Monday 11th January 2016 (CoC XIV, Game 6)

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Andy McGurn
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Monday 11th January 2016 (CoC XIV, Game 6)

Post by Andy McGurn »

Countdown recap for Monday 11 January 2016.

C1: Champion Callum Todd (10 wins.) – A lab technician from Leeds and champion of series 69. Callum tells Nick that no longer plays countdown at home so “it’ll be interesting to see how this goes”. He is the only champion of a fifteen round series to lose a game in the prelims.

C2: Champion Samir Pilica (9 wins.) – A post office customer person from London, octochamp and semi-finalist from series 70. Originally from Bosnia he is one of the most successful countdown contestants for whom English is not his first language.

DC: Susie Dent and John Inverdale.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: V D A E S I L R O
R02: X P D Q R I U A E
R03: 4, 9, 2, 2, 8, 7, . Target: 161.
TTT: ITCHYSEA - "these people are always itching to get on the sea"
R04: S T R Z T I A E O
R05: E I E L M T N A O
R06: 3, 4, 7, 9, 3, 100. Target: 861.
R07: C L S N A E O A I
R08: T D T M E O U S A
R09: 3, 7, 6, 10, 4, 50. Target: 607.
TTT: WORMROOT - "yesterday this was today"
R10: H C G R E I E F K
R11: D B L O E A N D G
R12: N W M R I O U T E
R13: M S V L A E U O I
R14: 3, 8, 2, 7, 4, 50. Target: 580.
R15: R O M A N Y I P S (conundrum)

And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: V D A E S I L R O

Callum: VALORISED (18)
Samir: VALORISED (18)
Score: 18–18 (max 18)

Callum and Samir, along with many other CoC contestants have been valorising the tournament by getting many long words. These two don’t let us down here as they open with a niner.


Round 2: X P D Q R I U A E

Callum: PAIRED (6)
Samir: DIAPER (6)
DC: PIQUED (6)
OT: QUERIDA (7)
Score: 24–24 (max 25)

Standard sixes for the boys here. QUERIDA was the obscure max which is is the feminine participle of the verb "querer", which means "to want" (in the sense of desiring)


Round 3: 4, 9, 2, 2, 8, 7. Target: 161.

Callum: 161. ((8*2)+7)*(9-2) (10)
Samir: 160.
Score: 34–24 (max 35)

Callum goes for his trademarked six small which, despite the low target, is not spotted by Samir, given Callum the first lead.


Teatime teaser: ITCHYSEA -> YACHTIES

Round 4: S T R Z T I A E O

Callum: TOASTIER (8)
Samir: OSTERIA (7)
Score: 42–24 (max 43)

Callum extends his lead to a nine letter word as he proves to be TOASTIER than Samir.


Round 5: E I E L M T N A O

Callum: OMENTAL (7)
Samir: AMNIOTE (7)
DC: AILMENT (7) MATINEE (7)
OT: MELANITE (8) NEMALITE (8)
Score: 49–31 (max 51)

Just sevens for both here but there were two minerals available for eight.


Round 6: 3, 4, 7, 9, 3, 100. Target: 861.

Callum: 861. ((100-4)*9)-3 (10)
Samir: 860.
Score: 59–31 (max 61)

Statistically it seems that Callum will always go spot on when the last two digits of the target are 61, whereas Samir will get exactly one below.



DC Guest – John tells us that he is excited about the Olympics in Rio this year and then tells us about an Olympic shooter who later got charged with murder as well as a runner to stopped before the line due to ducklings being in his path.



Round 7: C L S N A E O A I

Callum: CANALISE (8)
Samir: CANALISE (8)
Score: 67–39 (max 69)

Callum sits back to sip water early, demonstrating that he is fully aware that there is no CANALISE+O stem. Samir has it too however


Round 8: T D T M E O U S A

Callum: OUTDATES (8)
Samir: OUTDATES (8)
Score: 75–47 (max 77)
More early water sipping from Callum and the result is just the same as the previous round.

Round 9: 3, 7, 6, 10, 4, 50. Target: 607.

Callum: 607. (50*3*4)+7 (10)
Samir: 607. (50*3*4)+7 (10)
Score: 85–57 (max 87)

An easy numbers game and Samir spots a numbers game for the first time today. Callum is already well ahead however.


Teatime teaser: WORMROOT -> TOMORROW


Round 10: H C G R E I E F K

Callum: CHIEF (5)
Samir: CIERGE (6)
DC: KERCHIEF (8)
Score: 85–63 (max 95)

THats the first round on which Samir has beaten Callum, though Callum may have kicked himself given that he could have extended his word to make an eight.

Round 11: D B L O E A N D G

Callum: DANGLED (7)
Samir: BLONDE (6)
DC: DOGBANE (7)
OT: BEDLOAD (7) BOGLAND (7) BONDAGE (7) GLADDEN (7) GLADDON (7)
Score: 92–63 (max 102)

Samir can’t continue to comeback after his win in the last round and Callum now has his biggest lead of the day so far.


OoW – Susie talks a bit about horoscopes and this includes the meaning of the word HOROSCOPE itself. (hope Jim Bentley fast forwarded this bit).


Round 12: N W M R I O U T E

Callum: RUNTIME (7)
Samir: ROUTINE (7)
DC: REMOUNT (7)
OT: MOUNTER (7) UNMERIT (7)
Score: 99–70 (max 109)

There has never been any doubt since the first ad break that Callum would win this and he is running down the clock of the game now and has all but advanced to the quarter finals.

Round 13: M S V L A E U O I

Callum: MISVALUE (8)
Samir: VOLUMISE (8)
Score: 107–78 (max 117)

For someone who “no longer plays at home” Callum is still remarkably good.


Round 14: 3, 8, 2, 7, 4, 50. Target: 580.

Callum: 580. (((50*3)-7)*4)+8 (10)
Samir: 580. (50+8)*(7+3) (10)
Score: 117–88 (max 127)

Samir goes for a simple solve whereas Callum complicates it, the result is the same though and its ten more points each.


Round 15: R O M A N Y I P S

Callum buzzes on 5 seconds to say PARSIMONY which is correct.
Final Score: 127–88 (max 137)

A five second conundrum solve sees Callum finish strongly. Samir put up a good fight but he only managed to win one round and against a player as strong as Callum that was never going to be enough.

But well done to Samir for all of his time on the show and his status as one of the top players for whom English is a second language is something he should always be proud of.

The CoC has been really good so far and there are still some big guns to come notably Dan McColm who plays Paul James tomorrow. Its unusual for series champs to play each other in the first round of CoC’s, but good luck to them both with the game...

See you all at COLIN...

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