Spoilers for Wednesday 28th January CofC XIII SF1

Ben Hunter · Post by **Ben Hunter** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 3:32 pm

Briers vs Wainwright

Paul Howe · Post by **Paul Howe** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 3:37 pm

(100-25+8)*9+1

Katherine Birkett · Post by **Katherine Birkett** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 3:39 pm

Don't you mean Wednesday in the title?

Ray Folwell · Post by **Ray Folwell** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 3:42 pm

UNTHREAD in R3?

Gavin Chipper · Post by **Gavin Chipper** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 3:42 pm

Paul Howe wrote:(100-25+8)*9+1

I got that as well (except 50+25), but in the time unlike Rachel. So I'm actually leading the contestants into the second "half". I thought I'd mention that because there's no chance it will last.

Craig Beevers · Post by **Craig Beevers** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 3:44 pm

Surprised no-one got the numbers in the time. Using 9x8 = 72 + 1 is the standout way of getting that 2.

Had no idea what EXACTA was, although I'm sure Nick did.

Paul Howe · Post by **Paul Howe** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 3:44 pm

rayfolwell wrote:UNTHREAD in R3?

Yeah, that's fine, nice one.

Adam Dexter · Post by **Adam Dexter** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 3:44 pm

rayfolwell wrote:UNTHREAD in R3?

I got unthread as well

I'm just behind having struggled to a 5 on the first round.

Craig Beevers · Post by **Craig Beevers** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 3:47 pm

eugenics in that round.

Mark Kudlowski · Post by **Mark Kudlowski** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 4:01 pm

2nd numbers alt:

(10 x 9 x 8) + ((10 + 3) x 2)

Adam Dexter · Post by **Adam Dexter** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 4:03 pm

What's wrong with trailed in Round 12?

Edit: Round 12

Gavin Chipper · Post by **Gavin Chipper** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 4:12 pm

Adam Dexter wrote:What's wrong with trailed in Round 12?

Edit: Round 12

I got that and was shocked Nick didn't. Cost him the game!

Martin Gardner · Post by **Martin Gardner** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 4:13 pm

Adam Dexter wrote:What's wrong with trailed in Round 12?

Edit: Round 12

I had LARIATED for 8 in that round, but it seems not to be in Countmax. Maybe it's Scrabble only? I seem to think we've had that on Countdown before.

Nick Wainwright · Post by **Nick Wainwright** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 4:13 pm

Annoyingly I had GARFISH written down in round 7 and would've risked it had I been declaring second and I still can't work out how I missed the straightforward 7s in round 12.

In any case, the better player won - well played Steve - he was definitely the more deserving finalist, especially after his earlier two performances, and I can have no complaints with being a losing semi-finalist given the quality of some of the players eliminated earlier in the competition.

Katherine Birkett · Post by **Katherine Birkett** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 4:14 pm

MY RESULTS:

Letters 1 - ENACTS

Letters 2 - GUITARS

Letters 3 - HEADER

Letters 4 - AVOWS, MIST, MOIST

Numbers 1 - 749 ( 1 OFF )

Tea Time Teaser 1 - got GUESSING

Letters 5 - PINS

Letters 6 - FAIRS

Letters 7 - POLITE

Letters 8 - USABLE

Numbers 2 - Nowhere near.

Tea Time Teaser 2 - got OBEDIENT

Letters 9 - PARKED

Letters 10 - TRAILED

Letters 11 - SNAILED

Numbers 3 - Brain went to sleep!

Conundrum - Totally, utterly lost!

Martin Gardner · Post by **Martin Gardner** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 4:16 pm

Oh and was a great game. I didn't think Nick could hold Steve to a crucial conundrum, but he did. Still, I think he did as well as he could have and I think the best player won. I did feel the rounds were a bit flat as well, although annoyingly I turned the TV on just after round one.

Gavin Chipper · Post by **Gavin Chipper** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 4:23 pm

Nick Wainwright wrote:Annoyingly I had GARFISH written down in round 7 and would've risked it had I been declaring second and I still can't work out how I missed the straightforward 7s in round 12.

In any case, the better player won - well played Steve - he was definitely the more deserving finalist, especially after his earlier two performances, and I can have no complaints with being a losing semi-finalist given the quality of some of the players eliminated earlier in the competition.

Well done on a very good game because I think based on the previous rounds people thought it might be a bit one-sided. Not that you were anything less than very good, but Steven looked like possible champion material from the outset.

Harry Whitehouse · Post by **Harry Whitehouse** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 4:24 pm

I also had LARIATED, but although LASSO is also a verb, my Chambers gives LARIAT only as a noun.

Kai Laddiman · Post by **Kai Laddiman** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 4:35 pm

Wooo!!! I got the conundrum again!

Phil Reynolds · Post by **Phil Reynolds** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 4:35 pm

Nick Wainwright wrote:Annoyingly I had GARFISH written down in round 7

Amusingly I had two 6s - GARISH and OAFISH - each of which could be extended by one letter to the name of a fish, GARFISH and OARFISH. Actually, it wasn't amusing at all, sorry.

Kai Laddiman · Post by **Kai Laddiman** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 4:35 pm

Nick Wainwright wrote:I can have no complaints with being a losing semi-finalist given the quality of some of the players eliminated earlier in the competition

Someone can

Neil Zussman · Post by **Neil Zussman** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 4:37 pm

Unpieces is not a word is it? (round 6 I think). It sounds like it should be, but maybe I'm confusing it with something else. No idea what, mind you.
Numbers rounds today were weird; I got the first two, more difficult ones, but messed up the third, easier one.
Oh wait, hang on, that makes me weird...

Chris Corby · Post by **Chris Corby** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 4:39 pm

A good and speedy recap Kai

Phil Reynolds · Post by **Phil Reynolds** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 4:43 pm

Neil Zussman wrote:Unpieces is not a word is it? (round 6 I think). It sounds like it should be, but maybe I'm confusing it with something else. No idea what, mind you.

Possibly you're thinking of UNPICKS.

jeff wharton · Post by **jeff wharton** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 4:59 pm

Would exacts have been ok in round one?No one has mentioned it thats why I am doubting it.
I was surprised Nick missed trailed in round twelve.Also I thought he would have gone for six
small in the final numbers game after coming out the winner in the previous numbers with six
small.
Another close game.I havn,t kept count,but I wonder how many of the finals games have
gone down to a crucial conundrum?

Joseph Bolas · Post by **Joseph Bolas** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 5:00 pm

I was hoping for an 'E' to come out in round 2 for SIGNATURE, but an 'I' came out instead. Also after Steve got MANGANESE and Nick got DAVENPORT, in previous games, I thought one of them might've spotted VARIFOCAL.

It was another brilliant game though and well done to Steve for getting into the Final on Friday and commiserations to Nick.

Kai Laddiman · Post by **Kai Laddiman** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 5:04 pm

7 CofC XIII games have gone to a crucial conundrum.

Neil Zussman · Post by **Neil Zussman** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 5:10 pm

Phil Reynolds wrote:
Neil Zussman wrote:Unpieces is not a word is it? (round 6 I think). It sounds like it should be, but maybe I'm confusing it with something else. No idea what, mind you.
Possibly you're thinking of UNPICKS.

Possibly. I guess a detective is more likely to unpick evidence than unpiece it...

Kai Laddiman wrote:7 CofC XIII games have gone to a crucial conundrum.

That's obviously planned in advance to give us all more entertainment

Phil Reynolds · Post by **Phil Reynolds** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 5:29 pm

jeff wharton wrote:Would exacts have been ok in round one?No one has mentioned it thats why I am doubting it.

It would have been absolutely fine, since exact is a verb as well as an adjective. Presumably no one has mentioned it because it's shorter than any of the words that were given.

jeff wharton · Post by **jeff wharton** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 5:31 pm

Kai Laddiman wrote:7 CofC XIII games have gone to a crucial conundrum.

Thanks Kai I couldn,t be bothered to check back myself.

Richard Priest · Post by **Richard Priest** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 6:41 pm

I had RADIATE in round 12 but missed OARFISH and GARFISH despite having a list prior to CoC of words ending in FISH.

Well done Steve, commiserations Nick.Must have been a tough one to lose.

Steven Tew · Post by **Steven Tew** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 6:45 pm

The weekend is coming quicker than I thought

David Gunn · Post by **David Gunn** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 7:40 pm

jeff wharton wrote:Also I thought he would have gone for six small in the final numbers game after coming out the winner in the previous numbers with six
small.

Well done, both Steven & Nick.
Like Jeff, I expected Nick to go for 6small in the final numbers. Although 1large was most likely to produce an even result and therefore a crucial conundrum, 6small may have put Nick in the lead for a crucial conundrum, which would have resulted in a victory when neither contestant got the conundrum.
(Hindsight is a wonderful thing!)

Kirk Bevins · Post by **Kirk Bevins** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 9:00 pm

I didn't get it (I only had a 6) but after Steven said PARKED in round 11 I saw PARKADE for a beater. RAGFISH is also OK in round 7 and I had BASCULE for an equaller in round 9. I'm pleased that Steven offered LAZARET over TRAILED though

Martin Gardner · Post by **Martin Gardner** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 10:17 pm

Hmm yes it occurred to me afterwards that maybe he should have gone for six small ones - but mainly because of the result. The standard play given the scores is to go for one large, because if he gets beaten on the numbers, his opponent avoids a crucial conundrum, but if he beats his opponent on the numbers, it's still a crucial conundrum, albeit with him in the lead, not Steven. Jono might have something to say about that, actually...

The other reason is that remarkably few conundrums have been solved - possibly a reason to try and be ahead going into the conundrum, because I think less than half of the conundrums have been solved, so far. Someone will check this I reckon.

Ben Hunter · Post by **Ben Hunter** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 11:23 pm

Only just realised I put Thursday instead of Wednesday in the title.

Steven Briers · Post by **Steven Briers** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 10:45 am

For some reason this was the game where I felt the most nervous, although I was nervous for all of them. Risking TOP-LINE was rather foolish as I was literally 50-50 as to whether it was hyphenated or not, but the temptation got the better of me.

The conundrum was 30 seconds of complete torture for me as Nick had up until that point been notoriously good with the other conundrums in the tournament, so I was expecting to hear his buzzer go off at any point. Nick, like all the others, was a great person as well.

Vikash Shah · Post by **Vikash Shah** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 11:58 am

Well done Steven, commiserations Nick.

Is it me or are conundrums selected for the final stages of a series intentionally more difficult to get? Being relatively thick I generally get about 1-in-4 conundrums in normal games, but during finals rounds I can barely be bothered trying.

Richard Priest · Post by **Richard Priest** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 12:42 pm

Vikash Shah wrote:Is it me or are conundrums selected for the final stages of a series intentionally more difficult to get? Being relatively thick I generally get about 1-in-4 conundrums in normal games, but during finals rounds I can barely be bothered trying.

Yes Vikash, Damian does pick more difficult conundrums for the series finals and CoC. They certainly don't have any obvious endings (e.g. -ED or -ING) and can be quite obscure words too.

Charlie Reams · Post by **Charlie Reams** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 12:45 pm

Vikash Shah wrote:Is it me or are conundrums selected for the final stages of a series intentionally more difficult to get? Being relatively thick

Well there's a question with its own answer if ever I saw one.