Majors

The National Scrabble Championship has had a variety of formats over its years of existence. The current format is a two-day championship event for players who have qualified by playing in an NSC Qualifier event through the year, plus a plate event that is open to all-comers who did not qualify for the championship event. This event is currently organised by the ABSP.

The British Matchplay Scrabble Championships (BMSC) is the flagship open event of the ABSP. Consisting of 25 games played over the August Bank Holiday weekend, its current venue is Kents Hill Park, Milton Keynes.

The ABSP Masters is an elite invitational event for the 16 best players in the UK. It is usually a 'round robin' event (i.e. everyone plays everyone else once), currently held in July, with the qualifying period lasting for a period of 12 months.

The UK Open was introduced in 2008 and is the longest event of the year, comprising a mammoth 48 games over 5 days in early January in Coventry, with a 30 game main event plus a secondary 18 game tournament (either an early bird or final fling depending on the calendar).

The four seasonal matchplay events complete the set of annual multi-day ABSP major events. The Spring Matchplay is usually held over the early May Bank Holiday weekend; the Easter Matchplay is held over the Easter weekend and comprises 19 rounds, as does the Festival of Scrabble (formerly known as Summer Matchplay), currently in Bournville, in June; and the Winter Matchplay is 17 rounds played in Milton Keynes in November.

The British Elimination Scrabble Tournament (BEST) is an annual knockout competition which lasts over nine months. Played as a series of face-to-face knockout matches at regional and then national level, the winner typically plays more than 70 games over nine months to lift the trophy.

Only one major, the UK Open, took place as scheduled during 2020 due to the pandemic, and none in 2021. However, the NSC and BMSC took place in June and August respectively as the tournament scene has been able to restart.


National Champion BMSC ABSP Masters BEST UK Open

1987 Allan Simmons
1988 Allan Simmons
1989 Russell Byers Gareth Williams
1990 Philip Nelkon Phil Appleby
1991 Phil Appleby Allan Simmons
1992 Philip Nelkon Mark Nyman Di Dennis
1993 Allan Saldanha Andrew Fisher Phil Appleby
1994 Mike Willis Russell Byers Allan Simmons
1995 Allan Saldanha Mark Nyman
1996 Andrew Fisher Mark Nyman Gareth Williams
1997 Andrew Cook Andrew Davis Mark Nyman
1998 Mark Nyman Helen Gipson Andrew Fisher
1999 Evan Simpson Andrew Perry Andrew Davis
2000 Brett Smitheram David Acton Mark Nyman
2001 Mark Nyman Andrew Cook Andrew Davis Andrew Fisher
2002 Mark Nyman Mark Nyman Andrew Davis Paul Allan
2003 Harshan Lamabadusuriya Brett Smitheram Mark Nyman Phil Appleby
2004 Mark Nyman Brett Smitheram Mark Nyman Adam Logan
2005 Wale Fashina Harshan Lamabadusuriya Brett Smitheram
2006 Jake Jacobs Brett Smitheram David Webb Phil Appleby
2007 Paul Allan Paul Allan Allan Simmons
2008 Allan Simmons Allan Simmons Harshan Lamabadusuriya Harshan Lamabadusuriya Nigel Richards
2009 Craig Beevers Mark Nyman Jared Robinson David Webb Helen Gipson
2010 Mikki Nicholson Brett Smitheram Lewis Mackay Mark Nyman Nigel Richards
2011 Wayne Kelly Lewis Mackay Craig Beevers Mikki Nicholson Nigel Richards
2012 Paul Gallen Kevin McMahon Femi Awowade Lewis Mackay Nigel Richards
2013 Paul Allan Paul Gallen Paul Gallen Paul Gallen Nigel Richards
2014 Chris May Paul Gallen Paul Gallen Chris May Nigel Richards
2015 Craig Beevers Mark Nyman Lewis Mackay Paul Allan
2016 Phil Robertshaw Allan Simmons Allan Simmons Allan Simmons Nigel Richards
2017 Austin Shin Dave Koenig Paul Allan Paul Gallen Nigel Richards
2018 Ed Martin Lewis Mackay Gary Oliver Paul Gallen Nigel Richards
2019 Phil Robertshaw David Eldar Paul Gallen Brett Smitheram Nigel Richards
2020 - - - - Ed Martin
2021 - - - - -
2022 Brett Smitheram Lewis Mackay -
2023 Paul Allan Tobias Outi -
2024 Paul Gallen Lewis Mackay -


Spring Matchplay Easter Matchplay Festival of Scrabble Winter Matchplay

1988 Mark Nyman
1989 Barrie Knox Darryl Francis
1990 Pete Finley Mark Nyman
1991 Simon Gillam Mark Nyman Mark Nyman
1992 Andrew Fisher Gareth Williams Mark Nyman
1993 Mark Nyman John Grayson Andrew Fisher Evan Simpson
1994 Helen Grayson Mark Nyman Clive Spate Mark Nyman
1995 Mike Willis Terry Kirk Russell Byers Andrew Cook
1996 Clive Spate Andrew Fisher Martin Fowkes Joyce Cansfield
1997 Clive Spate Terry Kirk David Acton Bob Violett
1998 Peter Preston Phil Appleby Karl Khoshnaw Jackie McLeod
1999 Rob Dowse Andrew Perry Joyce Cansfield Andrew Perry
2000 Mike Willis Allan Simmons Paul Allan Andrew Cook
2001 Paul Allan Gareth Williams Paul Allan Andrew Cook
2002 David Acton Andrew Fisher Robert Richland Shanker Menon
2003 Allan Simmons Femi Awowade Martin Thompson Pete Finley
2004 Adam Philpotts Phil Appleby Lewis Mackay Pete Finley
2005 Adam Logan Ed Martin Stewart Holden Austin Shin
2006 Wayne Kelly Brett Smitheram Paul Allan Craig Beevers
2007 Ed Martin Elie Dangoor Helen Gipson Femi Awowade
2008 Martin Harrison Brett Smitheram Mikki Nicholson Austin Shin
2009 Austin Shin Phil Robertshaw Martin Harrison Azu Ogbogu
2010 Martin Harrison Wayne Kelly Brian Sugar
2011Martin HarrisonElie DangoorAzu OgboguAdam Logan
2012Wayne KellyTheresa BroussonAzu OgboguCraig Beevers
2013Martin HarrisonPhil RobertshawTerry KirkAustin Shin
2014Jackie McLeodPhil RobertshawJohn Ashmore
2015Wayne KellyWayne KellyDavid EldarAustin Shin
2016Allan SimmonsRafal DominiczakLewis Mackay
2017Austin ShinHarshan LamabadusuriyaWayne KellyAustin Shin
2018Nick DellerLewis MackayJohn AshmorePhil Robertshaw
2019Brett Smitheram1Lewis MackayPaul GallenHarshan Lamabadusuriya
2020----
2021----
2022---Rik Kennedy
2023-Elie Dangoor-Harshan Lamabadusuriya
2024-Phil Robertshaw-


1SIMPLE (Scottish International Matchplay Live in Edinburgh) took the place of the 2019 Spring Matchplay.


For details of all of these tournaments and others, have a look at the calendar.