Arden Recap (Games 13-16)

[aibretty]

Coming Back from lunch on day 2, my record was a still meager 4-8.  With 8 games to go, my goal of finishing even still seemed very tough indeed.

Oh well, one game at a time.  Included here is one of my favorite games of the whole tournament with Scott Pianowski.

Game 13:  vs. Anita Berry

Play the Game

In which I feel like a play very well, but my

Comments

[hector31]

I really enjoyed our game, too, and getting to meet you in person this week. You played better than I did.

A few of my errors:

- I don't know why I wasn't 100 percent on YURT-S, but obviously I wasn't, and it seemed stupid to blow a turn when I wasn't sure. I gotta be firm on that stuff. Odd that YURT-A is never a problem to me, but good players aren't guessing in these spots.

- When I played ICK, I had ICONICAL to the L. I never looked. Honestly, I probably miss that play in 49 games out of 50.

- I had GUANINE/ANGUINE when I played GUINEA - I thought I needed to grab as many tiles as I could based on the rich pool remaining. Nice idea, but there's a bingo I missed (not a layup, but a word I should convert).

- TAJ spent my only vowel and while it scores, it's going to be very hard to win from that spot. If I play D(U)N(E) I keep my vowel and it may not be easy for you to make the lone bingo area unplayable to me. As it turns out, assuming same tiles drawn, I don't have a win after ELEGITS, but I gave myself a lot better of a chance with DUNE.

- The play from the R down to H15 was a mistake; I had REDIAE in the same spot, keeping a much better leave. I struggle seeing sixes like that sometimes; I know I took a long turn and I felt over the board I wasn't making a good play. You ever hear a duck laugh?

Bottom line, I wish all of my tournament games were this interesting, and against strong/classy opponents like yourself. I look forward to the next one, amigo. Great job circling the wagons and finishing strongly.

[aibretty]

I didn't know ICONICAL. I love those kinds of 7s to make 8s.

Also, UNAGEING is a tough word in the first place and is a really tough find on this board.

As far as word knowledge stuff goes, we all have imperfect knowledge. The best thing to do is learn and move on. Of course when lapses cost big when it counts, it's tough to feel too good about it. We'll play again soon. Nationals?

[hector31]

As far as word knowledge stuff goes, we all have imperfect knowledge. The best thing to do is learn and move on.

Well said, and I fully agree.

We'll play again soon. Nationals?

I'm almost definitely out - work, timing. Good luck to you if you're headed there.

One last word on YURT and YURTA - I wonder if YURTA not hooking encoraged me to keep the S off YURT. Not meaning to overstate the importance; I just wonder if that's part of why I wasn't sure on YURTS.

Also, to clarify, I'm really not vain enough to think I *should* be playing ICONICAL and UNAGEING (this is contrary to my earlier comment, but frankly I don't have the book or the personality to play word-ego). I just know a better player *would* find them, and I have to take accountability there. Still, if all of my losses were time well spent as this game was, I'd be happy. The community has been infused with a lotta good people over the last few years, something I definitely appreciate.