (18)
Glen: FASCINATE (18)
Score: 71–58 (max 72)

We are not even at the halfway stage of the first game of the year and we already have our second niner...

Round 8: G R S P E O E U N

Tom: GENEROUS (8)
Glen: SPONGER (7)
DC: SUPEREGO (8)
Score: 79–58 (max 80)

Glen is asked first and says he’ll stick with a seven. Whatever that was it clearly wasn’t the same word as Tom’s whose word was obviously valid. Maybe it was SUPEREGO however which we hear is allowed.

Round 9: 2, 9, 4, 2, 1, 8. Target: 411.

Tom: 413. (((4+2)*8)-2)*9)-1 (7)
Glen: 410. Mistake in working.
OT: 412. (((9+4)*8)-1)*(2+2). (7)
Score: 86–58 (max 87)

When Glen declared the closer of the two it still seemed unlikely that he would have it given Tom’s declaration. Those suspicions turn out to be correct.

Teatime teaser: LOSTBOYS -> SLYBOOTS

Round 10: D T S R A I O E V

Tom: DEVIATORS (18)
Glen: DEVIATORS (18)
Score: 104–76 (max 105)

When Glen was about to pick the final letter it looked like he was considering picking a vowel to avoid there being a nine, but that in the interests of high scoring (for Tom) he decided to pick a consonant to make a nine possible. And the V means that DEVIATORS is there and thats three double nine rounds this game.

Round 11: D G R N A E U E J

Tom: UNDERAGE (8)
Glen: UNDERAGE (8)
OT: DUNGAREE (8) UNGEARED (8)
Score: 112–84 (max 113)

Both declare their eight as risky, I think we all know they were fully aware of its validity.

OoW – Susie explains the origin of boobytrap

Round 12: T M P L O I O E U

Tom: POLITE (6)
Glen: POLITE (6)
Nick : POILU (5)
OT: IMPUTE (6) LIMPET (6) MOTILE (6) OOLITE (6) PIOLET (6) PLUTEI (6) POMELO (6) POOTLE (6) TOOLIE (6) TUPELO (6) ULTIMO (6) UPTIME (6)
Score: 118–90 (max 119)

Nick asks if “Poilue” is allowed, it is but without the E, Susie gives him the points however, something she usually wouldn’t do.

Round 13: N X S R A E I H L

Tom: INHALERS (8)
Glen: INHALERS (8)
Score: 126–98 (max 127)

That eight means that Tom can equal the highest ever score if he maxes the last two rounds. If he’d picked one large earlier he would be in a position to beat it

Round 14: 7, 8, 4, 7, 6, 100. Target: 899.

Tom: 900. (8+7-6)*9 (7)
Glen: 900. (6-4+7)*100 (7)
RR: 899. ((6-4+7)*100)-(8-7) (10)
Score: 133–105 (max 137)

So no record equalling score for Tom, surprising given that spot on on this one isn’t that hard. Maybe he just lost concentration having already won.

Round 15: B E L L C H O O K

Glen buzzes on 9 seconds to say BLOCKHOLE which is correct.
Final Score: 133–115 (max 147)

The game was already over but Glen gets to finish his countdown career with a numbers spot. But it might not be the end of his countdown career as he probably first thought that 22 years ago, so maybe he’ll be back again in 2038 (weirder things have happened).

So the CoC and the countdowning year is underway. Hopefully it will be a good one for the show and for the CO events.

Happy new year everyone.

Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=-17