Wednesday 6th February 2013 (30th Champs, Round 1, Game 14)

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Jack Worsley
Series 66 Champion
Posts: 979
Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2011 10:32 pm
Location: Blackpool

Wednesday 6th February 2013 (30th Champs, Round 1, Game 14)

Post by Jack Worsley »

Countdown recap for Wednesday 6 February 2013.

Hello again and once again, my weekly recap will be on a Wednesday this time, as I've swapped with Robbo yet again. Many thanks to him for filling in for me yesterday. He may have had the pleasure of recapping the second highest score of all time but I'm also pretty pleased about recapping a game between to of the most successful players ever. But for Paul Gallen, these two would have met in the 2006 Champion of Champions final. Now we finally get to see these two great players go head to head on TV. :D

C1: Champion Conor Travers (14 wins, 1663 points.) A mathematics student from St John's College, Cambridge. He became the youngest ever series champion in 2006, aged just 14. He also reached the Champion of Champions semi finals just weeks later but was beaten by Paul Gallen on a crucial conundrum, denying him a final against today's opponent. Back in week one of these championships, we saw him defeat Ben Wilson 117-91 in the preliminaries, despite having to come from behind. He avoided a crucial conundrum mainly thanks to the lovely niner FLORUITED. However, he was badly off form, registering a measly twelve maxes, which is less than his apterous average, so he will need to improve considerably today.
C2: Champion Mark Tournoff (15 wins, 1663 points.) He won his series in dramatic circumstances, by unscrambling PARTRIDGE with just three seconds remaining in the final against Paul Gallen. Gallen would gain revenge though by beating him in the final of the Champion of Champions in 2006 and he remains the only player to have beaten Mark before today, as well as being the only player to have beaten Conor. On his way to winning the series and reaching the CoC final, Mark faced five crucial conundrums, winning four of them. This led to him writing his book Crucial: A Champion's Tale about his experience on the show, which kept me entertained over Christmas. He hands a signed copy over to Nick for him to keep. He extended his record on crucials to five out of six as he beat Nick Deller 101-100 in the preliminaries, although this time it went unsolved.
DC: Susie Dent and Kate Aidie.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: C G D I E U T A J
R02: L E N O T I Y N D
R03: R L T A E A P U E
R04: S I N O G E M S E
R05: 100, 8, 1, 8, 9, 3. Target: 625.
TTT: NEATPOLE - "Maybe the small creature wants to run away with the bigger one"
R06: S I L O Z U N G A
R07: V D S I E A Q T R
R08: F U M A P O H R I
R09: C T N E A O C E S
R10: 100, 50, 75, 25, 3, 1. Target: 152.
TTT: SAGORISE - "Were these large merchant ships ordered from a catalogue?"
R11: G D S A E I B U I
R12: T E F O R I S T P
R13: L N W E U I T A L
R14: 75, 10, 10, 1, 8, 8. Target: 529.
R15: L O V E M Y T I E (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: C G D I E U T A J

C1: AUGITE (6)
C2: JUICED (6)
OT: DACITE (6) DUGITE (6)
Score: 6–6 (max 6)

A flat start to the day although Conor does come up with something interesting.

Round 2: L E N O T I Y N D

C1: INDOLENT (8)
C2: INDOLENT (8)
DC: LENTOID (7)
Score: 14–14 (max 14)

Both players impressively spot INDOLENT, which is the darren for this round.

Round 3: R L T A E A P U E

C1: LAUREATE (8)
C2: PRELATE (7)
DC: epaulet
Score: 22–14 (max 22)

The first break goes the way of the pre-tournament favourite who pulls the lovely LAUREATE out of an awkward selection. It's also the only eight available.

Round 4: S I N O G E M S E

C1: soignees
C2: smigeons
DC: MESSING (7) GENOMES (7)
OT: GENESIS (7) MEIOSES (7) MOSSING (7) NEMESIS (7) SEEMING (7) SIEMENS (7) SIGNEES (7) SOIGNEE (7)
Score: 22–14 (max 29)

A double blank here which is rare in matches with two series champions. :roll: Mark needs a D for smidgeons while Conor tries to pluralise an unpluralisable word, so the scores stay as they are. There are plenty of sevens to choose from.

Round 5: 100, 8, 1, 8, 9, 3. Target: 625.

C1: 625. (8 + 8 + 9) x (100/(3 + 1)) (10)
C2: 622.
Score: 32–14 (max 39)

A tricky-looking one large numbers game appears and while Mark only manages three away, Conor is spot on and extends his lead.

Kate talks about her interest in the First World War and focuses on the important roles played by women.

Teatime teaser: NEATPOLE -> ANTELOPE

Round 6: S I L O Z U N G A

C1: LOUSING (7)
C2: LOUSING (7)
DC: LAZING (6)
Score: 39–21 (max 46)

I was surprised that LOUSING was the darren here but certainly not surprised to see these two get it.

Round 7: V D S I E A Q T R

C1: ADVERTS (7)
C2: ADVERTS (7)
DC: STARVED (7) DIVERTS (7)
OT: ADVISER (7) ASTRIDE (7) DATIVES (7) DISRATE (7) STAIDER (7) STRIVED (7) TIRADES (7)
Score: 46–28 (max 53)

Flatness again!

Round 8: F U M A P O H R I

C1: MORPHIA (7)
C2: MORPH (5)
Score: 53–28 (max 60)

Now that is a lovely spot by Conor! Mark may be kicking himself since he just needed to add two letters on to his word but I'd personally never heard of it. :) It was a horrible selection and unsurprisingly, MORPHIA is as good as it gets. As good a player as Mark is, it's difficult to see how he can make up a gap of this size against Conor, who very rarely gives you a chance.

Round 9: C T N E A O C E S

C1: NOTECASE (8)
C2: ACCENTS (7)
DC: TENACES (7)
OT: COSECANT (8)
Score: 61–28 (max 68)

There's no stopping Conor at the moment as he delivers yet more brilliance. The only surprise is that the maths student didn't go for the mathsy word.

OoW: Susie's daily lecture involves her telling us about the origins of some place names in England.

Round 10: 100, 50, 75, 25, 3, 1. Target: 152.

C1: 152. 100 + 50 + 3 - 1 (10)
C2: 152. 100 + 50 + 3 - 1 (10)
Score: 71–38 (max 78)

Mark tries to make up some ground with a four large selection but is thwarted by a terribly easy one. Amusing scenes follow with Mark happily reading out his method when he'd only been asked for his declaration. Conor jokingly replies that he didn't get the chance to say he hadn't written his method down. Both still get the points anyway. :mrgreen: :P

Teatime teaser: SAGORISE -> ARGOSIES

Round 11: G D S A E I B U I

C1: BUDGIES (7)
C2: BADGES (6)
DC: BUDGES (6)
OT: BAGSIED (7) GAUDIES (7)
Score: 78–38 (max 85)

Conor extends his lead even further with his BUDGIES.

Round 12: T E F O R I S T P

C1: SPOTTIER (8)
C2: SPOTTIER (8)
DC: RIPOSTE (7) POTTERS (7) FORTIES (7)
Score: 86–46 (max 93)

A relatively easy darren is spotted by both.

Round 13: L N W E U I T A L

C1: WALLET (6)
C2: INWALE (6)
DC: UNWELL (6) WALNUT (6)
OT: AUNTIE (6) ELUANT (6) ENTAIL (6) LENTIL (6) LINEAL (6) LINTEL (6) LUNATE (6) LUTEAL (6) LUTEIN (6) TAILLE (6) TELLIN (6) WILLET (6)
Score: 92–52 (max 99)

The flattest round of the day appears, as Mark reaches his half century.

Round 14: 75, 10, 10, 1, 8, 8. Target: 529.

C1: 529. (75 - 10) x 8 + 8 + 1 (10)
C2: 529. (75 - 10) x 8 + 10 - 1 (10)
Score: 102–62 (max 109)

Ten points each here.

Round 15: L O V E M Y T I E

C1 buzzes on 0.75 seconds to say EMOTIVELY which is correct.
Final Score: 112–62 (max 119)

Conor completes a wonderful performance by getting the conundrum in a time that only we mortals can dream about. He may be kicking himself about the SOIGNEES round as had he played it safe, he would have had the third 15-round max game in the history of the show, the second of the tournament and the first not by Kirk Bevins. Beating a player of Mark's ability by 50 points must send shivers down the spines of many top players, even if he wasn't at his best today. Mark has been a fantastic contestant though and does not deserve to go out in the way he has done. In my opinion, he should go down as one of the show's greatest ever players. Few players would have got close to Conor today so he shouldn't be too disheartened.

Conor will be returning in exactly a week to face Chris Hawkins (who got VIHUELAS in his first game). I won't be recapping that though as James will get that pleasure next week, while I'll be returning to my regular Tuesday recap for the first time in ages. I'll be recapping the second last-16 match between Jon O'Neill and the winner of tomorrow's match, where series champs from the distant past; Darryl Francis and Barry Grossman go head to head. The final match of the week and the first round is a mouth watering tie between Andrew Hulme and Jonathan Rawlinson, before the start of the next round on Monday. I'll see you on Tuesday, you be sure of it! ;)


Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=-16
Last edited by Jack Worsley on Mon Feb 11, 2013 11:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Mark Ivey
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Re: Wednesday 6th February 2013 (30th Champs, Round 1, Game

Post by Mark Ivey »

I'll be honest... the first Teatime Teaser I thought was Elopeant, and assumed it meant a person who has eloped. Much facepalming was done when I realized.

Anyway, great recap!
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James Robinson
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Location: Mirfield, West Yorkshire

Re: Wednesday 6th February 2013 (30th Champs, Round 1, Game

Post by James Robinson »

Jack Worsley wrote:Round 11: G D S A E I B U I

C1: BUDGIES (7)
C2: BADGES (6)
DC: BUDGES (6)
OT: GAUDIES (7)
Score: 78–38 (max 85)
BAGSIED in too. :geek:
Jack Worsley
Series 66 Champion
Posts: 979
Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2011 10:32 pm
Location: Blackpool

Re: Wednesday 6th February 2013 (30th Champs, Round 1, Game

Post by Jack Worsley »

James Robinson wrote:
Jack Worsley wrote:Round 11: G D S A E I B U I

C1: BUDGIES (7)
C2: BADGES (6)
DC: BUDGES (6)
OT: GAUDIES (7)
Score: 78–38 (max 85)
BAGSIED in too. :geek:
Done. :D
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