c4countdown

Countdown recap for Thursday 15 January 2009.

C1: Champion Kai Laddiman (9 wins, 1 loss, 908 points.)
C2: Champion Richard Priest (8 wins, 2 losses, 948 points.)
DC: Susie Dent and Andrew Sachs.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: T R E A L E C A R
R02: T N N O O R O H M
R03: I O H T L A Q U L
R04: D D E E R G E A F
R05: 75, 25, 7, 10, 8, 2. Target: 327.
TTT: TEASEBEN - "You can't tease Ben, he's not here"
R06: O A O S P P Z I E
R07: G N I E T R A D O
R08: N E S I B R R O I
R09: E N D E D A C I L
R10: 100, 7, 3, 8, 9, 3. Target: 153.
TTT: NOTMUSIC - "One, two, three, four, six, seven, eight"
R11: G E T T E E X U S
R12: L B P U I N A T E
R13: M I A J C U T O S
R14: 50, 9, 7, 9, 8, 1. Target: 847.
R15: F I E R C E T E A (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Game number four of the first round of Champion of Champions XIII sees Kai Laddiman taking on Richard Priest in a contest which it would seem has no clear favourite. Kai is on hot form having just turned 12, with a successful series 59 just behind him. He became the youngest octochamp for some 20 years, qualifying for the finals as number 4 seed. According to Jeff he did this by "beating off contestants up to six times his own age", a scandal which the tabloids surprisingly failed to run with, instead focusing on his awesome ability and cheeky grin as he made headlines nationwide. He saw off fifth seed Debbi Flack (who we'll see next week taking on Steve Briers) in the quarter-finals before bowing out at the semi-final stage to Charlie Reams, despite having led by a couple of rounds early on.

You've got to feel for Richard Priest, having to face this precocious young talent is definitely the second worst tie of the week (the worst clearly being the one worn by Tony on Tuesday). Richard has played the same number of games as Kai, yet has suffered one more defeat, but also scored more points and progressed further in his series finals. Confusing, eh? He was a sexochamp (not scandal #2, just my made-up word for a six-time winner who oozes sex from every pore) in series 58 which saw him qualify for the series finals as number 6 seed. He showed no regard for seedings though as he trounced third seed Tim Reypert in the quarter-finals, confidently saw off Peter Davies (who we'll also see next week) in the semi-final, before finally coming unstuck against the titanic David O'Donnell in the final.

Enjoy the show.

Round 1: T R E A L E C A R

C1: TREACLE (7)
C2: TREACLE (7)
DC: LACERATE (8)
Score: 7–7 (max 8)

Round 2: T N N O O R O H M

C1: MORON (5)
C2: THORN (5)
DC: MONTH (5)
OT: MOTOR (5) NORTH (5)
Score: 12–12 (max 13)

Round 3: I O H T L A Q U L

C1: QUAIL (5)
C2: ALLOT (5)
DC: QUOTH (5) ALIQUOT (7)
Score: 17–17 (max 20)

An aliquot is a portion if a larger whole, especially a sample taken for chemical analysis, plus it's a mathsy term (also aliquot part/portion) meaning a quantity which can be divided into another an integral number of times. And if that isn't enough, it's also a verb (would it be aliquoting/aliquoted or aliquotting/aliquotted?) meaning to divide (a whole) into aliquots.

Round 4: D D E E R G E A F

C1: DEGRADE (7)
C2: DEGRADE (7)
Score: 24–24 (max 27)

Round 5: 75, 25, 7, 10, 8, 2. Target: 327.

C1: 326. (75+25+8)*(10-7)+2 (7)
C2: 328. (25+7)*10+8 (7)
OT: 327. 25*10+75+2 (10)
Score: 31–31 (max 37)

Yes, the answer looks easy when you see it written down, but considering it passed these 2 top contestants by, and Rachel, IT WASN'T BLOODY EASY. Nuff said.

Teatime teaser: TEASEBEN -> ABSENTEE

Round 6: O A O S P P Z I E

C1: PIPES (5)
C2: OPPOSE (6)
OT: PAPOOSE (7)
Score: 31–37 (max 44)

The deadlock is finally broken as Richard edges into a slight lead...

Round 7: G N I E T R A D O

C1: ORDINATE (8)
C2: RATIONED (8)
DC: GRADIENT (8) DERATION (8)
OT: DERATING (8) TREADING (8) DRAGONET (8) ORGANDIE (8)
Score: 39–45 (max 52)

Round 8: N E S I B R R O I

C1: BRINIER (7)
C2: BRINIER (7)
DC: IRONISE (7)
OT: IONISER (7) IRONIES (7) NOISIER (7) IRONERS (7)
Score: 46–52 (max 59)

Round 9: E N D E D A C I L

C1: DECLINED (8)
C2: DANCED (6)
OT: DEADLINE (8)
Score: 54–52 (max 67)

Kai strikes back with an excellent spot though, to take the lead for the first time. Exciting stuff!

Round 10: 100, 7, 3, 8, 9, 3. Target: 153.

C1: 153. 100+7*8-3 (10)
C2: 153. 100+7*8-3 (10)
Score: 64–62 (max 77)

Teatime teaser: NOTMUSIC -> MISCOUNT

Round 11: G E T T E E X U S

C1: SETTEE (6)
C2: TEXTS (5)
DC: SEGUE (5)
OT: TESTEE (6) SEXTET (6) SUTTEE (6) TUTEES (6)
Score: 70–62 (max 83)

I dunno exactly how Richard plays the game, but I guess this could be one of those situations where "writing down the letters in circles" or whatever does you no favours - if you just look at the letters on the board you'll see 5/6ths of Kai's winning word spelt out. Oh well.

Segue (pronounced seg-way, not see-gyoo, in case you were wondering) is a link between two scenes, or a verb meaning to provide such a link. Testee is given as a derivative noun from test, so I'll assume it's "something/someone being tested" rather than something bollocky.

Round 12: L B P U I N A T E

C1: PANTILE (7)
C2: PETUNIA (7)
OT: BIPLANE (7) NUPTIAL (7) TUNABLE (7)
Score: 77–69 (max 90)

Round 13: M I A J C U T O S

C1: CUSTOM (6)
C2: SITCOM (6)
DC: SOMATIC (7)
Score: 83–75 (max 97)

Round 14: 50, 9, 7, 9, 8, 1. Target: 847.

C1: 847. (9+8)*50-(9-7)-1 (10)
C2: 847. (9+8)*50-(9-7)-1 (10)
Score: 93–85 (max 107)

Round 15: F I E R C E T E A

C2 buzzes on 1 second to say CAFETERIA..... which is surely correct!


But Jeff says "no". Whoops. Jeff's messed it up surely - what's going on? He's restarting the clock. Eh?


These were the thoughts going through my head in the audience, so god alone knows what poor Richard was thinking. I was utterly convinced that Rich had nicked it at the death, and it was only a second or two after the clock had been restarted that I realised CAFETERIA was indeed wrong. Richard's head disappeared into his hands as the music restarts, suggesting he had realised the same. Agony doesn't even come close to describing what he must have been feeling. The clock ticks round to the end with Kai knowing he's through to yet another quarter final, and Jeff makes Richard tell us all what he's now realised the answer is, just to rub salt into the wound. Great game with an emotional ending. Well played chaps, commiserations to Richard and congratulations to young Kai!


Score: 93–85 (max 117)


Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=-15

Jon Corby wrote:Round 8: N E S I B R R O I

C1: BRINIER (7)
C2: BRINIER (7)
DC: IRONISE (7)
OT: IONISER (7) IRONIES (7) NOISIER (7) IRONERS (7)
Score: 46–52 (max 59)

I'm surprised that one of the OT entries didn't remind you of one of your favourite contestents, who happened to be a professional ironer. But maybe you resisted the temptation to mention her, Jon.

Howard Somerset wrote:

Jon Corby wrote:Round 8: N E S I B R R O I

C1: BRINIER (7)
C2: BRINIER (7)
DC: IRONISE (7)
OT: IONISER (7) IRONIES (7) NOISIER (7) IRONERS (7)
Score: 46–52 (max 59)

I'm surprised that one of the OT entries didn't remind you of one of your favourite contestents, who happened to be a professional ironer. But maybe you resisted the temptation to mention her, Jon.

Her dishonesty is such that I couldn't be sure that was really her profession, which is why I left it out

Here we are, watching the Leeds clock institution "count on down" for the fourth time in Jeff's very first series! I can't believe it! Here are my thoughts.

Kai, isn't it ironic that in your last game you played against another Richard? But, that was Richard Pascoe, and he didn't do nearly as well as you did!

Teatime Teaser #1: How clever!
Teatime Teaser #2: When you're playing along at home, don't you just hate it when you think you're left with a hard Teatime Teaser and the solution turns out to be quite obvious?

Thanks Corby. But more Paul Daniels than Paul Zenon....

Jon Corby wrote:Round 7: G N I E T R A D O

C1: ORDINATE (8)
C2: RATIONED (8)
DC: GRADIENT (8) DERATION (8)
OT: DERATING (8) TREADING (8) DRAGONET (8) ORGANDIE (8)
Score: 39–45 (max 52)

Round 8: N E S I B R R O I

C1: BRINIER (7)
C2: BRINIER (7)
DC: IRONISE (7)
OT: IONISER (7) IRONIES (7) NOISIER (7) IRONERS (7)
Score: 46–52 (max 59)

I was expecting there to be a 9 in Round 7, but interestingly enough (well it's interesting to me ) after stemming TREADING, it brings up the following list:

TREADING + A: TRAGEDIAN
TREADING + C: REDACTING
TREADING + E: DENIGRATE, GRATINEED
TREADING + F: INGRAFTED
TREADING + H: THREADING
TREADING + L: TREADLING
TREADING + N: INTEGRAND
TREADING + P: DEPARTING, PREDATING
TREADING + R: RETARDING
TREADING + S: GRADIENTS
TREADING + V: ADVERTING

Now if Kai had picked a consonant at the end of round 7, instead of a vowel, then INTEGRAND would've come up, which would've been the first 9 of the CoC

Joseph Bolas wrote:Now if Kai had picked a consonant at the end of round 7, instead of a vowel, then INTEGRAND would've come up, which would've been the first 9 of the CoC

Not that would have got it, though. (And I doubt Rich would have got it either.)

Kai Laddiman wrote:

Joseph Bolas wrote:Now if Kai had picked a consonant at the end of round 7, instead of a vowel, then INTEGRAND would've come up, which would've been the first 9 of the CoC

Not that would have got it, though. (And I doubt Rich would have got it either.)

Maybe not

I guess you picked a vowel then hoping for TRAGEDIAN or DENIGRATE/GRATINEED?

Joseph Bolas wrote:

Kai Laddiman wrote:

Joseph Bolas wrote:Now if Kai had picked a consonant at the end of round 7, instead of a vowel, then INTEGRAND would've come up, which would've been the first 9 of the CoC

Not that would have got it, though. (And I doubt Rich would have got it either.)

Maybe not

I guess you picked a vowel then hoping for TRAGEDIAN or DENIGRATE/GRATINEED?

...Yeh, of course. (Well actually Doddage and Charlie were talking about it beforehand.)