The latest edition of OnBoard is now available from the database (login required).

The committee prepared the following statement, which is also downloadable, that was intended to be sent out with postal copies. However subsequent guidance from government means that we are unable to post OnBoard at the present time as it does not qualify as an essential journey. All members who usually receive a postal copy should still be able to download the latest version from the database.

STOP PRESS — Urgent Member Communication

The latest OnBoard has been published in the midst of an extraordinary and unprecedented situation for us all. Almost all our daily lives are being impacted in some way by the Global Pandemic Covid-19, also known as Coronavirus.

For the ABSP, these are also worrying and uncertain times. Face-to-face tournaments are on an indefinite pause, and it is currently unclear if and when things will be able to return to normal. As a result, the committee must be mindful of the potential impact and effects over the coming months, and potentially longer.

With no ratings levy, and an expected dip in membership, the ABSP's income is expected to be severely reduced. It is prudent, therefore, to hold onto funds in order to protect the future of the organisation, and ensure we can weather this storm and come out on the other side.

OnBoard is our biggest ongoing expense, so we have taken the difficult but necessary decision to suspend production of at least the postal version for the time being. Maintaining current standards and sourcing fresh interesting content will be increasingly challenging with no events taking place, and there is no guarantee we would even be able to have it printed and posted. We hope to still produce a version of OnBoard in some form, so please continue to send contributions to the editor to help us with this.

We hope you understand the reason we have taken this decision, and we will review it on an ongoing basis as events unfold. During any break, we will still endeavour to send out any essential communication to all members via email if possible, and regular post otherwise, as well as continuing to share interim updates on social media and the ABSP Website.

Our members-only Facebook discussion group is the best way to keep in touch with all things ABSP. During these times, when other social interaction will be more limited, we'll strive to have more regular and varied online activity including Consensus Games and Real-Time Online ISC Tournaments. If you are not already joined, find us by searching for 'ABSP Discussion', or via the link above.

We also have a members-only online league, which renews every two weeks and is currently played through the EA Scrabble Facebook app. Typically, this means completing ten games over two weeks at your own pace, making moves at times that suit you. Your commitment to the league is only ever for two weeks at a time, and you can opt in and out as you wish. Search for 'ABSP Online (League)' or join at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/absponline/.

Please stay safe and well in these challenging circumstances, and we all look forward to a time when it is safe to meet again across the boards and we can look to the future with renewed energy and confidence.

ABSP Committee

The ABSP committee has issued an updated statement regarding the impact of COVID-19, commonly known as coronavirus, on face-to-face Scrabble in the UK.

Please see the updated statement in full which will be updated further when necessary as and when the government advice is updated.

Following on from our updated statement, an update from Chris Harrison on some forthcoming online tournaments.

I am happy to confirm that I shall be running real-time tournaments open to ABSP Members only on the Internet Scrabble Club on both of the next two weekends. Both are likely to be Saturdays (28th March, 4th April) but this will be confirmed in due course.

The first will follow a format outlined in brief in my recent Facebook poll and the second will be paired more like a traditional face to face event. Further format details for both will be made available when registration opens. Natalie Zolty will be helping me a little with the first, and Wayne Kelly helping, possibly a lot, with the second.

If you intend to take part, it is important that where possible you have an established ISC rating which requires at least 11 rated games to be played first. If you have not used ISC much recently, I would also encourage you to play a few games, and better familiarise yourself with the software. Nowadays, ISC is normally used via a web browser at the ISC home page, but Windows users can download and install Wordbiz if they prefer to run a native application.

I am sure not many of you will have played a real-time ISC event before, and we certainly haven't run one, so the first couple of events may be a learning curve for us all, but I hope you will enjoy and appreciate the opportunity to interact with some of your friends playing the game you love in a environment that's as close to the real thing as can be safely achieved right now.

The ABSP committee has issued a statement regarding the impact of COVID-19, commonly known as coronavirus, on upcoming ABSP-rated tournaments in the UK and abroad.

Please see the statement in full which will be updated when necessary as and when the government advice is updated.

Congratulations to all prize winners, and thanks to everyone who took part in 2019. There'll be plenty more fun and games ahead in 2020 so come and sign up using the BEST 2020 entry form and tell your friends, too!

Here's a full list of winners from the 2019 event.

Main Event

Each of the top 8 also received their own customised Regional Winner's Trophy.

Second BEST

Each Second BEST winner also received their own customised winner's keepsake. The Second BEST final did not take place in Ireland by mutual consent of both players. The prize money that would have been awarded for this has been rolled over into the BEST 2020 prize fund.

Ratings Prizes

4 ratings prizes were awarded for the highest one-off performances above rating. These prizes were open to anyone, at all levels even if they had already won a main prize.

Special & Spot Prizes

Thanks to Mattel and ABSP President Gyles Brandreth for sponsoring/donating prizes for BEST 2019. As a result, we spent very little on these added extras and could even have a couple more winners than anticipated. Where possible we chose or allocated these prizes with the recipients in mind.

Special Ratings Prize: Angela Margaret Brodie

Given the number of entrants exceeded the 64 budgeted for, we decided to award a special ratings prize for average performance above rating across the whole of BEST 2019. It was closely contested and ultimately won with a phenomenal average performance above rating across 34 games of +22.5. Angie wins a cash prize and a copy of the latest book by Gyles Brandreth, "Dancing By The Light Of The Moon". The book is a collection of poems which he encourages to be learnt by heart to aid memory techniques and also includes a few of his stories and anecdotes. Please be aware that now we know how to work them out, all ratings prizes for 2020 will be awarded using this method and based on average performance above rating across the whole event.

Most Interesting Match Venue: Temu Oluku & Barry French (Library of Birmingham)

It's fair to say there was not the greatest competition for this prize and we are unlikely to repeat it in the future. However, the winners are still worthy ones. Temu and Barry played their match at the Library of Birmingham. As such it provided the biggest showcase opportunity for Scrabble and given they had their own word wars, both Barry and Temu will receive "Word Wars" DVD which follows 4 Scrabble fanatics on the International Scrabble scene.

BEST Sportsmanship: Alan Abela

Alan lost out in an epic 9 game battle where he had been the favourite going in and led most of the way. The match ran late into the night, and yielded something of an upset when Bobbie Penn ran out the winner. Bobbie nominated Alan for this prize because she said he remained kind, upbeat, positive and encouraging despite the ultimate result. Alan wins a copy of Mattel Balderdash, a board game about crazy and creative definitions.

High Game Score: Paul Gallen

We had 5 scores of 600 or higher, but the biggest was a 653 by Paul Gallen. Paul also wins a copy of Mattel Balderdash.

High Word Score: Brett Smitheram (Consolation Prize Robert Richland)

Until the final weekend, this looked like going to Robert Richland who managed not one, but two different nine-timers with the same score. However, Brett managed to go 27 points better with his play of SKEWBALD on day 1 of the final. Brett also wins of copy of Mattel Balderdash, but we awarded Robert a "Keep Calm & Love Scrabble" mug in consolation for leading for such a long time.

"BEST" Word Prize: Gary Oliver (Consolation Prize Judith Moore)

We know this was a tricky task as all submissions had to include the letters BEST together and in that order. Gary Oliver rose to the challenge with a superb 82 point play of BESTIAL. Gary wins a special Scrabble mug for being such a "Clever Dick". For embracing the difficult theme, we also awarded a prize to Judith Moore of a pair of Collins Little Scrabble Books by Barry Grossman and Mark Nyman to help her with her ongoing progress up the ratings.

After 10 months, 7 rounds and over 100 matches, we finally have a winner: Brett Smitheram is the BEST of the BEST, triumphing 9-5 over Wayne Kelly in an exciting, but sometimes intense, final.

It's Brett's first victory in BEST, a title which had so far eluded him having narrowly missed out in two previous finals. The third time was perhaps a charm although it may have seemed like history was repeating as honours were mostly shared at the start with Wayne even taking a slender lead at times. After 10 games, the match was tied at 5-5 before Brett opened up the first real break to lead 7-5 overnight. When play resumed, he made swift work of things, taking the next 2 to clinch the title.

Brett had been a standout performer in BEST 2019 from the start dropping just 6 games out of 39 on route to the final, with an average ratings performance of 209. He has now won his 10th Major, the second in less than a year and joins Paul Gallen as the only player to have won two of the 2019 majors. Notably, in Brett's case they were the only two he entered with a large, tough field assembled for both. This win caps off a year which also saw him crowned the highest rated UK player for a record 5th time.

Highlights of the final match included 9-timers for both players. Brett struck first with SKEWBALD for a whopping 217 points, obliterating the previous BEST 2019 high word score in the process. Not to be outdone, Wayne slotted in PORTENTS four games later. Other more unusual words played by Brett included GASOHOLS, JAILBIRD, OVEREYES, VALGOID and VENERERS.

Here's Brett pictured after the match with his own makeshift trophy but we hope he will be presented with the real one soon. Congratulations to all other prize winners – a full list will be confirmed and made available in the coming days.

Entries are now open for the 2020 competition so come and join the fun! Entries close on 13th April 2020.

2019 News Archive

Click on the title of this article to access the news archive for the year.

All news article headings are now links to the full news article.