Spoilers for Tuesday 8th September 2009

[Marc Meakin]

Can Chris become Octochamp today, or will he be beaten by an inswinger

[Peter Mabey]

First numbers alternative: (75-3-3)x(9-2)

[Marc Meakin]

poor letter selections so far.

What has been the lowest ever Max game?

[Charlie Reams]

http://www.apterous.org/cdb/records.php ... st_maximum

No chance of pushing these records unless one of the numbers games is impossible, really.

[Peter Mabey]

It's really strange that RATIONALS is missing as IRRATIONALS is allowed by ODE.

[Kirk Bevins]

INWALES for a beater in round 3. I thought I could get a max game today but missed PIPETTES, argh.

Well played again today Chris. You seemed to slump back in your chair once you made the octochamp status as in relief but you weren't really under much threat this game. A tremendous performance and I'm sure many people at home would wonder why you're only the number 2 seed, forgetting Andrew's superb run.

[Marc Meakin]

INWALES for a beater in round 3. I thought I could get a max game today but missed PIPETTES, argh.

Well played again today Chris. You seemed to slump back in your chair once you made the octochamp status as in relief but you weren't really under much threat this game. A tremendous performance and I'm sure many people at home would wonder why you're only the number 2 seed, forgetting Andrew's superb run.

Probably due to the low amounts of 9 letter words available in his run compared to Andrew

[Jojo Apollo]

Well done on becoming an Octochamp, Chris.

Really looking forward to seeing the quarters with the big three. Hopefully some more top guns to follow.

[Craig Beevers]

http://www.apterous.org/cdb/records.php ... st_maximum

No chance of pushing these records unless one of the numbers games is impossible, really.

First game on that list has an incorrect max... 2nd numbers game is easily doable.

[Jimmy Gough]

Well done on becoming an Octochamp, Chris.

Really looking forward to seeing the quarters with the big three. Hopefully some more top guns to follow.

Isn't this you?

[Kirk Bevins]

First game on that list has an incorrect max... 2nd numbers game is easily doable.

In fact Carol got it spot on but it erroneously shows 542 instead of 544.

[Eoin Monaghan]

Did Chris use the 2 twice in the first numbers?

[Chris Davies]

Well done on becoming an Octochamp, Chris.

Really looking forward to seeing the quarters with the big three. Hopefully some more top guns to follow.

Isn't this you?

Well, I feel I've been judged very harshly there. I felt really self-conscious throughout my Countdown run - I know I twitch when I'm nervous, and I was feeling the pressure pretty much the whole time, even when I was miles ahead. I wasn't natural in front of the cameras, and if I've conveyed any air of smugness at all, it was entirely accidental!

[Phil Reynolds]

Did Chris use the 2 twice in the first numbers?

No.

[Ben Hunter]

Well, I feel I've been judged very harshly there. I felt really self-conscious throughout my Countdown run - I know I twitch when I'm nervous, and I was feeling the pressure pretty much the whole time, even when I was miles ahead. I wasn't natural in front of the cameras, and if I've conveyed any air of smugness at all, it was entirely accidental!

You don't need to worry about being judged by a load of sad telly addicts.

[JimBentley]

Well, I feel I've been judged very harshly there. I felt really self-conscious throughout my Countdown run - I know I twitch when I'm nervous, and I was feeling the pressure pretty much the whole time, even when I was miles ahead. I wasn't natural in front of the cameras, and if I've conveyed any air of smugness at all, it was entirely accidental!

Don't worry about it, Chris, the Digital Spy forums are notorious for being full of cunts. They're a bunch of nobodies and their opinions are worthless.

Oh, and really well done on your awesome octoperformance!

[Eoin Monaghan]

Chris didn't appear to be smug to me at all.

[Joyce Phillips]

Well done Chris. You certainly didn't come across as smug. In fact, you seemed to be the only person who had any doubt that you would become and Octochamp.

[Brian Moore]

News latest: Kate Humble reads reasonably well from a book, quoting a man from Devon, who quotes a man from Marks & Spencers about why you should use fresh water for making tea. Gosh. It's a shame Kate pulled such a blinder, as it quite overshadowed Chris's excellent performance.

[Gavin Chipper]

What was the 8-game total in the end? I think it might have been just shy of 900 (like 892 or something but I'm not sure). Also how come Andrew Hulme has 9 games in the octo run on the database thing?

And this is going to be a fucking good knockout section. I don't think anyone scoring as high as Innis in third place has ever not been number one seed before. So well done Chris.

[Michael Wallace]

Well done Chris. You certainly didn't come across as smug. In fact, you seemed to be the only person who had any doubt that you would become and Octochamp.

This.

[Darren Carter]

Felt sorry for Chris' opponent today, seemed to be even more nervous than Chris! Although I did chuckle slightly at the 3 when MAKE was written out in the selection!

[Simon Myers]

What was the 8-game total in the end?

892

I don't think anyone scoring as high as Innis in third place has ever not been number one seed before. So well done Chris.

You're right, Innis' 861 is higher than any past #2 seed, the highest scoring of which were Jon Corby (856, S54) and Tom Hargreaves (850, S47).

[Kieran Child]

I just watched again and I was right:
Chris declares rationals.
Susie says no.
The woman with the smile next to her says "yes. susie said to me 'I've got a 9 I've got a 9' but then she did what you [chris] did and looked it up"

So Chris was allowed a dictionary. That explains it.

[Jimmy Gough]

Well done on becoming an Octochamp, Chris.

Really looking forward to seeing the quarters with the big three. Hopefully some more top guns to follow.

Isn't this you?

Well, I feel I've been judged very harshly there. I felt really self-conscious throughout my Countdown run - I know I twitch when I'm nervous, and I was feeling the pressure pretty much the whole time, even when I was miles ahead. I wasn't natural in front of the cameras, and if I've conveyed any air of smugness at all, it was entirely accidental!

Sorry Chris, it wasn't meant as a downer on your octochamp success. Like everyone else I didn't detect any smugness at all. You did seem (understandably) nervous throughout but not smug in the slightest. Congratulations and good luck in the final.

[Jojo Apollo]

Well done on becoming an Octochamp, Chris.

Really looking forward to seeing the quarters with the big three. Hopefully some more top guns to follow.

Isn't this you?

No way!!! I have the upmost (or is it utmost?) respect for Chris and Kirk and all the contestants who are brave enough to take part. Chris, don't take any notice of that idiot, you didn't come across as smug at all, and even if you did (which you didn't), so what? Also don't worry about the nerves showing, it's natural. Keep up the good work and good luck in the quarters.

[Kirk Bevins]

Congratulations and good luck in the final.

Bit optimistic? Looks like a Chris Davies vs Innis Carson semi final on the cards.

[Charlie Reams]

If I were any more excited about this series' finals I'd have to be legally restrained.

[Jimmy Gough]

Congratulations and good luck in the final.

Bit optimistic? Looks like a Chris Davies vs Innis Carson semi final on the cards.

Ha, true. Finals then.

Well done on becoming an Octochamp, Chris.

Really looking forward to seeing the quarters with the big three. Hopefully some more top guns to follow.

Isn't this you?

No way!!! I have the upmost (or is it utmost?) respect for Chris and Kirk and all the contestants who are brave enough to take part. Chris, don't take any notice of that idiot, you didn't come across as smug at all, and even if you did (which you didn't), so what? Also don't worry about the nerves showing, it's natural. Keep up the good work and good luck in the quarters.

[Gavin Chipper]

Is "finals" just something that's come from the football World Cup?

[Howard Somerset]

Back to the word RATIONALS not being allowed. As a result of a separate thread, I've just looked up the definition of POSITIVE, and notice that when talking about a positive number, positive is listed both as an adjective and a noun. Strange that POSITIVE should get this treatment, yet RATIONAL is shown as an adjective only. I'd have thought that it should have been the other way round; calling a rational number a rational is quite common in my experience, far more common that calling a positive number a positive.

[Ben Hunter]

I always heard my old maths teacher call rational numbers 'rationals'.

[Sue Sanders]

Back to the word RATIONALS not being allowed. As a result of a separate thread, I've just looked up the definition of POSITIVE, and notice that when talking about a positive number, positive is listed both as an adjective and a noun. Strange that POSITIVE should get this treatment, yet RATIONAL is shown as an adjective only. I'd have thought that it should have been the other way round; calling a rational number a rational is quite common in my experience, far more common that calling a positive number a positive.

But talking about the positives and negatives of a situation rather than thinking of positive as being a maths thing is perfectly common.

[Michael Wallace]

But talking about the positives and negatives of a situation rather than thinking of positive as being a maths thing is perfectly common.

I've just looked up the definition of POSITIVE, and notice that when talking about a positive number, positive is listed both as an adjective and a noun.

[Sue Sanders]

But talking about the positives and negatives of a situation rather than thinking of positive as being a maths thing is perfectly common.

I've just looked up the definition of POSITIVE, and notice that when talking about a positive number, positive is listed both as an adjective and a noun.

Oh, did I miss the point??? Sorry!!

[Martin Bishop]

As is often the case, I am about a week behind with my countdown viewing. Congrats Chris on a great octo-run. You may be pleased to know that you are now my mum's favourite apterist. Sorry Kirk; you've been usurped.

[Matt Morrison]

Old news I know, but Chris didn't come across as smug, just nervous. To me, nervousness and smugness tend to be pretty much polar opposites - it's pretty hard to come across as both, and I'd have thought (until all the "Chris = smug" comments on Digital Spy) that it'd be pretty hard to confuse them as a viewer too.

And on the Mother's Favourite Countdowner level, it's still Jimmy. By far.