COGST: Quarter Final: Kirk Bevins versus David O'Donnell

[David O'Donnell]

Countdown recap for Tuesday 7 October 2008.

C1: Challenger Kirk Bevins.
C2: Challenger David O'Donnell.
DC: Dan 'the man' Van. Also in attendance were Richard Priest, Jono "the ginger adjudicator" O'Neill, Ben Wilson, and a few others whose names escape me.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: D E M G E R U N E
R02: I E I L D P T O H
R03: S T K A U I V M O
R04: E A E S P S C O I
R05: 2, 7, 4, 10, 1, 4. Target: 372.

R06: I A U Q T T L E S
R07: B R F I O A X G U
R08: O A E H T L N L N
R09: L T R I I A S N A
R10: 100, 75, 50, 25, 2, 8. Target: 205.

R11: M N R O A E K I D
R12: A O E T T G M E R
R13: P T N O U E C A C
R14: 100, 75, 50, 25, 2, 10. Target: 256.
R15: T O U C H D E A N (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.


After much toing and froing Kirk and I finally managed to get it on (ooh er missus etc.). Kirk goes in as favourite but insiders are aware that he has just had his tea and may be rather more sedate than usual.

Round 1: D E M G E R U N E

C1: MERGED (6)
C2: RENEGED (7)
OT: MERENGUE (8) RENEGUED (8) (D'oh)
Score: 0–7 (max 8)

Round 2: I E I L D P T O H

C1: HOPLITE (7)
C2: HOPLITE (7)
OT: LITHOED (7) PILOTED (7)
Score: 7–14 (max 15)

Round 3: S T K A U I V M O

C1: VOMITUS (7)
C2: VOMITUS (7)
Score: 14–21 (max 22)

Round 4: E A E S P S C O I

C1: SPECIES (7)
C2: SPECIES (7)
OT: ESCAPES (7)
Score: 21–28 (max 29)

Round 5: 2, 7, 4, 10, 1, 4. Target: 372.

C1: 372. ((2+7)*10+4-1)*4 (10)
C2: 372. (7*4+4-1)*(10+2) (10)
Score: 31–38 (max 39)

Here there was a problem as I wrote my solution as 10-4+1 but corrected it instantly realising I had fallen afoul of my chubby fingers. Dan ruled it as ok to which Kirk felt compelled to lodge an official protest. When Dan made it clear that any such protest would have to go through the 'ginger adjudicator' he quickly reneged/renegued claiming that he couldn't face the paperwork. (Another Kirkism that is comedy gold!)

Round 6: I A U Q T T L E S

C1: LIQUATES (8)
C2: QUIETS (6)
OT: TEQUILAS (8)
Score: 39–38 (max 47)

A rather bad miss and the lead swings ....

Round 7: B R F I O A X G U

C1: FIGURA (6)
C2: GIAOUR (6)
Score: 45–44 (max 53)

Both wanting that final 'e' for GEARBOX.

Round 8: O A E H T L N L N

C1: ETHANOL (7)
C2: ETHANOL (7)
Score: 52–51 (max 60)

Both wanting that final 'M' for MANHOLE.

Round 9: L T R I I A S N A

C1: LIATRIS (7)
C2: INTARSIA (8)
Score: 52–59 (max 68)


Round 10: 100, 75, 50, 25, 2, 8. Target: 205.

C1: 205. (100*50+75)/25+2 (10)
C2: 205. 2*100+8-75/25 (10)
Score: 62–69 (max 78)



Round 11: M N R O A E K I D

C1: RAMEKIN (7)
C2: MONIKER (7)
OT: ANEROID (7) DOMAINE (7) MANKIER (7) MINORED (7) MORAINE (7) ROMAINE (7) ROADMEN (7)
Score: 69–76 (max 85)

Round 12: A O E T T G M E R

C1: GAMETE (6)
C2: GAMETE (6)
OT: GAROTTE (7) (D'oh!)
Score: 75–82 (max 92)

Round 13: P T N O U E C A C

C1: OCCUPANT (8)
C2: PATONCE (7)
Score: 83–82 (max 100)

Good stuff from Kirk, I have a tendancy to ignore repeated consonants like 'c' which is downright lazy of me.

Round 14: 100, 75, 50, 25, 2, 10. Target: 256.

C1: 255.
C2: 256. (75-50/25)*2+100+10 (10)
Score: 83–92 (max 110)

Round 15: T O U C H D E A N

C2 buzzes on 7 seconds to say HEADCOUNT which is correct.
Score: 83–102 (max 120)

I spent a few seconds on this conundrum trying to convince myself that COUNTHEAD ^ was really a word.


A far from flawless performance with quite a few easy ones missed. I can't help thinking the better player lost; I will need to pull my socks up or I shall indeed be felled by the ... erm ... well, Fell.

Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=59

[Kirk Bevins]

You are ever so modest, David. You beat me to a crucial conundrum - I wouldn't say the better player lost at all - you spotted INTARSIA which I thought was quality under pressure.

Also, in the ETHANOL round, we wanted the M for METHANOL not MANHOLE!

Edit: And I've just realised what an idiot I am - EMERGED was there for 7 in round 1, grrr. Shows the round 1 nerves really.

[Jon Corby]

You are ever so modest, David. You beat me to a crucial conundrum - I wouldn't say the better player lost at all - you spotted INTARSIA which I thought was quality under pressure.

Also, in the ETHANOL round, we wanted the M for METHANOL not MANHOLE!

Edit: And I've just realised what an idiot I am - EMERGED was there for 7 in round 1, grrr. Shows the round 1 nerves really.

I just played along and was beaten comfortably by both of you, I thought it was a very high quality game!

I did see EMERGED though

[Julian Fell]

Wow what a game! One of the best online games I've ever seen recapped, I reckon - the lead changing hands 4 times before the conundrum? Great performance from both of you - have just played along and it would've been a crucial conundrum between me and David.

Excellent stuff, although this means I'll be facing a third four-from-the-top specialist in a row they're everywhere!

[David O'Donnell]

Also, in the ETHANOL round, we wanted the M for METHANOL not MANHOLE!

Yes, Kirk, I was taking da mick, innit!