Friday 4th September 2009 (Series 61, Prelim 35)

[Phil Reynolds]

Countdown recap for Friday 4 September 2009.

C1: Champion Chris Davies (5 wins, 563 points.)
C2: Challenger Jonathan Seal.
DC: Susie Dent and Paul Zenon.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

Jonathan, from Addlestone in Surrey, is a recent Modern History and Politics graduate from the University of Southampton. He is an under-9s cricket coach and his ambition is either to be a teacher or to work in TV. If he chooses the former I believe there's currently a vacancy for a maths teacher in York.

R01: S N I D W U E J O
R02: N I Q L O E R F S
R03: G I I C R A B E U
R04: O A S O G T X U R
R05: 100, 25, 2, 6, 7, 5. Target: 467.
TTT: RIFLEDUO - "There's definitely something in the water"
R06: N A T E S H R E N
R07: O D T E O D A R C
R08: O E S M S O P L N
R09: R K I V U E T L S
R10: 50, 25, 100, 75, 3, 9. Target: 508.
TTT: MUTECROP - "It's a vital tool for the PC brigade"
R11: C T L A E R I O S
R12: H T I E O Z R N D
R13: N D A E N T A G R
R14: 4, 3, 10, 5, 3, 1. Target: 114.
R15: F I R E S K A T E (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: S N I D W U E J O

C1: WOUNDS (6)
C2: SWINE (5)
DC: ENDOWS (6) WIDENS (6)
OT: DISOWN (6) EJIDOS (6) SNOWED (6) INDUES (6) NUDIES (6) UNDIES (6) JOINED (6) NOISED (6) NOSIED (6) ONSIDE (6) NOWISE (6) SUNDEW (6) UNDOES (6) UNWISE (6)
Score: 6–0 (max 6)

Lots of 6s available but (perhaps surprisingly) no 7s.

Round 2: N I Q L O E R F S

C1: LINERS (6)
C2: FLORINS (7)
OT: OLEFINS (7)
Score: 6–7 (max 13)

An excellent spot puts Jonathan into an early lead.

Round 3: G I I C R A B E U

C1: RIBCAGE (7)
C2: CAGIER (6)
Score: 13–7 (max 20)

Chris takes back the lead with the darren. This is shaping up to be an exciting game.

Round 4: O A S O G T X U R

C1: RAGOUTS (7)
C2: GROATS (6)
DC: RUGOSA (6)
Score: 20–7 (max 27)

And another darren for Chris. RUGOSA is a species of rose.

Round 5: 100, 25, 2, 6, 7, 5. Target: 467.

C1: 467. (100 - 25 + 2) X 6 + 5 (10)
C2: 467. (100 - 7) X 5 + 2 (10)
Score: 30–17 (max 37)

Teatime teaser: RIFLEDUO -> FLUORIDE

Round 6: N A T E S H R E N

C1: HEARTENS (8)
C2: HEARTENS (8)
DC: EARNEST (7)
Score: 38–25 (max 45)

This time both contestants spot the darren, but Chris is starting to stretch his lead.

Round 7: O D T E O D A R C

C1: DOCTORED (8)
C2: CARTED (6)
DC: REDCOAT (7) CORDATE (7)
Score: 46–25 (max 53)

Round 8: O E S M S O P L N

C1: MOONLESS (8)
C2: MOONLESS (8)
Score: 54–33 (max 61)

Round 9: R K I V U E T L S

C1: RIVULETS (8)
C2: STRIVE (6)
Score: 62–33 (max 69)

Astonishingly, Chris's sixth darren of the game. A little disappointing that Jonathan didn't spot it - RIVULETS was practically spelt out.

In OoW, Susie talks about a phrase no one has heard of.

Round 10: 50, 25, 100, 75, 3, 9. Target: 508.

C1: 509. (50 / 25 + 3) X 100 + 9 (7)
C2: 500.
OT: ((75 + 9) X 50 X 3 + 100) / 25
Score: 69–33 (max 79)

Like Chris, Rachel only manages to get 1 away - not too surprising as there is only one solution.

Teatime teaser: MUTECROP -> COMPUTER

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

C1: SCLEROTIA (18)
C2: COSTLIER (8)
DC: LOCATES (7) CALORIES (8) SECTORIAL (18)
Score: 87–33 (max 97)

An excellent 9 from Chris means the game is pretty much in the bag.

Round 12: H T I E O Z R N D

C1: DOZENTH (7)
C2: THRONED (7)
OT: THORNED (7)
Score: 94–40 (max 104)

Round 13: N D A E N T A G R

C1: ANDANTE (7)
C2: GRANTED (7)
OT: DRAGNET (7) GRADATE (7) REGNANT (7) TANAGER (7)
Score: 101–47 (max 111)

Round 14: 4, 3, 10, 5, 3, 1. Target: 114.

C1: 114. 4 X 3 X 10 - (5 + 1) (10)
C2: 114. (10 X 4 - 3 + 1) X 3 (10)
Score: 111–57 (max 121)

An easy 6 small means Chris is on for another good score.

Round 15: F I R E S K A T E

C1 buzzes on 1.5 seconds to say FREAKIEST which is correct.
Score: 121–57 (max 131)

So there we have it. Only an exceptional opponent can prevent Chris becoming an octochamp; an average of 108 points on each of his remaining heats will bring his aggregate score to 900. We'll have to wait until next week to see if he can do it.

Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=61

[Innis Carson]

A 14-max game, excellent. Congrats once again!

[James Robinson]

A 14-max game, excellent. Congrats once again!

It's 13 actually. Phil has forgotten to update the max of the second numbers game with the super hard solution, so it's 13 maxes and the max score is 131, not 128.

[Kieran Child]

Was going to say that, but then thought, maybe he means "14 rounds where someone got a max" which is true.

And Phil has done the second numbers.

[Innis Carson]

Ah yeah, well spotted James.

And Phil has done the second numbers.

The max is still down as 7 points.

So yeah I take it all back, terrible performance Chris.

[Charlie Reams]

If he chooses the former I believe there's currently a vacancy for a maths teacher in York.

A-lol.

[Michael Wallace]

This time both contestants spot the darren, but Chris is starting to stretch his lead.

Whut?

[Charlie Reams]

This time both contestants spot the darren, but Chris is starting to stretch his lead.

Whut?

Des O'Connor's pseudonym is exposed at last!

[Phil Reynolds]

This time both contestants spot the darren, but Chris is starting to stretch his lead.

Whut?

Well: the way I look at it, an n-point lead in round r+1 is a stronger position than an n-point lead in round r, because your opponent has fewer opportunities to catch up. Makes sense to me anyway. I probably meant to say "strengthen his lead" rather than "stretch his lead", but hey. Getting recaps written and posted in a timely manner is hard. You should try it.

[David O'Donnell]

This time both contestants spot the darren, but Chris is starting to stretch his lead.

Whut?

Well: the way I look at it, an n-point lead in round r+1 is a stronger position than an n-point lead in round r, because your opponent has fewer opportunities to catch up. Makes sense to me anyway. I probably meant to say "strengthen his lead" rather than "stretch his lead", but hey. Getting recaps written and posted in a timely manner is hard. You should try it.

Put your claws away ya great big queen .

[Matthew Green]

C1: SCLEROTIA (18)
C2: COSTLIER (8)
DC: LOCATES (7) CALORIES (8) SECTORIAL (18)
Score: 87–33 (max 97)

An excellent 9 from Chris means the game is pretty much in the bag.

Bullshit, he said SCLEROTIAE and it should have been wiped off.

[Kieran Child]

In round 7 he said 'doctered' in said of DOCK-TORE-D.

Frankly I'm surprised the producers didn't take him off the stage and shoot him immediately.

[Jimmy Gough]

In round 7 he said 'doctered' in said of DOCK-TORE-D.

Frankly I'm surprised the producers didn't take him off the stage and shoot him immediately.

With a gun?!

[Matthew Green]

He should have been held down and bummed repeatedly by Damian and then by Dudley with a broken bottle with Ron Atkinson doing a running commentary.