c4countdown

Countdown recap for Monday 8 July 2002.

C1: Champion Grace Page (4 wins, 407 points.)
C2: Challenger Fiona Farquharson.
DC: Richard Samson and Ken Bruce.
CV: Carol Vorderman.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: B D S A O E R T Z
R02: N P I E G M U C H
R03: S J L O A I E Q T
R04: W F D O A E N V S
R05: 25, 5, 9, 7, 10, 2. Target: 748.
TTT: SHFIONA
R06: R C M G O A E L T
R07: N S R U I E D P X
R08: L T M S O A E G R
R09: K N D I A O U P E
R10: 50, 6, 5, 7, 5, 7. Target: 867.
TTT: OKBRUCE
R11: S C T I A E R L F
R12: G H M O I E N D T
R13: R Y S A O I E L R
R14: 25, 2, 7, 5, 9, 9. Target: 178.
R15: S E E S P E L L S (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: B D S A O E R T Z

C1: BROADEST (8)
C2: BOATERS (7)
DC: BROADEST (8) TREADS (6)
Score: 8–0 (max 8)

Round 2: N P I E G M U C H

C1: HUMPING (7)
C2: chumping
DC: MUNCHIE (7)
Score: 15–0 (max 15)

Round 3: S J L O A I E Q T

C1: ISOLATE (7)
C2: JOIST (5)
DC: JOSTLE (6) ISOLATE (7)
Score: 22–0 (max 22)

Round 4: W F D O A E N V S

C1: SNOWED (6)
C2: FAWNED (6)
OT: ANODES (6) AVOWED (6) DAVENS (6) DEWANS (6) ENDOWS (6) VADOSE (6)
Score: 28–6 (max 28)

Round 5: 25, 5, 9, 7, 10, 2. Target: 748.

C1: 748. (5-2)x10x25-(9-7) (10)
C2: 748. 25x10x(5-2)-(9-7) (10)
Score: 38–16 (max 38)

Teatime teaser: SHFIONA -> FASHION

Round 6: R C M G O A E L T

C1: MORALE (6)
C2: GLOATER (7)
DC: GLOATER (7)
OT: CORMLET (7) CROTALE (7) GELCOAT (7) LEGATOR (7)
Score: 38–23 (max 45)

Round 7: N S R U I E D P X

C1: INSURED (7)
C2: INSURED (7)
DC: INSURED (7) and from RW, UPRISEN (7)
OT: PURINES (7) SPURNED (7) UNIPEDS (7)
Score: 45–30 (max 52)

Round 8: L T M S O A E G R

C1: GLOATERS (8)
C2: GLOATERS (8)
DC: LEGATORS (8)
Score: 53–38 (max 60)

Round 9: K N D I A O U P E

C1: PAINED (6)
C2: PAINED (6)
DC: KIDNAP (6) PADOUK (6) DUPION (6) KINDA (5)
OT: DAIKON (6) UNIPOD (6) OINKED (6) OPINED (6) PINKED (6) UNIPED (6) UNPAID (6)
Score: 59–44 (max 66)

Round 10: 50, 6, 5, 7, 5, 7. Target: 867.

C1: 867. (50+7-6)x(5+5+7) (10)
C2: 867. (50+7-6)x(5+5+7) (10)
Score: 69–54 (max 76)

Teatime teaser: OKBRUCE -> ROEBUCK

Round 11: S C T I A E R L F

C1: ARTICLES (8)
C2: FAIREST (7)
DC: RECITALS (8)
OT: FRAILEST (8)
Score: 77–54 (max 84)

Round 12: G H M O I E N D T

C1: DEMOTING (8)
C2: DEMOTING (8)
Score: 85–62 (max 92)

Round 13: R Y S A O I E L R

C1: LORRIES (7)
C2: SAILOR (6)
DC: SORRILY (7)
OT: RAILERS (7)
Score: 92–62 (max 99)

Round 14: 25, 2, 7, 5, 9, 9. Target: 178.

C1: 178. 25x7+5-2 (10)
C2: 178. 25x7+5-2 (10)
Score: 102–72 (max 109)

Round 15: S E E S P E L L S

C1 buzzes on 4 seconds to say SLEEPLESS which is correct.
Score: 112–72 (max 119)


Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=48

Wow, ridiculously close to a max game there (how did she miss GLOATER?). I bet a lot of the better players here would turn in 15 maxes on this one.

I suppose this game showcases the differences in shuffling back then compared to now. I think the main difference is the lack of repeated consonants and the nasty letters (K,Q,Z,X etc) usually kept far apart. I'm not surprised Damian got bored and had Demi inject some variety into things.

Simon Myers wrote:Wow, ridiculously close to a max game there (how did she miss GLOATER?). I bet a lot of the better players here would turn in 15 maxes on this one.

Yep. 14/15 maxes is still a hell of a performance.

This does raise my suspicions that there may have been a max game before which went unnoticed. Particularly because the dictionary was a bit smaller back then, which made max games generally easier and less spectacular.