Tuesday 18th February (Series 70, prelim 32)

[Callum Todd]

Countdown recap for Tuesday 18 February 2014.

C1: Champion Brett Davids (2 wins, 199 points.)
C2: Challenger Jenny Bradley, sister of aptoforumite Jon Stitcher, who gets a mention.
DC: Susie Dent and Jonathan Edwards.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: F R T N O A E P L
R02: Y T S O A I T N H
R03: 25, 2, 3, 5, 6, 9. Target: 486.
TTT: BEANSOUP - "Legally speaking, when you've gotta go, you've gotta go."
R04: K M Q E O E I D T
R05: S N R S A U E M O
R06: 100, 50, 10, 3, 2, 8. Target: 178.
R07: P V H G E U I S O
R08: D R S E A O T Z D
R09: 50, 2, 1, 3, 7, 3. Target: 825.
TTT: CRABSHOE - "Raises an issue about jewellery items"
R10: G G N E O I E V S
R11: M L N C U I O E F
R12: R T L R I A O D S
R13: N P T D E U I L T
R14: 50, 25, 9, 4, 8, 10. Target: 335.
R15: B E T S B I S O N (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER

Enjoy the show.

Round 1: F R T N O A E P L

C1: PRONATE (7)
C2: FRONTAL (7)
DC: PANFORTE (8)
OT: TERAFLOP (8)
Score: 7–7 (max 8)

Sevens from each of the contestants, while DC get PANFORTE for eight. The other eight is TERAFLOP, which is a unit of computing speed.

Round 2: Y T S O A I T N H

C1: TOASTY (6)
C2: THINS (5)
OT: STATION (7)
Score: 13–7 (max 15)

Brett takes the lead with TOASTY, while the darrenic STATION evades everyone in the studio.

Round 3: 25, 2, 3, 5, 6, 9. Target: 486.

C1: 484. (2x5+9)x25+6+3 (7)
C2: 482.
RR: 486. (5-2)x3x9x6 (10)
Score: 20–7 (max 25)

Neither contestant can solve this one spot on, but Brett gets closest with one away and picks up seven points. Rachel shows us how it's done.

Teatime teaser: BEANSOUP -> SUBPOENA

Round 4: K M Q E O E I D T

C1: EMOTED (6)
C2: DEMOTE (6)
Score: 26–13 (max 31)

A clean sweep of the maxes from our contestants here.

Round 5: S N R S A U E M O

C1: REASONS (7)
C2: MASSEUR (7)
DC: NEUROMAS (8)
OT: ENAMOURS (8) MESOSAUR (8) SURNAMES (8)
Score: 33–20 (max 39)

Sevens from the contestants, but DC get one of the four eights. A MESOSAUR is an extinct aquatic reptile.

Round 6: 100, 50, 10, 3, 2, 8. Target: 178.

C1: 178. 10x2+100+50+8 (10)
C2: 178. 10x2+100+50+8 (10)
Score: 43–30 (max 49)

A simple numbers round gives an easy ten points to both contestants.

Round 7: P V H G E U I S O

C1: HIVES (5)
C2: VOGUES (6)
DC: OGIVES (6)
OT: PISHOGUE (8)
Score: 43–36 (max 57)

Jenny reduces Brett's lead with VOGUES, but everyone misses PISHOGUE, which is an Irish word meaning a superstitious belief.

Round 8: D R S E A O T Z D

C1: ROASTED (7)
C2: ROASTED (7)
DC: DEODARS (7)
OT: DOTARDS (7) RADDEST (7) TORSADE (7)
Score: 50–43 (max 64)

A nice flat round and the seven-point gap remains, thanks to some seven-letter words.

Round 9: 50, 2, 1, 3, 7, 3. Target: 825.

C1: 824. (50x2+3)x(7+1) (7)
C2: 835.
RR: 825. (50/2)x((7+3+1)x3) (10)
Score: 57–43 (max 74)

Another round where the exact solution evades the contestants, but Brett again is closest with one away and doubles his lead. Rachel has the exact solution again.

Teatime teaser: CRABSHOE -> BROACHES

Round 10: G G N E O I E V S

C1: SEEING (6)
C2: EVENS (5)
DC: VEGGIES (7) SOIGNEE (7)
Score: 63–43 (max 81)

Another six points added onto Brett's lead, as DC spot both of the sevens available as maxes.

Round 11: M L N C U I O E F

C1: OILMEN (6)
C2: flounce
DC: FLOUNCE (7)
OT: FUNICLE (7)
Score: 69–43 (max 88)

Very unlucky from Jenny, as she miscounts the letters in FLOUNCE and declares it as a six, rather than a seven. The other seven available was FUNICLE, which is a stalk in a plant that attaches a seed or ovule to the placenta.

Round 12: R T L R I A O D S

C1: ASTROID (7)
C2: TRAILS (6)
DC: DILATORS (8) TAILORS (7)
Score: 76–43 (max 96)

Brett expands his lead with ASTROID, while DC spot the darrenic DILATORS.

Round 13: N P T D E U I L T

C1: PUTTIED (7)
C2: UNTITLED (8)
DC: DILUENT (7)
OT: INPUTTED (8)
Score: 76–51 (max 104)

A good letters finish from Jenny, but it's too little, too late, as Brett's lead now stands at 25 points with only 20 left to play for.

Round 14: 50, 25, 9, 4, 8, 10. Target: 335.

C1: 333. (10+4)x25-9-8 (7)
C2: 336. Mistake in working.
RR: 335. 9x4x10-25 (10)
Score: 83–51 (max 114)

Jenny is one closer than Brett, but unfortunately she went wrong somewhere in her working, so Brett takes the seven points. Rachel has the exact solution yet again.

Round 15: B E T S B I S O N

C1 buzzes on 11 seconds to say SNOBBIEST which is correct.
Final Score: 93–51 (max 124)

And Brett wraps up a solid victory with a conundrum solve. A decent performance from the challenger Jenny, but unfortunately not enough to see off a champion in fine form! Several players have picked up a few wins so far this series, but so far none have gone all the way to octochampdom. Brett looks like he may be the first to succeed where his predecessors have failed, but will it happen? Join Graeme tomorrow to see if he can take the next step.

Raw scores and maxes:

C1 (Brett Davids) - Raw score: 105, 3 maxes.
C2 (Jenny Bradley) - Raw score: 67, 3 maxes.

Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=70

[Graeme Cole]

Join James tomorrow to see if he can take the next step.

I should have mentioned, James is away tomorrow, so I'm doing the recap.

(Edit: I mean he asked me to do it, I didn't just autocratically claim it.)

[Callum Todd]

Join James tomorrow to see if he can take the next step.

I should have mentioned, James is away tomorrow, so I'm doing the recap.

(Edit: I mean he asked me to do it, I didn't just autocratically claim it.)

Ah, thanks Graeme. I'll edit the post.