I won two out of three last week to take my record to 91-16:
425-315 against Dave K. I played TOLLAGES (72) and bECAUSe (86) and got 59 for QUAI.
435-498 against Chris Lo. I had some horrible duplication and triplication with INNORRR as my opening pick so I rid myself of RIN (18), underlapping Chris’s opener QI (22). RIN gave Chris a perfect DWS-DWS spot to lay down PRONGED / GRIN (99). Sigh. I should have played RONIN (20) under QI, but that still would have given Chris a spot for PRONGED / PIN, but would have scored only 68. What is the better leave: NORR after RIN (18) or RR after RONIN (20)? With the rack AALNRT? I found the only playable 7LW NATuRAL (63) yet the L was adjacent to the right TWS and Chris responded with INCISAL / NATuRALS (87). I managed to play WHITEOut (98) through my blank u, and won a challenge. With Chris losing a turn I took the lead with ZAIRE (48), keeping BGS but my next pick was horrible (three of the four tiles I drew were BCU), and was lucky to get down CUBEB (11) around an open E. Chris played RETAINS (71) which sealed the win and I couldn’t catch up.
551-359 against Sid. I played DOATING (72), SUBHEaDs (82), PANDIES (95) and VINTAGE (90). Sid played DENARII (71). My opening rack was ADNOTUW and I was playing first. If I was playing second I wanted an R for OUTDRAWN or UNTOWARD, the only 8LW I could see. When I checked after the game, the R is the only letter that rack built through. I decided to open with WUD (14) and then got DOATING down on my second turn. Two of my later racks only made 8LW through a C: EGINOOZ makes ZOOGENIC and the clunky AAEGINY makes GYNAECIA.