But unlike the preliminaries of the FA Cup, all the losers in these championships are already winners, and today's 2 contestants have already won a championship each.
So, expect fireworks here. Enjoy.
Countdown recap for Wednesday 16 January 2013.
C1: Series 61 Runner-Up & Junior Championship Champion Andrew Hulme (14 games, 12 wins, 1,363 points.) An Apteforumite and professional poker player from Nottingham.
C2: Series 55 Quarter-Finalist & CoC XIII Champion Steven Briers (13 games, 12 wins, 1,329 points.) An Apteforumite and criminology student from Southampton. He has just finished writing his first novel too.
DC: Susie Dent and Martin Lewis.
RR: Rachel Riley, still with the sore throat.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: T S N I U O P S I
R02: L N W D A O E T A
R03: N C R I U O T A M
R04: L D Z T I U O S R
R05: 5, 4, 9, 6, 1, 7. Target: 380.
TTT: MERGETOY - "Have I got hypotenuse for you?"
R06: G J F K E A O D U
R07: T S N E A U E T A
R08: M C B P M E O I E
R09: X D F I O A Y S G
R10: 25, 1, 6, 8, 7, 8. Target: 130.
TTT: IRATEMUM - "Mum's irate! She's had enough of this sort of behaviour"
R11: R T G A E I C S T
R12: R Q N R E A I P N
R13: D L D E A E B T O
R14: 25, 3, 1, 2, 7, 10. Target: 472.
R15: B L U E P A T E R (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: T S N I U O P S I
C1: PISTONS (7)
C2: POUSSIN (7)
OT: ISOSPIN (7) PINOUTS (7) SPINOUS (7) SPINTOS (7) SUNSPOT (7) UNSTOPS (7)
Score: 7–7 (max 7)
Eight sevens to start off with today.
An ISOSPIN (or ISOTOPIC SPIN) is a quantum number that is related to the number of different values of electric charge that a given kind of baryon or meson may have.
To UNSTOP is to remove the stopper from something.
Round 2: L N W D A O E T A
C1: TALONED (7)
C2: TALONED (7)
DC: letdown
OT: WETLAND (7)
Score: 14–14 (max 14)
Both of the contestants have managed to claw on to maximum points thanks to TALONED.
Round 3: N C R I U O T A M
C1: ROMANTIC (8)
C2: CURATION (8)
DC: CRANIUM (7) MANITOU (7)
OT: COUMARIN (8)
Score: 22–22 (max 22)
Two brilliant 8's from our champions and perfection is maintained for now.............
COUMARIN is a fragrant crystalline substance, C9H6O2, obtained from the tonka bean, sweet clover, and certain other plants or prepared synthetically, used chiefly in soaps and perfumery.
Round 4: L D Z T I U O S R
C1: troils
C2: STOLID (6)
OT: DISTRO (6) DROITS (6) DURZIS (6) RUDIST (6) STROUD (6) STUDIO (6) SUITOR (6)
Score: 22–28 (max 28)
Plenty of 6's here, but an unexpected breakthrough occurs as Andrew's troils is not in, only TROILISM (not mentioned by DC in terms of definition, any you can probably see why.............)
A DROIT is a legal right or claim.
A STROUD is a coarse woollen cloth, blanket, or garment formerly used by the British in bartering with the North American Indians.
Round 5: 5, 4, 9, 6, 1, 7. Target: 380.
C1: 380. (((7 + 1) x 9) + 4) x 5 (10)
C2: 382.
Score: 32–28 (max 38)
A relatively kind 6 small selection and target, but it stumps Steven, and Andrew takes full advantage to take the lead.
Martin's little money teaser for the day is this; If you're setting up a payment each month and you're asked to provide the long number on your debit card, is it:
a) A recurring payment
b) A direct debit
c) A standing order
d) Any of the above
The answer is a), to which Martin then explains all the differences and other things you need to know about them.
Teatime teaser: MERGETOY -> GEOMETRY
Round 6: G J F K E A O D U
C1: JUDGE (5)
C2: JOKED (5)
DC: FAKED (5)
OT: JOUKED (6) JUDOKA (6)
Score: 37–33 (max 44)
Fives all round in the studio, but there are a couple of nasty little 6's lurking in the undergrowth............
In Scotland, to JOUK is to dodge or duck.
A JUDOKA is a contestant in a judo match.
Round 7: T S N E A U E T A
C1: NAUSEATE (8)
C2: NAUSEATE (8)
DC: TETANUS (7)
Score: 45–41 (max 52)
Yuck, now that is sickening, but it's a darrenic 8 apiece for our champions.
Round 8: M C B P M E O I E
C1: compie
C2: BECOME (6)
DC: COMMIE (6)
Score: 45–47 (max 58)
Not much joy here, except for Steven, who retakes the lead thanks to a combination of his good 6, and Andrew's illegal (but decent) shout of a 6.
I must admit that I thought COMMIE would be capitalised, but clearly not............... (although POMMIE is.
)Round 9: X D F I O A Y S G
C1: GOADS (5)
C2: faids
DC: GASIFY (6)
Score: 50–47 (max 64)
Again, just some measly offerings here, but this time, it's a role reversal, as Steven's word isn't in, meaning that Andrew regains the lead.
Very impressive darren by DC too. Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of "stealing thunder".
Round 10: 25, 1, 6, 8, 7, 8. Target: 130.
C1: 130. ((7 + 6) x 8) + 25 + 1 (10)
C2: 130. (25 + 1) x (7 - (8 - 6)) (10)
Score: 60–57 (max 74)
A nasty little numbers if you can't see the trick (which I didn't for 25 seconds, I must admit..........
), but these are champions of the realm, so no worries about that. Teatime teaser: IRATEMUM -> IMMATURE
Round 11: R T G A E I C S T
C1: STRATEGIC (18)
C2: AGRESTIC (8)
DC: SCATTIER (8)
Score: 78–57 (max 92)
OH MY GOD!!! A chasm suddenly emerges, as Andrew's 9 means that Steven has all it to do now, and not that long to do it!!
Round 12: R Q N R E A I P N
C1: PANNIER (7)
C2: PANNIER (7)
Score: 85–64 (max 99)
Simple darren for each there.
Round 13: D L D E A E B T O
C1: DEADBOLT (8)
C2: BELATED (7)
DC: BLEATED (7) DEBATED (7)
Score: 93–64 (max 107)
Pffft, what a way to seal the deal
A super amazing darren to wrap up the match for Andrew. He's definitely proving that he's one to be feared 
Round 14: 25, 3, 1, 2, 7, 10. Target: 472.
C1: 472. (((3 x 7) + 25 + 1) x 10) + 2 (10)
C2: 472. ((10 + 7 + 2) x 25) - 3 (10)
Score: 103–74 (max 117)
Andrew gets the century by going probably the most indirect route of all to get to the target, but as long as you get it right, it doesn't matter.
Round 15: B L U E P A T E R
C1 buzzes on 1.5 seconds to say REPUTABLE which is correct.
Final Score: 113–74 (max 127)
Crikey, quickfire Andrew there, getting the conundrum before Martin had a chance to read it apparently!
But, there you go, after the first 2 parts were fairly evenly matched, Andrew hit the afterburner and disintegrated his competition, with a performance that anybody would be proud of, quite frankly
Steven did very well for the majority of the game, and his total of 74 is probably not a true reflection of the game, but when you're up against something like that in the final phases, goodbye and good luck
So, I'll be back tomorrow for what promises to be another cracker of a match, as we have 2 even more recent contestants facing off in the final preliminary duel.
The still undefeated champion of Series 64, Edward McCullagh, takes on the runner-up of Series 66, Jonathan Rawlinson, in what I've been promised is one of the best matches of the whole competition so far.
One not to miss methinks. 
So, join me for that. Till then, ta-ra.
Statistics Corner
Andrew:
Total score - 113
Raw score - 113
Total % of max - 89
Raw % of max - 89
Total average score per round - 7.5
Raw average score per round - 7.5
Number of maxes - 11
Steven:
Total score - 74
Raw score - 96
Total % of max - 58
Raw % of max - 76
Total average score per round - 4.9
Raw average score per round - 6.4
Number of maxes - 9
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=-16