c4countdown

So technically, week 6 doesn't start until later since we extended week 5. But still, an update can be handy:

Championship Flight is to start playoffs this week; two pools are done (unless Corby comes back) but the steno pool needs some games still. Once the standings in that middle pool are determined, then we'll have the playoffs set. (Essentially you will play the other two people in the same place as you, so 1 will play 1 will play 1, et cetera.)

Flight A doesn't have a week 6; barring the few straggler games to come in, this tournament is over. Nick Wainwright wins, Matt Bayfield shows, and Michael Wallace places. Lee Simmonds also finished 4-1, but lost out on the tiebreaks.

Flight B is now in playoffs for week 6, which are set -- Ian Dent will play John Gillies in the semifinals, winner to play Andrew Herbertson.

Speed Demon week 6 matches are up to finish off the playoffs.

Week 6 will end on Wedneday, December 23.

Flight B Semi

J Gillies beat Ian Dent 1 - 0

http://www.apterous.org/viewgame.php?ke ... 5453190501

Not a classic, but still an enjoyable game, especially since I won lol.
Doesn't happen too often.

I had a semi which is about all i can manage at my age.

Speed demon:

Some nice words in amongst these two games, including a 9 in game 2:

Kirk Bevins 68 - 30 James Hurrell
Kirk Bevins 80 - 38 James Hurrell

Well played James, always a pleasure to play against.

Ian Dent 1-1 Matt Morrisssson

http://www.apterous.org/viewgame.php?game=159244
http://www.apterous.org/viewgame.php?game=159249

Yet another draw:

Ian Volante 22-58 Martin May
Martin May 39-41 Ian Volante

Not this time though:

Ian Volante 49-50 Nick Wainwright
Ian Volante 32-49 Nick Wainwright

Speed Demon:

Kirk 48-59 Innis
Kirk 54-66 Innis

Two highly close games, us never being separated by more than 6 points before either of the crucial conundrums, in which Kirk was a fraction of a second behind me on both occasions. Unlucky mate, well played.

Speed Demon: Reams 2 - 0 Bevins

50-48: Entered this game with no confidence and needing a wee. Lost the first round with brain still in the club house, but fished successfully for AGONIZED to take a lead. Kirk missed a numbers (always a lottery in speed games), and ELONGATE put me safe before the conundrum. KB spotted the very tough HYDROFOIL in 0.9 seconds which I was nowhere near. Between us we maxed every round

50-46: Good start from both, although I declined PIQUET because I thought I was remembering the F1 driver... I made a mistake with TELOGENS (mass noun plural) to give Kirk a lead going into the conundrum, but unravelled INSINCERE fractionally before him to pinch the game.

Two really close games, could've been 0-2 on any other day, and probably would have been at a different time control. Unlucky mate.

Speed Demon: Reams 2 - 0 Hurrell

71-39: Buoyed by my victory over Kirk but always aware that James at his best can beat anyone, I was lucky to get off to a dream start, as I fished successfully for CREDITORS/DIRECTORS and James missed a few 7s for me to lead 25-0 after Round 2. I knew that wasn't enough against a player who could easily nail me for 30 points on numbers & conundrum alone, but steady play gave me the win before the second numbers. 81 would've been a pleasing score but James took the conundrum to keep my feet on the ground.

62-25: Winners with DISLIKED, PITTA, HOODIES and GAMBADO meant that the numbers weren't so important this time, and James didn't subject me to another of his famous 6 smalls. I was fractionally ahead on the conundrum to give a flattering score in the end.

speed demon games with Andrew Herbertson were 1 all draw:

Andrew Herbertson 40 - 39 Julie Taylor

http://www.apterous.org/viewgame.php?game=160020

Julie Taylor 56 - 30 Andrew Herbertson

http://www.apterous.org/viewgame.php?game=160028

Matthew and I played our speed games last night apparently. I had a dim recollection of it happening but wasn't sure. Anyway, apterous remembered all about them. Oh yeah, it remembered all of it and it told me all about all of it in full, on these pages here:

Matthew Tassier 32 - 29 Jim Bentley
Matthew Tassier 26 - 43 Jim Bentley

To be honest we didn't really set the world on fire.

The week 6 games for the championship flight have been posted on the web site.

Andrew Feist wrote:The week 6 games for the championship flight have been posted on the web site.

Might I suggest that you rename the Yellow pool to the Cesspool?

Charlie Reams wrote:

Andrew Feist wrote:The week 6 games for the championship flight have been posted on the web site.

Might I suggest that you rename the Yellow pool to the Cesspool?

s/cess/sissy/?

Edit: I don't know who isn't in the yellow pool, so this isn't me trying to be OMG insulting, more that yellow -> cowardly, and cess sounds like sissy, ok?

Ian Dent 2-0 Andy Wilson

http://www.apterous.org/viewgame.php?game=160149
http://www.apterous.org/viewgame.php?game=160153

First win of the whole tournament!

Michael Wallace wrote: Edit: I don't know who isn't in the yellow pool, so this isn't me trying to be OMG insulting, more that yellow -> cowardly, and cess sounds like sissy, ok?

Whatever, homophobe.

After I lose to Charlie and Kirk, will I have finished 3rd?! If so, all credit to Jon Corby for dropping out.

Championship Flight

Phil Makepeace 2-1 Jim Bentley

Extremely close, culminating in a crucial in the third game.

Bentley 99-77 Makepeace
Makepeace 97-92 Bentley
Makepeace 99-97 Bentley

Peter Lee 40 -32 Andrew Herbertson
Peter Lee 55 -36 Andrew Herbertson

one all in my speed demon games with Peter:

Julie Taylor 35 - 21 Peter Lee

http://apterous.org/viewgame.php?game=160713

Peter Lee 37 - 30 Julie Taylor

http://apterous.org/viewgame.php?game=160721

Phil Makepeace wrote:Championship Flight

Phil Makepeace 2-1 Jim Bentley

Extremely close, culminating in a crucial in the third game.

Bentley 99-77 Makepeace
Makepeace 97-92 Bentley
Makepeace 99-97 Bentley

Yep, couldn't really have been a more appropriate ending to three highly enjoyable and competitive games. The second one in particular was excellent, with twelve maxes for each of us and quite fitting that the winner of that one won overall. Well played Phil, look forward to more in the future!

Championship Flight

Jim Bentley 113-64 James Robinson
James Robinson 99-70 Jim Bentley
James Robinson 112-109 Jim Bentley

3 games of quality.

I just didn't turn for the first one, for the second, my bad luck seemed to transfer to Jim.

The decider was magnificent. Jim was on for a max after 10 rounds, but I was just 7 behind after missing ENPLANE in round 3. Somehow, I manged to salvage the numbers and then I somehow got the conundrum (WIGGLIEST) after 2 secs. Just an amazing game worthy of any tourney.

[*]SPEED DEMON
[*]Two unremarkable games
[*]Jim Bentley 1 - 1 Ben Hunter
[*]http://www.apterous.org/viewgame.php?game=161820
[*]http://www.apterous.org/viewgame.php?game=161823

Championship Flight:

Kirk Bevins 2 - 0 Stuart Arnot

Unsurprising result, but I'm kicking myself over the second game. For risking an 8 in round one, when a 7 would have won it. For spotting SUAVEST a fraction too late. And for missing a conundrum that I'd seen the day before. Ach well...

Stuart Arnot 69 - 105 Kirk Bevins
Stuart Arnot 88 - 104 Kirk Bevins

Speed Demon:

Stuart Arnot 2 - 0 Lesley Hines

Rather more pleasing than the above. Lesley will be annoyed that she only really showed her best form in the unfortunately-too-late comeback in the first game.

Stuart Arnot 42 - 30 Lesley Hines
Lesley Hines 13 - 60 Stuart Arnot

Speed Demon

James Robinson 53-36 Andrew Feist
James Robinson 35-46 Andrew Feist

Four losses in a row: [Speed Demon]

Kai Laddiman 43 - 56 Innis Carson
Kai Laddiman 40 - 51 Innis Carson

Kai Laddiman 41 - 62 Kirk Bevins
Kai Laddiman 31 - 67 Kirk Bevins

Kai Laddiman wrote:Four losses in a row: [Speed Demon]

Kai Laddiman 43 - 56 Innis Carson
Kai Laddiman 40 - 51 Innis Carson

Kai Laddiman 41 - 62 Kirk Bevins
Kai Laddiman 31 - 67 Kirk Bevins

It's not like you're playing the 2 best players on the site...

Oh wait, you are.

Me vs. Kai, Championship tier-

Me 95-88 Kai

Unlucky for Kai as, although it doesn't say on the recap, he botched the conundrum after 1 second effectively handing me the game on a plate.

Ben 89-75 Kai

Comeback of a lifetime here (I'm particularly proud of my round 10 solution) and I just out-buzz the Kai to take a very flattering 2-0 win. On any other day it could quite easily have been 2-0 in the other direction.

Speed Demon

Oliver Garner 56-38 James Robinson
James Robinson 47-43 Oliver Garner

Reams 0 - 2 Bevins

96-126: Both started with the nice nine from UNSOILED+S, and didn't miss much until I took the lead, and a pencil, with STEEVING. Bevo hit back with GLOOMIER+S, which I knew but didn't spot, to give himself that crucial 10 point gap. I kept up but missed two darrens which could've got me back into the match, and then missed a 6 small and the conundrum to give Bevo a well-deserved and in the end comfortable win.

84-124: A poor start as I missed an -ING word in the first round, and an easy nine did nothing to reduce my arrears. We both continued to play steadily but Kirk gradually extended his lead with the darren MADTOM (which I didn't know) and by the final numbers he had a 20 point lead. Obviously I had to gamble and I felt like a bit of 6 small, which I screwed up and he nailed anyway, so the game was out of reach. Kirk took the conundrum to give himself 124/125, against which I didn't feel too bad about losing at all.

Cheers KB!

Championship Flight: Second Place Play-off

Charlie Reams 2 - 0 Stuart Arnot

Charlie Reams 115 - 91 Stuart Arnot

Woe is me. Didn't 'risk' TAMPONED in round 2, played the bogus UNPLACE for the about the millionth time in round 4, dismissed MELODIONS, because I'd seen MELODEONS more recently, in round 8, and made a complete mess of the final numbers. Charlie in fine form though, scoring 12 maxes.

Stuart Arnot 75 - 108 Charlie Reams

Another 12 max game from Charlie. I managed to stay within striking distance until the final quarter, where I collapsed in a heap, while Charlie strode on to another deserved victory.

Well played, sir.

The end of my Speed Demon campaign:

Nick gets his revenge for events in Round 4 of Flight A by beating me to a crucial conundrum in game 1, then resoundingly taking the second game.

Nick Wainwright 56 - 43 Matt Bayfield
Nick Wainwright 58 - 48 Matt Bayfield

Against Michael, I completely screw up the first game with a numbers misclick, just running out of time in a letters game, and bad judgement on risky words! Fortunately it didn't cost me - Michael would have won anyway by beating me to the conundrum. In contrast, game 2 was Michael's turn to struggle, against one of my much better games (despite only 4 maxes).

Michael Wallace 57 - 23 Matt Bayfield
Matt Bayfield 73 - 40 Michael Wallace

Thanks to Andrew for organising and to all my opponents - I enjoyed taking part.

Flight B final

Andrew Herbertson 71-67 John Gillies

http://www.apterous.org/viewgame.php?game=163815

Good close game which John had the upper hand right up to the 14th round when I got within one on a tricky numbers game to go 4 points ahead. So down to a crucial conundrum which beat us both despite John buzzing on 29 seconds to make me suffer a bit longer.

Thanks to Andrew for organising the tournament roll on the next one.

I was gonna save my 2010th post for the appropiate year but this seems as good an occasion as any. 3 cracking games from James Hurrell and myself finishing 2-1 to me, having lost to Innis earlier.

Dinos Sfyris 106-75 James Hurrell This first game kicked off with us both getting a soapy mouth, then 2 lovely pencils for me in rounds 2 and 3 and I went on to max all the letters. If it weren't for 2 tough numbers rounds, this could've been the 2nd max game to my name
James Hurrell 96-93 Dinos Sfyris James claws one back as my severe learning difficulties kick in when I spot almost RESCALES but not RESCALE
Dinos Sfyris 91-75 James Hurrell Then I celebrated the early hours of xmas eve having claimed 2nd place in the 2nd pool on a crucial.

Cheers for the games James

Speed Demon: Reams 1 - 1 Sfyris

30-75: I was smashed off the park here even as we both spotted BONXIES and OUGIYAS, as Dinos beat me with both numbers, TALIPES, and BAPTISED to put the game quickly beyond doubt. He also took the conundrum just ahead of me to smash home a max game. Can't argue with that.

70-54: A less impressive game, the darren BOTHIE giving me a slight advantage which I took into the crucial conundrum. Somehow I spotted ACETABULA (not sure how I knew that one) to hold the game and retrieve some modicum of respectability in the fixture.

Cheers Dinos!

Yellowpool

James Robinson 0-2 Phil Makepeace

Makepeace 87-63 Robinson
Robinson 76-82 Makepeace