Monday 17th June 2013 (Series 68, QF 2)

Round-by-round summaries of every game in recent series; for every series in the last 5 years, try cdb, the Countdown database. Obviously this forum contains spoilers!

Moderator: James Robinson

Post Reply
User avatar
Graeme Cole
Series 65 Champion
Posts: 2025
Joined: Tue Jul 06, 2010 9:59 pm

Monday 17th June 2013 (Series 68, QF 2)

Post by Graeme Cole »

Countdown recap for Monday 17 June 2013.

C1: #2 seed Andy Platt (8 wins, 889 points) played his unique octorun in March - unique because it was four games in the old 15-round format and four in the new one.
C2: #7 seed Chris Ball (3 wins, 358 points) is a retired teaching assistant from Chellaston, Derby managed three wins just a few weeks ago before losing 125-91 to Glen Webb, who we'll see again next series.
DC: Susie Dent and Myleene Klass, making her debut in Dictionary Corner.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: B S T G I E A L I
R02: N D T E U O C M T
R03: 100, 25, 75, 50, 8, 8. Target: 504.
TTT: WOODLARK - "Can you have a day off? It all depends on this."
R04: L S W E E O C R T
R05: D S Q M A U E R P
R06: 75, 6, 10, 7, 5, 5. Target: 781.
R07: B S N G O E I A R
R08: D N R O I E N S J
R09: 25, 50, 75, 100, 7, 2. Target: 976.
TTT: STRIPNUT - "You might employ him if your rotisserie is broken."
R10: L T S O E A R Y N
R11: T P F D U O A E R
R12: G T N L O I A T E
R13: S X H N O I U I O
R14: 25, 9, 1, 3, 8, 5. Target: 370.
R15: T I E L A U N C H (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER

Enjoy the show.

Round 1: B S T G I E A L I

C1: LIGATES (7)
C2: LIGATES (7)
DC: SIBILATE (8)
Score: 7–7 (max 8)

Both players off the mark in the first round. The only eight, SIBILATE, means to say something with a hissing sound. Incidentally, I was in the audience for this game, and just beforehand someone mentioned that BLEATINGS had been controversially disallowed recently. I seem to recall Andy didn't know this. And lo and behold, a final consonant in this first round would have given BLEATINGS and TANGIBLES. Later Andy said he deliberately didn't pick for the N as he didn't know whether BLEATINGS would be allowed. Good call.


Round 2: N D T E U O C M T

C1: DOCUMENT (8)
C2: COUNTED (7)
DC: MOUNTED (7) DEMOUNT (7)
Score: 15–7 (max 16)

Another darrenic eight, but this time Andy spots it to go ahead for the first time in the game.


Round 3: 100, 25, 75, 50, 8, 8. Target: 504.

C1: 504. (75+50+8/8)*(100/25) (10)
C2: 505.
Score: 25–7 (max 26)

Don't bother shuffling the large numbers, Andy's about. Another ten points puts him in a commanding lead.


Teatime teaser: WOODLARK -> WORKLOAD


Round 4: L S W E E O C R T

C1: SELECTOR (8)
C2: SWELTER (7)
DC: CORSELET (8)
OT: ELECTORS (8) ELECTROS (8)
Score: 33–7 (max 34)

Another max by Andy. Susie finds CORSELET, which is a historical term for a piece of armour covering the trunk.


Round 5: D S Q M A U E R P

C1: REMUDAS (7)
C2: marqued
DC: SQUARED (7)
OT: DAMPERS (7) DUMPERS (7) MARQUES (7) MASQUER (7)
Score: 40–7 (max 41)

MARQUES would have been fine, but unfortunately for Chris MARQUE isn't in as a verb. Susie says that a REMUDA is a herd of horses that have been saddle-broken, if you were wondering. Nick says he wasn't wondering at all.


Round 6: 75, 6, 10, 7, 5, 5. Target: 781.

C1: 781. 75*10+5*5+6 (10)
C2: 780.
Score: 50–7 (max 51)

And at the anecdote, Andy has only dropped a point. Nick asks Myleene about the many things she's done, including work for Save the Children. She's also excited to be in DC. Who wouldn't be?


Round 7: B S N G O E I A R

C1: ORGANISE (8)
C2: BEARINGS (8)
DC: BEGONIAS (8)
OT: BARONIES (8) REBASING (8) SOBERING (8)
Score: 58–15 (max 59)

A few simple eights all round.


Round 8: D N R O I E N S J

C1: joinders
C2: joinders
DC: JOINDER (7) DINNERS (7)
OT: ENJOINS (7) INDORSE (7) JOINERS (7) REJOINS (7) ROSINED (7)
Score: 58–15 (max 66)

No controversy here, as JOINDER is only in as a mass noun.


Round 9: 25, 50, 75, 100, 7, 2. Target: 976.

C1: 975. (7+2)*100+75 (7)
C2: 975. (7+2)*100+75 (7)
RR: 975. (7)
OT: 975. (7)
Score: 65–22 (max 73)

Four large again. This one's easy enough to get one away, but impossible to get spot on.


Teatime teaser: STRIPNUT -> TURNSPIT


Round 10: L T S O E A R Y N

C1: ORNATELY (8)
C2: LOANERS (7)
DC: TREASON (7) SENATOR (7)
Score: 73–22 (max 81)

Andy risks an eight, and it's a good risk.


Round 11: T P F D U O A E R

C1: UPRATED (7)
C2: POUTED (6)
DC: POUTER (6)
OT: ADOPTER (7) READOPT (7)
Score: 80–22 (max 88)

UPRATED gives Andy an unassailable lead, while Myleene takes after her apterous alter ego and pouts at the camera.


Round 12: G T N L O I A T E

C1: LEGATION (8)
C2: LETTING (7)
DC: GELATION (8)
OT: TONALITE (8)
Score: 88–22 (max 96)

No stopping Andy now. So far the only rounds he hasn't maxed are the SIBILATE round and the JOINDER/S round.


Round 13: S X H N O I U I O

C1: NOXIOUS (7)
C2: NOXIOUS (7)
DC: SIX
Score: 95–29 (max 103)

NOXIOUS was there, but pretty much nothing else. Both our contestants spot it, and Andy has almost got his ninth century in nine games.


Round 14: 25, 9, 1, 3, 8, 5. Target: 370.

C1: 370. (25*3-1)*5 (10)
C2: 377.
Score: 105–29 (max 113)

And there it is.


Round 15: T I E L A U N C H

Andy buzzes on 2 seconds to say UNETHICAL which is correct.
Final Score: 115–29 (max 123)

Andy's conundrum solve takes his overall score to 1004 and a semi-final place against Eileen Taylor or Jill Hayward. Chris Ball suffered a heavy defeat today, but that's not to say she played badly - far from it. On the letters rounds she got two plausible-sounding words disallowed, and her other words were never more than one away from the max. It's not enough against a player like Andy who maxed 13 rounds today, though, so she goes home to Challerston with her priceless piece of kyrptonite.

Next up is the rematch between Eileen Taylor and Jill Hayward. Eileen won their last meeting 102-98 (!) but we'll have to wait until next week to see them play again, as the rest of the week has been given over to some horses wearing funny hats, or something like that.


Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=68
Post Reply