Tuesday 1st July - Series 71, Prelim 2

[Callum Todd]

Countdown recap for Tuesday 1 July 2014.

C1: Champion James Wall (4 wins, 329 points.)
C2: Challenger Sue Melling.
DC: Susie Dent and Jon Culshaw.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: T D E I R L U E N
R02: D O E Z R O N D I
R03: 50, 9, 2, 3, 4, 1. Target: 730.
TTT: ILOVEFOR - "I'm a lover of leaves, so you can call me this."
R04: T Q E R A D T E W
R05: I P T A G L S E G
R06: 50, 4, 1, 6, 3, 10. Target: 581.
R07: S M I O H S N E L
R08: H P I K O I R E X
R09: 25, 3, 3, 2, 5, 6. Target: 365.
TTT: LADSRANG - "Hang lots of flowers out for Judy, perhaps?"
R10: I M T A U V S O E
R11: D O L B E I R N A
R12: P F E O C S N A F
R13: R V S D I E T I G
R14: 25, 75, 10, 9, 9, 1. Target: 812.
R15: V E X A C A D E T (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: T D E I R L U E N

James: REUNITED (8)
Sue: INTERLUDE (18)
Score: 0–18 (max 18)

James spots a good eight to start things off, but Sue goes one better with an excellent nine.

Round 2: D O E Z R O N D I

James: DOZEN (5)
Sue: IRONED (6)
DC: ODORIZED (8)
Score: 0–24 (max 26)

It's a good start for Sue as she pulls 24 points ahead after only two rounds. DC spot the darrenic eight.

Round 3: 50, 9, 2, 3, 4, 1. Target: 730.

James: 740. (4x3x2+50)x(9+1) (5)
Sue: -
RR: 730. (50x3-4)x(9+1)/2 (10)
Score: 5–24 (max 36)

James is just about close enough to score some points here, while Sue can't get near enough. Rachel has the exact solution.

Teatime teaser: ILOVEFOR -> FOLIVORE

Round 4: T Q E R A D T E W

James: TREATED (7)
Sue: WATERED (7)
OT: DEWATER (7) TARWEED (7)
Score: 12–31 (max 43)

A flat round of sevens here.

Round 5: I P T A G L S E G

James: laggiest
Sue: PIGLETS (7)
DC: TALIPES (7)
OT: LIGATES (7) PLATIES (7)
Score: 12–38 (max 50)

Very unlucky here for James, I would have expect laggiest to be okay even with the old paper dictionary, so to find that it's not even in the ODO is a big surprise.

Round 6: 50, 4, 1, 6, 3, 10. Target: 581.

James: 583. 3x4x50-10-6-1 (7)
Sue: 585.
RR: 581. (50x4-6)x3-1 (10)
Score: 19–38 (max 60)

James is one step ahead on the numbers once more. Numbers rounds could be the key to his comeback attempt now, although he doesn't manage to solve the target exactly. Rachel does, and shows us how.

Round 7: S M I O H S N E L

James: HOLINESS (8)
Sue: LEMONS (6)
OT: HOMINESS (8)
Score: 27–38 (max 68)

A very good spot from James, really showing the quality that has allowed him to come so far. He is know almost within touching distance of his opponent, despite the early setback.

Round 8: H P I K O I R E X

James: POKIER (6)
Sue: POKER (5)
DC: POXIER (6)
OT: HOKIER (6)
Score: 33–38 (max 74)

And he's now within conundrum distance after another letters maximum.

Round 9: 25, 3, 3, 2, 5, 6. Target: 365.

James: 366. 5x3x25-6-3 (7)
Sue: 373.
RR: 365. (3x25-2)x5 (10)
Score: 40–38 (max 84)

Three numbers rounds played so far, and in all three of them James has won the round without finding the exact solution. He's now taken the lead for the first time today.

Teatime teaser: LADSRANG -> GARLANDS

Round 10: I M T A U V S O E

James: MAUVE (5)
Sue: AMUSE (5)
DC: ATOMISE (7) MOTIVES (7)
OT: AMOSITE (7) ATOMIES (7) MAUVEST (7) TIMEOUS (7) VOMITUS (7)
Score: 45–43 (max 91)

James equals Sue's five here, but will be disappointed to learn he could have just added ST onto his word for a seven.

Round 11: D O L B E I R N A

James: BLINDER (7)
Sue: BRAINED (7)
DC: BANDOLIER (18)
Score: 52–50 (max 109)

Decent sevens from each of the contestants, but DC have the nine.

Round 12: P F E O C S N A F

James: PECANS (6)
Sue: PONCES (6)
DC: CAPONS (6)
OT: CANOES (6) OCEANS (6) PAEONS (6) SCOPAE (6)
Score: 58–56 (max 115)

A very flat round here sees that two point gap hold.

Round 13: R V S D I E T I G

James: DIGEST (6)
Sue: STRIVED (7)
DC: REVISIT (7) DIVERTS (7) DIRTIES (7)
OT: DITSIER (7) GRIVETS (7) VISITED (7)
Score: 58–63 (max 122)

On the last letters round of the day, Sue retakes the lead with a good maximum.

Round 14: 25, 75, 10, 9, 9, 1. Target: 812.

James: 809.
Sue: 812. 9x9x10+75/25-1 (10)
Score: 58–73 (max 132)

And it's fourth and last time lucky for Sue, as she beats James to the numbers for the first time, also getting the day's first exact numbers solve. That seals her victory.

Round 15: V E X A C A D E T

James buzzes on 2 seconds to say EXCAVATED which is correct.
Final Score: 68–73 (max 142)

So he was pipped at the final numbers round, but James saves some face with a speedy conundrum solve. He clearly had a good amount of ability at this game, but perhaps he was put off today by conceding a nine in the first round. Full credit to Sue though, who put in a strong performance and deserves the win, although she may need to hope her numbers go more like the last round today rather than the first three, if she wishes to rack up a few wins for herself. Join c4c's James tomorrow to see how Sue gets on. It seems unlikely that we'll be seeing James Wall again any time soon, although getting to the quarter finals on four wins is not unheard of, so we'll see.

Statistics
Raw score: James 87 - Sue 84
Maximums: James 4 - Sue 5

Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=71

[Clive Brooker]

Round 10: I M T A U V S O E

James: MAUVE (5)
Sue: AMUSE (5)
DC: ATOMISE (7) MOTIVES (7)
OT: AMOSITE (7) ATOMIES (7) MAUVEST (7) TIMEOUS (7) VOMITUS (7)
Score: 45–43 (max 91)

James equals Sue's five here, but will be disappointed to learn he could have just added ST onto his word for a seven.

MAUVEST was my offering as well. However, ODO dismisses it with the "No results found" message. It's hard to imagine that the 1-syllable adjective rule would take precedence in such a situation, and I await with interest the ruling when a similar example is offered in a game.

Unfortunately our old friend FEINT no longer seems to be an adjective.

[Graeme Cole]

Unfortunately our old friend FEINT no longer seems to be an adjective.

Yes it is, though you have to scroll down past a screenful of blank space, or spot the "there are 2 definitions" bit at the top, to find it.