COMA QUARTER FINAL 3 - O'NEILL VS. WILLS

[Jon O'Neill]

This is the biggest game since Paul beat Tom in the other quarter-final! With two of the foremost contenders for Rear Admiral of the Year facing off, everyone expected a close game dominated by outstanding numerical dexterity. Were they disappointed? Now read on...

C1: Challenger Jon O'Neill.
C2: Challenger Chris Wills.
Host: Paul Howe
DC: Richard Brittain.
OT: Other words or solutions, courtesy of Ben Pugh.

R01: A E E A T L T J Z
R02: M S C E A A G N T
R03: I I A E N L S D T
R04: R H G E E A L C D
R05: 25, 100, 75, 50, 7, 8. Target: 476.
TTT: THATSMYE - "Hey! That's my E!"
R06: N T S I I I G M F
R07: U A U E R N S D P
R08: D F L E I U S K R
R09: I A E U C B T T S
R10: 4, 3, 3, 2, 1, 9. Target: 174.
TTT: POSHROAD - "A road which is posh!"
R11: E E E A R T Y W A
R12: H D N I I U S S M
R13: E A I E R D N R S
R14: 8, 9, 4, 5, 7, 7. Target: 121.
R15: M U H D E R I N G (conundrum)


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Round 1: A E E A T L T J Z
C1: LATTE (5)
C2: TEAZLE (6)
OT: TEAZEL (6)
Score: 0–6 (max 6)

Wills displays his supremacy at teasing the best out of crappy selections straight away to get off the mark.

Round 2: M S C E A A G N T
C1: MAGNATES (8)
C2: MAGNATES (8)
OT: MAGENTAS (8)
Score: 8–14 (max 14)

Round 3: I I A E N L S D T
C1: DISENTAIL (18)
C2: LANDTIES (8)
OT: ALIENIST (8) DAINTIES (8) DEINSTAL (8) IDEALIST (8) LITANIES (8)
Score: 26–14 (max 32)

But O'Neill's many hours of high-probability study pay off just two rounds later to take a twelve-point lead.

Round 4: R H G E E A L C D
C1: REACHED (7)
C2: CHARGED (7)
OT: DECLARE (7) REACHED (7) REACHED (7) CLEARED (7) CREEDAL (7) LEACHED (7) REGALED (7)
Score: 33–21 (max 39)

Round 5: 25, 100, 75, 50, 7, 8. Target: 476.
C1: 475.8*50+75 (7)
C2: 475.7*75-50 (7)
Jono (late): 476. (50-75/25)*8 (10)
Score: 40–28 (max 49)

Teatime teaser: THATSMYE -> AMETHYST

Round 6: N T S I I I G M F
C1: FISTING (7)
C2: MISTING (7)
OT: FINITISM (8)
Score: 47–35 (max 57)

Round 7: U A U E R N S D P
C1: USURPED (7)
C2: ASUNDER (7)
OT: DANSEUR (7) PANDERS (7) PURSUED (7) SPURNED (7)
Score: 54–42 (max 64)

Round 8: D F L E I U S K R
C1: FRISKED (7)
C2: SULKIER (7)
OT: DIREFUL (7) DUIKERS (7) DUSKIER (7) FLUKIER (7) SKIRLED (7)
Score: 61–49 (max 71)

Round 9: I A E U C B T T S
C1: STATICE (7)
C2: BUTTIES (7)
OT: EUSTATIC (8) - Paul Howe
Score: 68–56 (max 79)

Round 10: 4, 3, 3, 2, 1, 9. Target: 174.
C1: 174.((9-1)*4-3)*3*2 (10)
C2: 174.((2+4)*9+3+1)*3 (10)
Score: 78–66 (max 89)


At this stage the previous seven rounds have all been tied, with the difficult four from the top game and two difficult eights in EUSTATIC and FINITISM the only chances for Wills to close the twelve-point gap.


Teatime teaser: POSHROAD -> HOSPODAR

Round 11: E E E A R T Y W A
C1: EYEWEAR (7)
C2: WATERY (6)
OT: EYEWATER (8) - unrisked by Jono
Score: 85–66 (max 97)

Round 12: H D N I I U S S M
C1: NUDISM (6)
C2: NUDISM (6)
OT: MUNSHIS (7)
Score: 91–72 (max 104)

No HINDUISMS, determines Charlie after spotting it spectacularly.

Round 13: E A I E R D N R S
C1: SERRANID (8)
C2: DRAINERS (8)
OT: ARSENIDE (8) NEARSIDE (8)
Score: 99–80 (max 112)

With a nineteen-point gap and only two rounds to play, Wills needs nothing short of a miracle. Ten points to zero on the numbers and ten for the conundrum is the only avenue open to him!

Round 14: 8, 9, 4, 5, 7, 7. Target: 121.
C1: 120.
C2: 121.(8+9)*7+7-5 (10)
Score: 99–90 (max 122)

Oh! O'Neill sets up a thrilling climax with possibly the biggest ballsup ever!

Round 15: M U H D E R I N G
C2 buzzes on 1 second to say HUMDINGER which is correct.
Score: 99–100 (max 132)

Wills pips O'Neill at the post to set up a best-of-three encounter with one Conor Travers in the semi-finals. Quite a game!

[Charlie Reams]

If you're wondering about the awkward prose in the introduction, Jono and I wrote alternate words. The good words were, of course, all mine.

[Michael Wallace]

Round 5: 25, 100, 75, 50, 7, 8. Target: 476.
C1: 475.8*50+75 (7)
C2: 475.7*75-50 (7)
Jono (late): 476. (50-75/25)*8 (10)
Score: 40–28 (max 49)

maybe it's because it's nearly 3am, but I don't follow this solution...47*8 = 376, not 476...right?

...right?

edit: and now I realise that you had a 100 left over - I was beginning to wonder why I was trying to solve a numbers game with only 5 numbers...

[Dinos Sfyris]

Paul was that your conundrum? Funny I thought the same one with exact same scramble just the other day Bit easy for a COMA QF tho IMHO.

[Jon O'Neill]

It was Ben's, and I agree.

[David O'Donnell]

Cheers for the recap, Jono. Bad luck, you must have thought you had him prior to that last number game. DISENTAIL was quality btw.