Monday May 4th 2015 (series 72, prelim 78)

[Andy McGurn]

Countdown recap for Monday 4 May 2015.

C1: Champion Robert Baxter (1 win, 78 points) A sales assistant from West Yorkshire who beat an opponent whose name is not mentioned by Nick but is described as a competent young contender. Robert was formerly a member of c4countdown under his real name before later changing his identity to the pseudonym “Rhys Benjamin”.


C2: Challenger Deidre Sweetman – a puzzle loving mother of three from county Dublin who is an accountant. She loves Hamilton Island in Australia where children are not allowed.

DC: Susie Dent and Chris Hollins.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: M L C K T A E O N
R02: Y W S R I A I L E
R03: 9, 1, 3, 5, 7, 100. Target: 656.
TTT: SADSMILE - "gives the wrong impression about West Yorkshire beauty queen."
R04: T S T L I E I D E
R05: R T Z N T O A E H
R06: 1, 1, 2, 3, 25, 75. Target: 367.
R07: R S R N S I E O R
R08: L D A E P M U S H
R09: 1, 6, 2, 6, 3, 25. Target: 406.
TTT: DARNBEST - "Simpson stops talking and serves drinks instead"
R10: P G I A V R I A J
R11: N P T D Q O A E O
R12: D G E O C N E W O
R13: G S X R S I O E D
R14: 4, 4, 7, 1, 50, 100. Target: 276.
R15: F I N G E R L I P (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: M L C K T A E O N

Robert: LOCKET (6)
Deidre: TACKLE (6)
DC: COALMEN (7)
OT: LACTONE (7) OMENTAL (7) TELAMON (7)
Score: 6–6 (max 7)

None of the sevens here were obvious words so sixs are acceptable for the contestants.


Round 2: Y W S R I A I L E

Robert: WAILERS (7)
Deidre: WEARILY (7)
DC: LAWYERS (7)
Score: 13–13 (max 14)

Seven is the max again and this time the contestants get one each.

Round 3: 9, 1, 3, 5, 7, 100. Target: 656.

Robert: 656. ((100-5)*7)-9 (10)
Deidre: 654.
Score: 23–13 (max 24)

Robert makes the first breakaway of the game with a nice solve.

Teatime teaser: SADSMILE -> MISLEADS

Round 4: T S T L I E I D E

Robert: SLITTED (7)
Deidre: LISTED (6)
OT: DEITIES (7) DITTIES (7) ELITIST (7) SETTLED (7) STILTED (7) TIDIEST (7)
Score: 30–13 (max 31)

It’s a risk for Robert that pays off and he increases his lead to 17.


Round 5: R T Z N T O A E H

Robert: HOTTER (6)
Deidre: HATTER (6)
DC: ROTATE (6) THREAT (6) ANOTHER (7)
Score: 36–19 (max 38)

ANOTHER round in which the contestants miss the max by one and DC spot it. If I had a picture of Derren Brown on my hard drive I would copy it to this recap.


Round 6: 1, 1, 2, 3, 25, 75. Target: 367.

Robert: 370.
Deidre: 365. (75-1-1)*(3+2) (7)
RR: 366/368 (7)
Score: 36–26 (max 45)

Deidre pulls her deficit back to just ten with a max in this numbers round.


Round 7: R S R N S I E O R

Robert: ROSIER (6)
Deidre: SENSOR (6)
DC: RINSERS (7) SENIORS (7) SORRIER (7)
OT: ROSINERS (8)
Score: 42–32 (max 53)

Contestants scoring six with DC getting seven is happening a lot in this game and it happens here as well, the difference being that in this round seven is not the max as there was a derrenic 8 available.


Round 8: L D A E P M U S H

Robert: SLUMPED (7)
Deidre: SAMPLED (7)
OT: PELHAMS (7) PLASHED (7)
Score: 49–39 (max 60)

Gap stays at ten as more sevenfulness occurs.


Round 9: 1, 6, 2, 6, 3, 25. Target: 406.

Robert: 406. (((6*2)+3+1)*25)+6 (10)
Deidre: 406. (((6*2)+3+1)*25)+6 (10)
Score: 59–49 (max 70)

Same method by Deidre and Robert in this simple one.


Teatime teaser: DARNBEST -> BARTENDS

Round 10: P G I A V R I A J

Robert: PRIG (4)
Deidre: ARIA (4)
DC: PAIR
OT: JIRGA (5) PAGRI (5) VAJRA (5) VIRGA (5)
Score: 63–53 (max 75)

This is a really tough round where everyone on screen can only get fours and the max fives are all pretty obscure


Round 11: N P T D Q O A E O

Robert: PANTED (6)
Deidre: PANTED (6)
DC: DONATE (6) ODONATE (7)
OT: NOTEPAD (7) TONEPAD (7)
Score: 69–59 (max 82)

For the fourth time today, contestants score six while DC get the seven.


Round 12: D G E O C N E W O

Robert: WOODEN (6)
Deidre: OWNED (5)
DC: CONGEE (6)
OT: COOEED (6) ENCODE (6) GODOWN (6) GOWNED (6)
Score: 75–59 (max 88)

A double bad miss by Deidre sees her fall further behind at the crucial stage. WOODEN is not hard to spot and GOWNED required her to just add one letter.


Round 13: G S X R S I O E D

Robert: DOSSIER (7)
Deidre: GROSSED (7)
OT: DIGRESS (7) SODGERS (7)
Score: 82–66 (max 95)

Looks likely that the previous round will be decisive here, Deidre needs to win the final numbers round to stay in it.


Round 14: 4, 4, 7, 1, 50, 100. Target: 276.

Robert: -
Deidre: 273. Mistake in working.
RR: 276. ((50-(7-1))*4)+100 (10)
Score: 82–66 (max 105)

Deidre declares three away when she was actually just one away. That mistake has sealed the result, meaning the final conundrum is just for fun.


Round 15: F I N G E R L I P

Robert buzzes on 7 seconds to say PILFERING which is correct.
Final Score: 92–66 (max 115)

Robert rounds off the game with a conundrum spot to give him a score of 92. Deidre did her best but its Robert who makes it two wins.

James L and derrenic pictures will be here tomorrow for his third game. Join him then.

Happy star wars day to all the rebels out there…

Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=72

[Gavin Chipper]

How do you get one away in round 6?

[Philip Wilson]

How do you get one away in round 6?

I just put my methods on the spoiler thread, probably well-known by now though