CO-MSO 2017

Discussion and announcements relating to unofficial Countdown competitions, held online or in real life. Observation, discussion, reflection, and other stuff ending in -ion.
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Tony Atkins
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CO-MSO 2017

Post by Tony Atkins »

There will be a Countdown event at the 2017 Mind Sports Olympiad.
For details of all events at MSO see http://www.msoworld.com/events/
This is held in London at the end of August and there is a slot on the Bank Holiday Monday
for a Countdown event. Top three places will get the gold/silver/bronze medals
and there would be junior medals too if enough juniors play and do well enough.

There have been Countdown events at the MSO before but not for a while
and most recently there was a CO LONDON event on the spare day in the MSO calendar.

So confirmed for Monday 28th August 2017 from 10:15 to 18:00 at
JW3, 341-351 Finchley Road, London NW3 6ET.
This is a modern Jewish Community Centre - please note food and knives etc may not be brought on site.

Entry fee £15 - book at http://www.msoworld.com/events/countdown/

Update August 24th:

Not too late to enter - you can even just turn up on the day - a dozen or so registered so far I believe - including at least one series champ.
Last edited by Tony Atkins on Mon Aug 27, 2018 6:23 pm, edited 6 times in total.
CO-MSO every August
CO:Rea 20th April 2024
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Euan Slatter
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Re: Possible CO-MSO

Post by Euan Slatter »

Do you have exact dates? As i am in London for the athletics, so might be able to come would there be one!
COUNTDOWN or THE TUBE? Which is better? There's only one way to find out....

Call it a draw :)

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Zarte Siempre
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Re: Possible CO-MSO

Post by Zarte Siempre »

When you say on the Sunday before, do you mean... the day before? Or the weekend before?
Possibly the first contestant to accelerate with a mic clipped...
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Re: Possible CO-MSO

Post by Gavin Chipper »

Zarte Siempre wrote:When you say on the Sunday before, do you mean... the day before? Or the weekend before?
Sounds like another Easter Saturday situation.
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Jennifer Steadman
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Re: Possible CO-MSO

Post by Jennifer Steadman »

Tony Atkins wrote:Anyone up to having a Countdown event at the 2017 Mind Sports Olympiad?
This is held in London at the end of August and there is the possibility that
there is a slot on either the Bank Holiday Monday or the Sunday before for
a Countdown event. Top three places would get the gold/silver/bronze medals
and there would be junior medals too if enough juniors play and do well enough.

There have been Countdown events at the MSO before bu not for a while
and most recently there was a COLON event on the spare day in the MSO calendar.

I am winning to help run it, but it would be great if someone would be able to
run the projection software instead of card letters.

Comments please.
Who've you spoken to about it? I spoke to Craig Beevers about it a while back and he said:

"I would think Mindsports International will have some sort of exclusivity deal, what exactly that covers though I don't know. They're heavily invested with Scrabble and I work part time with them getting content and essentially getting schools signed up to their program. I'm skeptical of whether they'd take on another word game. But it depends on their perception and whether it is seen as competing with Scrabble or two things which could be mutually beneficial. They wouldn't expect any financial contribution if they were interested. "

From that I got the impression it was basically a no-go.
"There's leaders, and there's followers, but I'd rather be a dick than a swallower" - Aristotle
Heather Styles
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Re: Possible CO-MSO

Post by Heather Styles »

I'd be happy to help you on the day, Tony, but I would need a refresher course in using the software. Or it might just be easier to go low-tech. I cannot promise help before the day, though. It's good to know that there is still some interest from MSO in Countdown. Perhaps there could be some sort of reciprocal publicity arrangement, as we had with Comultilon.
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Charlie Reams
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Re: Possible CO-MSO

Post by Charlie Reams »

They approached me a few years ago about doing an apterous event, so I don't think there's any exclusivity of word games. (The event didn't happen in the end because I couldn't make the dates, but other than that I think it's viable.)
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Ben Wilson
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Re: Possible CO-MSO

Post by Ben Wilson »

Think people might be confusing MSO with MSI (unless one has recently bought the other, I dunno), which is admittedly fairly easily done.
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James Robinson
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Re: Possible CO-MSO

Post by James Robinson »

Sounds cool, I'll certainly be in the country.
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Re: Possible CO-MSO

Post by Gavin Chipper »

James Robinson wrote:Sounds cool, I'll certainly be in the country.
I know you're from the north, but it is still in the same country as London.
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Tony Atkins
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Re: Possible CO-MSO

Post by Tony Atkins »

Thanks to Heather for offering to help and the MSO team (nothing to do with MSI), we have a provisional date
of the bank holiday Monday 28th August 2017. It will run from 10:15 to 18:00 with a lunch break, but as it their
last day the medals will be in the closing ceremony which usually ends about 19:30 (anyone dashing off for a train
back to Yorkshire or any other country doesn't need to wait). They will decide for sure if they can have us in January.
CO-MSO every August
CO:Rea 20th April 2024
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Euan Slatter
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Re: Possible CO-MSO

Post by Euan Slatter »

YEEEEEES! I might finally be able to attend an event! :D
COUNTDOWN or THE TUBE? Which is better? There's only one way to find out....

Call it a draw :)

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Heather Styles
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Re: Possible CO-MSO

Post by Heather Styles »

Okay Tony, I'll wait to hear from you for definite.
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Re: CO-MSO

Post by Tony Atkins »

Now definite - see updated first posting.
CO-MSO every August
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aidan linge
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Re: CO-MSO

Post by aidan linge »

Not sure if I'll be able to attend will have to decide closer to the time, will there be FOCAL points up for grabs as well as medals?
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Re: CO-MSO

Post by Gavin Chipper »

Tony Atkins wrote:please note food and knives etc may not be brought on site.
You say etc, but there's not enough there to make a connection. What about drinks and forks?
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Re: CO-MSO

Post by Thomas Carey »

Gavin Chipper wrote:
Tony Atkins wrote:please note food and knives etc may not be brought on site.
You say etc, but there's not enough there to make a connection. What about drinks and forks?
Image
cheers maus
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Re: CO-MSO

Post by Gavin Chipper »

Thomas Carey wrote:
Gavin Chipper wrote:
Tony Atkins wrote:please note food and knives etc may not be brought on site.
You say etc, but there's not enough there to make a connection. What about drinks and forks?
Image
Like.
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Re: CO-MSO

Post by Thomas Cappleman »

Thomas Carey wrote:
Gavin Chipper wrote:
Tony Atkins wrote:please note food and knives etc may not be brought on site.
You say etc, but there's not enough there to make a connection. What about drinks and forks?
Image
Is that a round 1 or round 2 question?
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Graeme Cole
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Re: CO-MSO

Post by Graeme Cole »

Thomas Cappleman wrote:Is that a round 1 or round 2 question?
Round 1. It's things the Fox and Hounds usually run out of on the last Saturday in January, along with space and beer.
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Re: CO-MSO

Post by Thomas Carey »

Graeme Cole wrote:
Thomas Cappleman wrote:Is that a round 1 or round 2 question?
Round 1. It's things the Fox and Hounds usually run out of on the last Saturday in January, along with space and beer.
3 points to the Verbivores. This puts you at precisely the number of points required to be able to cock up the wall and then win by one after the missing vowels round.
cheers maus
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Re: CO-MSO

Post by Heather Styles »

Thomas Carey wrote:
Graeme Cole wrote:
Thomas Cappleman wrote:Is that a round 1 or round 2 question?
Round 1. It's things the Fox and Hounds usually run out of on the last Saturday in January, along with space and beer.
3 points to the Verbivores. This puts you at precisely the number of points required to be able to cock up the wall and then win by one after the missing vowels round.
Brilliant.
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Re: CO-MSO

Post by Heather Styles »

aidan linge wrote:Not sure if I'll be able to attend will have to decide closer to the time, will there be FOCAL points up for grabs as well as medals?
No. This isn't a FOCAL affiliated event.
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Re: CO-MSO

Post by Jonathan Wynn »

Provisionally in please. I hope this doesn't mean the cancellation of reading though.....?
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Re: CO-MSO

Post by Heather Styles »

I will no longer be co-hosting this event. I have already explained why to Tony. I know that this won't bother most people either way, but equally I hope that it might encourage some more people to attend. I won't respond to any questions or comments in public or private about this.
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Adam Gillard
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Re: CO-MSO

Post by Adam Gillard »

On the website it says there's £100,000 in prize money. Is any of this available in the Countdown event?
Mike Brown: "Round 12: T N R S A E I G U

C1: SIGNATURE (18) ["9; not written down"]
C2: SEATING (7)
Score: 108–16 (max 113)

Another niner for Adam and yet another century. Well done, that man."
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Re: CO-MSO

Post by Tony Atkins »

Adam Gillard wrote: Fri Apr 14, 2017 9:09 am On the website it says there's £100,000 in prize money. Is any of this available in the Countdown event?
Sadly it seems the best one can hope for is a very small pocket dictionary...
CO-MSO every August
CO:Rea 20th April 2024
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Adam Gillard
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Re: CO-MSO

Post by Adam Gillard »

Tony Atkins wrote: Mon Jul 31, 2017 9:00 am
Adam Gillard wrote: Fri Apr 14, 2017 9:09 am On the website it says there's £100,000 in prize money. Is any of this available in the Countdown event?
Sadly it seems the best one can hope for is a very small pocket dictionary...
Ah right, count me out then!
Mike Brown: "Round 12: T N R S A E I G U

C1: SIGNATURE (18) ["9; not written down"]
C2: SEATING (7)
Score: 108–16 (max 113)

Another niner for Adam and yet another century. Well done, that man."
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Tony Atkins
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Re: CO-MSO

Post by Tony Atkins »

Congrats to Ann Dibben for winning Gold by beating Tom Cappleman in the final.
Bronze went to Jonathan DeSouza.

Full results and rescaps shortly.
CO-MSO every August
CO:Rea 20th April 2024
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Tony Atkins
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Re: CO-MSO

Post by Tony Atkins »

Results table at http://www.kisekigo.com/cd/MSO17.pdf

In the third-fourth play-off Jonathan beat Tim 92-82

In the final Ann beat Tom by getting the conundrum - 113-110

The games are at http://www.kisekigo.com/cd/mso17games.pdf - answers later!
Last edited by Tony Atkins on Tue Aug 29, 2017 9:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
CO-MSO every August
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Re: CO-MSO

Post by Matt Bayfield »

That conundrum scramble must have been METALATES, not METALITES as currently recapped, to maintain the theme running through the solutions?
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Re: CO-MSO

Post by Johnny Canuck »

Matt Bayfield wrote: Tue Aug 29, 2017 4:16 pm That conundrum scramble must have been METALATES, not METALITES as currently recapped, to maintain the theme running through the solutions?
... as well as to have a solution.
I'm not dead yet. In a rut right now because of stress from work. I'll be back later in S89. I also plan to bring back the Mastergram - if I can find a way to run a timer or clock through pure MediaWiki without having to upload to Vimeo every time.
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Re: CO-MSO

Post by Tony Atkins »

Matt Bayfield wrote: Tue Aug 29, 2017 4:16 pm That conundrum scramble must have been METALATES, not METALITES as currently recapped, to maintain the theme running through the solutions?
Typo now corrected - I can't be sure there aren't others as I haven't checked it yet.

Conundrum in R2 was an emergency one as the cover fell off the answer to the planned one
before the clock started, so it doesn't fit the theme.
Last edited by Tony Atkins on Wed Aug 30, 2017 10:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
CO-MSO every August
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Phyl Styles
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Re: CO-MSO

Post by Phyl Styles »

Round 2 4th numbers game needs another number, please
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Re: CO-MSO

Post by Tony Atkins »

The typos were in Game 2 Round 14 numbers, Game 3 Round 9 target, game 5 round 2 letters and final R7 letters - sorry!
The corrected games are now at http://www.kisekigo.com/cd/mso17games.pdf and recaps are
at http://www.kisekigo.com/cd/mso17recaps.pdf
CO-MSO every August
CO:Rea 20th April 2024
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