Thailand defeats Singapore in international "lockdown" Scrabble challenge

[webfact]

Thailand defeats Singapore in international "lockdown" Scrabble challenge

 

A game between Thaivisa's "Rooster" columnist and international Scrabble promoter Michael Tang of Singapore (Rooster won)

 

Thailand's famous Scrabble professionals defeated a strong Singaporean team in a 100 game challenge on Sunday. 

 

International Scrabble has been decimated by the coronavirus pandemic and face-to-face competition looks unlikely to return any time soon. 

 

So players have turned to online competition and many countries are issuing challenges around the world. 

 

The match versus Singapore was played using the isc.ro site that enables online play. 

 

In a narrow victory Thailand won 52 - 48. The Thai team contained a wealth of crossword gaming talent including Chiang Mai doctor Jakkrit Klaphajone, top rated Thacha Koowirat and teen wunderkind Tarin Pairot from Korat. Others included Thaivisa columnist "Rooster" who won just two games.

 

The closing stages of a game between international masters Marlon Prudencio of Singapore and Chiang Mai doctor Jakkrit Klaphajone

 

The Singapore team contained Toh Wei Bin who is credited with the highest score ever in tournament Scrabble (well over 800), Philippine born Marlon Prudencio and veteran Tony Sim who has played dozens of times in Thailand at face to face tournaments in Bangkok since the 1980s. 

 

Their team also contained Scrabble's number one promoter Michael Tang who runs a team competition in Penang called the Alchemist Cup that has also been cancelled this year.

 

Said Rooster: "Despite my own poor performance it was a great event.

 

"Scrabble is very popular in Thailand attracting thousands of especially young players but the scene has been wiped out by the pandemic so online is the obvious future for the time being", he said.

 

Next month's Brand's sponsored international event in Central Westgate, Bang Yai, has already been cancelled but there are hopes that competition in Thailand, where large prizes are offered and the game enjoys the patronage of big business, may resume in October.

 

The pandemic has seen a huge upsurge in people playing Scrabble online not just on ISC but on an app called Scrabble GO. 

 

Many are also using their time in lockdown commenting on Scrabble sites on facebook such as Scrabble Online and Scrabble International. 

 

Among some of the words played in the Thailand vs Singapore match were PYREXES, LARKSOME, RUDIMENT and COTQUEAN (a prostitute).

 

The last of these was played by Rooster. 

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2020-06-01

 

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[bluesofa]

20 minutes ago, webfact said:

Among some of the words played in the Thailand vs Singapore match were PYREXES, LARKSOME, RUDIMENT and COTQUEAN (a prostitute).

The last of these was played by Rooster. 

Sorry, I can't resist it:

So Rooster played a prostitute. Was it a pantomime or a farce?

[Jane Dough]

18 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

Sorry, I can't resist it:

So Rooster played a prostitute. Was it a pantomime or a farce?

My performance was farcical...

 

It was the first time I have played competitively since January and though I have kept up solo practice at home of about six games a day (average for me) I felt very rusty. A word like COTQUEAN is bread and butter to me though as it is called a BENJAMIN - a word that can be extended by three letters on the front. QUEAN quite often starts games and also means a pro....

 

Rooster

[jimbob123]

Riveting. 

[topt]

20 hours ago, webfact said:

COTQUEAN (a prostitute).

Not really according to https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cotquean (as I am sure the OP knows.....)

Quote

Definition of cotquean

 

1archaic : a coarse masculine woman

2archaic : a man who busies himself with women's work or affairs

 

 

However thanks for the article as it is always interesting to learn new words