| Player 1 |
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#player1 Will Will
#player2 Carl Carl
>Will: ?DHNPRX -HPX +0 0
>Carl: EFILOTV 8D VIOLET +26 26
#note Quackle can't decide between this or VOLTI.
>Will: ?AADNRS E5 lAN.ARDS +82 82
>Carl: AACEFOT D4 OAF +18 44
>Will: AIIJLLO 12A JAIL. +40 122
>Carl: ACEEERT 10E .ECREATE +64 108
#note I did see ETCETERA for one more point, but thought RECREATE was better positionally, allowing a more open board and not opening a big lane that closes the board. (-1?)
>Will: ?ILNORS A12 .OIN +33 155
>Carl: IILQSWY J6 QIS +42 150
#note Tough decision. I had considered playing WILY F3 or QIS first but figured that ILWY was a better leave on this board and played in two places (F3 and 11K). Quackle disagrees and is probably right. F6 is simply too large of a hotspot to pass up, whereas QIS will still be there next turn. (-5)
>Will: ?AELRST M7 cRESTAL +75 230
>Carl: EEILUWY F3 WILY +37 187
#note If I had known I was gonna draw EEU, then WILY looks even better last turn. That all four Us were unseen added extra value to the Q.
>Will: AADIMRZ L12 ZA +46 276
>Carl: DEEOPUV B9 UVE. +15 202
#note Way off. Quackle takes the points with ROUPED H10 (-9). I do need to bingo and keep the board open, but DOPE isn't a good enough leave, and Column A isn't a good enough lane.
>Will: AEIMNOR H10 .EMORA +33 309
>Carl: ADEGNOP 8L P.OG +30 232
>Will: EIINTUU 6H TU.UE +14 323
>Carl: ADEEFKN A4 DEAFEN +38 270
>Will: DIINNRT C11 N.TID +14 337
>Carl: BCEHKTW C2 ECHT +26 296
#note An interesting play. I have the case W and there isn't much Will can do about the spot that doesn't open something else. I noticed that ECHT draws to GOWK or HOWK. Will probably didn't have a G last turn or else he would have played DIGIT. Nonetheless, Quackle prefers the more straightforward BETH B3. (-5)
>Will: IIINNPR O4 PIIN. +11 348
#note Wow, the options here were all amazingly unappealing. This was one of the most confusing turns of my Nationals. It seemed like every candidate play created new X plays, but it wasn't clear to me whether that was something to avoid in this situation - with all the X plays already available, blocking the X completely was going to be pretty tough. I considered 14J RIP, but balked at making such a huge scoring spot for the S. If I play RIP and Carl has SW, I will get hit with WECHT and ZAPS and really struggle to keep pace leaving IINN. I considered RAPINI and PANINI too, and those do a nice job at reaching for SX. RAPINI in particular leaves IN to play an -ING word down O in case I draw a balanced combination, but I ultimately decided bingoing should not be my goal here. RIPING is better than PIING if I decide to play down column O - not sure why I chose the latter. I might have preferred not to create a GRIPING hook with two Gs available but that is an extremely low priority in this position. I actually initially wrote that I liked RIPING best, but as I look again, I think RAPINI must be best - it blocks ZAX, and the new X spot created is quite weak, only allowing the unlikely XU (and I have the case I if I draw the X myself). If Carl doesn't play his X in that area immediately I will often be able to score decently and close both spots with a play like ROB or ROM 14J, and hopefully outrun WECHT plays in the process.
>Carl: BEKOOUW 1A BOW +37 333
#note A classic mistake! You make a stylish setup and then fail to look at what your opponent just opened for you. The right play by far retains the W-- EBOOK N2. (-25) This was one of the costliest mistakes of the tournament. EBOOK wins 48% against BOW's 17%. Note: I am still in trouble after EBOOK. I'm burning most of the remaining vowels, keeping UW, and giving Will first crack at REBOOK. Next turn, my rack will often be so bad that I won't be able to capitalize on WECHT. Or how about just BOOK, sacrificing 22 points but keeping the case E for EBOOK? I actually prefer BOOK. Vowels are scarce, and BOOK sets up the board in a way that I can use it but he can't. EBOOK makes things too easy for Will if he has an R. Nonetheless, this mistake alone makes this game among the most "winnable" of my losses.
>Will: BDIMNRR 4L DRI. +14 362
#note Reversing course and trying to limit the damage from the X, but leaving 4 consonants here is so crippling, and he scores 40 with it most times anyway. A serious mistake. I burned a lot of time on the previous position, so I don't have much more to spare. Quackle prefers me to play 2B MEND, scoring as much as I can and leaving a vowel.
>Carl: EGGKOUX 14J GOX +34 367
#note I spent absolutely forever on this play and not near enough time on the previous one. Quackle believes that KI 6N wins if the right tile is in the bag. Is it correct? I'm not seeing it. -14?
>Will: BHMNORY 2B H.RB +28 390
#note Missed the runaway best play of M1 MYRRH but HERM/HERB are the second best sequences.
>Carl: EGKSU 15E SKU. +8 375
#note Exhausted and out of time. UKES G1 is best. (-28) (-10) overtime penalty.
>Will: MNOY G2 MONY +25 415
>Will: (EG) +6 421
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