Sorry about the lateness! For the third time in five recaps, I will be guiding you through a potentially octochamp-crowning game. Callum Todd seems to be improving game by game and aims to complete the full set today. There's only one more hurdle in his way but it looks set to be a tough one.
C1: Champion Callum Todd (7 wins, 658 points) is aiming to become the fifth octochamp of this very high quality series today. Win or lose, he'll stay as number five seed unless he can register a score in the 140's or higher, something that has been done just four times before (excluding the Cats special
).C2: Challenger Abdirizak Hirsi is a student from Birmingham with jst the seven siblings. One of his favourite books is Lord Sugar's autobiography, which unsurprisingly fascinates Nick. He's also an apterite who can be very good on his day but I've noticed that he's quite erratic. Which Abdirizak (or Abdi as I'll call him) will turn up today?
DC: Susie Dent and Michaela Strachan.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: V B L M O A E D S
R02: R O S E N A L O D
R03: 4, 9, 1, 7, 5, 3. Target: 348.
TTT: QUEENPAT - "In France, this game might make you throw up"
R04: S U T E R O C A M
R05: G T D N E U E J G
R06: 50, 2, 3, 3, 9, 2. Target: 858.
R07: V D T L I O A O Z
R08: T U R E N A C I S
R09: 10, 7, 4, 6, 8, 1. Target: 354.
TTT: LETSBAKE - "The outlook isn't great for Charles's house"
R10: D E N O G I S E O
R11: Y N R Q I E A P H
R12: T U D E R I L O S
R13: F R S T E O I S R
R14: 50, 100, 9, 2, 9, 8. Target: 349.
R15: T I G E R S E E D (conundrum)
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Round 1: V B L M O A E D S
C1: SALVOED X
C2: MOVABLES (8)
OT: ABSOLVED (8)
Score: 0–8 (max 8)
A great start by Abdi, who takes the lead with his eight, which beats Callum's seven which is actually invalid, although it's not mentioned by Susie.
Round 2: R O S E N A L O D
C1: NOODLERS X
C2: SOLANDER (8)
OT: LARDOONS (8)
Score: 0–16 (max 16)
The challenger makes another stride towards unseating the champ, as he forced Callum to try another risky word, again to no avail. I think he'll be relieved to get to the numbers game, where I think we all know what's coming.
Round 3: 4, 9, 1, 7, 5, 3. Target: 348.
C1: 347. (9 + 1) x 7 x 5 - 3 (7)
C2: 348 X
RR: 348. (4 x 7 + 1) x (9 + 3) (10)
Score: 7–16 (max 26)
No surprises here but it also lands him into deeper trouble as Abdi declares the target but messes up his solution. Callum gets off the mark and within ten of his opponent.
Teatime teaser: QUEENPAT -> PETANQUE
Round 4: S U T E R O C A M
C1: OUTSCREAM X
C2: CUSTOMER (8)
DC: MATERS (6) OUTRACES (8)
Score: 7–24 (max 34)
Another eight from Abdi as Callum is forced into another mistake, since I don't think he had either eight. There are plenty of OUT- words in the dictionary but OUTSCREAM^ isn't one of them sadly.
Round 5: G T D N E U E J G
C1: TUGGED (6)
C2: TUGGED (6)
DC: GUNGED (6)
OT: DENGUE (6) DETENU (6) DETUNE (6) JUGGED (6) NUGGET (6)
Score: 13–30 (max 40)
A flat round, where Callum picks up his first letters points with his first valid word of the game.
Round 6: 50, 2, 3, 3, 9, 2. Target: 858.
C1: 858. (50 - 2) x 9 x 2 - 3 - 3 (10)
C2: 858. (50 - 2) x 9 x 2 - 3 - 3 (10)
Score: 23–40 (max 50)
Superb numbers skills from our very talented contestants, in what is promising to be a very high quality game.
Michaela talks about her exploits in Russia once at -27 degrees, while filming and losing her luggage at the same time.
Round 7: V D T L I O A O Z
C1: VIOLA (5)
C2: AVOID (5)
OT: ZOOIDAL (7)
Score: 28–45 (max 57)
A nasty selection but there is one seven available, believe it or not.
Round 8: T U R E N A C I S
C1: CURTAINS (8)
C2: CENTAURS (8)
DC: CISTERN (7)
OT: CANISTER (8) SCANTIER (8) SURICATE (8) UNCRATES (8) URINATES (8)
Score: 36–53 (max 65)
Despite what the recap writer solver, the wiki and apterous say, TRUANCIES^ is now listed as a mass noun and doesn't seem to be very pluralisable. I'm going to overrule them all.
Round 9: 10, 7, 4, 6, 8, 1. Target: 354.
C1: 354. (6 - 1) x 7 x 10 + 4 (10)
C2: 354. (6 - 1) x 7 x 10 + 4 (10)
Score: 46–63 (max 75)
Simple enough.
Teatime teaser: LETSBAKE -> BLEAKEST
Round 10: D E N O G I S E O
C1: SEEDING (7)
C2: SEEING (6)
DC: GOODIES (7)
OT: DINGOES (7) NOOGIES (7) SOIGNEE (7)
Score: 53–63 (max 82)
The first real blip by Abdi on the letters sees Callum close the gap to exactly ten, exciting times!
Round 11: Y N R Q I E A P H
C1: HARPIE X
C2: HAIRPIN X
DC: RAPINE (6)
Rachel: HEPARIN (7)
Score: 53–63 (max 89)
HARPY and HARPIES are both acceptable but not HARPIE^. Not sure whether Abdi was thinking of spelling his word HAREPIN^ or just used a phantom second I but either way, his word is invalid, so the scores are at a standstill for now. Rachel impresses by beating DC with the only seven available. You may remember Darryl Francis spotting it in the opening round of his first 30BC game.
OoW: Susie answers a viewer's query regarding why greyhounds are called so when they're not grey. The "grey" part comes from the Romans and has nothing to do with colour.
Round 12: T U D E R I L O S
C1: OUTSIDER (8)
C2: OUTSIDER (8)
DC: DILUTERS (8) SOLITUDE (8)
OT: OUTLIERS (8) OUTRIDES (8) STUDLIER (8)
Score: 61–71 (max 97)
Eight overload here.
Round 13: F R S T E O I S R
C1: SORRIEST (8)
C2: FROSTIER (8)
OT: FORTRESS (8) RESISTOR (8) ROISTERS (8) ROTIFERS (8)
Score: 69–79 (max 105)
Same again here and Callum and Abdi are giving as good as they've got and are producing a very exciting game for the neutrals.
Round 14: 50, 100, 9, 2, 9, 8. Target: 349.
C1: 349. 50 x 9 - 100 - (9 - 8) (10)
C2: 349. 8/2 x 100 - 50 - 9/9 (10)
Score: 79–89 (max 115)
The numbers game can't separate them so we have what's unofficially known as a semi-crucial conundrum, with a gap of exactly ten. Callum needs to solve two to rescue his octochamp status.
Round 15: T I G E R S E E D
C2 buzzes on 1.75 seconds but hesitates and is timed out by Nick.
C1 buzzes on 2.5 seconds to say GREEDIEST which is correct.
Score: 89–89 (max 125)
It looks to be game up for Callum as Abdi buzzes in early. However, he fails to give an answer quickly enough and is rightly denied by Nick. Callum buzzes in almost immediately after the restart to force a tiebreak! What a game we've had and it's not over! Before the next round, Nick gives out a stern warning that whoever buzzes on the conundrum must answer immediately.
Round 16 (tiebreak): T E N P A C C I G
C2 buzzes on 1.5 seconds to say ACCEPTING which is correct.
Final score: 89-99 (max 135)
Slight hesitation again by Abdi but this time, Nick has no problem with ACCEPTING his answer and he has won in the most dramatic style!
While Abdi's antics on the conundrums may have been questionable, he has put in a great debut performance to defeat a very good champion. After a relatively ordinary start to his career, Callum looked destined for octochampdom and was unlucky to come up against Abdi in his last game. Considering the circumstances, he bows out with great humility and will most likely back for the finals in December. Abdi will go on though, can he produce a strong run of his own and stake a claim for a place in the finals himself. Hope you enjoyed today's game as much as I did, I'll be back next week for a game that will do well to produce as much drama as this one. See you then!
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=69