meezerman

Solution

3x3@cox.net — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 16:27:39 GMT

Solution to the last puzzle in white below:

I played VINO 5A, threatening to go out with VARY. If Frank had simply ignored this threat and played CIG 5K, he wins by 5. If he makes the correct block with PIC B4, he wins by 9. But he made the "natural" blocking play of PING B4, undoubling the N and the G, allowing me to go out with RAY 3A and a 3 point win!

Neat endgame play

3x3@cox.net — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 03:15:47 GMT

This was from a recent only game against ftangredi, who called my play "f***ing brilliant." I'm not sure it was that good, but I was pretty happy with it. This is technically an unwinnable endgame, but I managed to steal it by luring Frank into making a mistake. Hint in white:

Against a bad opponent, like the computers on ISC which don't have any endgame strategy, this wouldn't work. Against a near-perfect opponent, like Quackle, this wouldn't work either. But against a good human opponent who sees the threat I create and makes the "natural" blocking play, it does.

I am such an idiot!

3x3@cox.net — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 04:55:49 GMT

My losses this weekend:

Game 7 against Carl Johnson: I try the phony APTERIAL, when a few more seconds of thought would have made me realize that PARIETAL was the legit bingo in those letters. Ugh.
Game 8 against Chris Cree: I try the phony MORPHIUM* for 69 as an intentional phony, when I should have just played MORPH for 38.
Game 9: Against Brian Cappelletto. Okay, I lost my score sheet for this game, which must be an omen of some sort, because this is some of the worst Scrabble I've ever played. On turn 2, I play RAJAH for 38 instead of JARRAH for 48 and better position. Then, the very next turn, I miss TROcHOID on the 3x3 for 149!!! On turn 6, I apparently missed TERATOID into a D from a rack of AEIORTT. I say apparently, because I'm doing the racks from this game from memory, but I'm pretty sure this was my rack, since I remember thinking I needed a V for ROTATIVE.
Game 12 against Joey Mallick: I play ZOO for 51 leaving DIIU, instead of ZOOID for 64 in the same spot! Then I blow the endgame when I miss his best play.
Game 14 against Mike Baron: Well, this wasn't really too bad. My only major error was challenging HEALaBLE. He played it through the L at 12O, while I'm sitting with AEGNTZ?. If I challenge and it comes off, I get TEAZLiNG for 203! Some quick calculations show that I should challenge if there's even a 14% chance it's not good. Nonetheless, I lose by 7, and that lost turn was probably key.
Game 15 against Lisa Odom: This is about as dumb as it gets. Short on time in the endgame, I screw up the math and forget to count my 10 point play. So my 330-320 loss is actually a 330-330 tie!!! Sound familiar? Oh, and I blew the endgame too, so I really should have won.

In short, my 11-6, 4th place performance could have easily been a 14-3 1st place performance, or maybe even a 16-1. (I'm pretty sure my game against Carl was unwinnable).

Time to get off my ass and study and practice so I don't embarrass myself too badly at Can-Am.

Variance

3x3@cox.net — Thu, 29 May 2008 23:38:47 GMT

Last year, I won the Arden Cup with a 14.5-5.5 record. I missed five bingos all tournament. This year, I went a disappointing 8-12. Again, I missed five bingos all tournament (albeit with a bit of an asterisk this time--I'm counting three unplayed easy bingos as a single miss, because I didn't know the necessary hook to make them playable. So I actually missed either 4 or 7, depending on how you want to count it).

Missed bingos aren't everything, but they track quality of play pretty closely. I definitely didn't play as well as last year, but it was close. Certainly not a 8-12 caliber performance. During the first 12 games, where I went an atrocious 3-9, I played remarkably well. I missed only two bingos, one in a game I won anyone, and another late in a lost game. I blew no end games and made no other major mistakes. I imagine that even with perfect play, 3-9, or maybe 4-8 was the best I could have done in those games.

From round 13 on, I got a bit sloppy due to frustration, playing noticeably worse, but putting up better results (5-3). I probably blew two of those losses. I drew nothing against Bob Linn, but challenging a valid play and letting him get two phonies by me didn't help. And against Mike Weepie, I chickened out on BIRDINGS and then missed the aforementioned 3 baby bingos by not knowing that FIRMER took an S back hook.

The bad news is that I dropped below 1800 for the first time in a decade. The good news is that I get a chance to get them all back in Albuquerque in two weeks. Let's hope I draw a bit better.

Back from vacation

3x3@cox.net — Fri, 23 May 2008 17:49:29 GMT

Got back from Panama on Tuesday. After a month away from home, I'd have to be crazy to leave again in a couple of days, right? Yeah, exactly. Obligatory semi-Scrabble content. Is this un ai, or unai?

Vacation!

3x3@cox.net — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 06:07:21 GMT

Haven't posted here in ages. I will soon be going on vacation. I definitely need it. Last month has been majorly stressful. I'll be going to central America for a month--flying into Guatemala and out of Panama. Here is the trip I'm taking for those interested.

I've got a travel blog set up at travelpod. I'll probably be posting some updates from the road along the way. Wish me fun!

Find the gorgeous bingo

3x3@cox.net — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 16:23:44 GMT

ISC douchebags

3x3@cox.net — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 05:42:55 GMT

So apparently it's against the rules to "name names" on ISC. Although I've done so in my sig* line for months now, support has just messaged me that I must remove it or be censored. Here's my compromise. I'm changing lines 8 and 9 from:

8) Don't even hint that I'm cheating or I'll abort, noplay you, and list you here.
9) ISC douchebags: overkill; WONTlose2u; Kalloy; AnasHn; Katheee; opalzara; winemaker; Curwhibble

to

8) Don't even hint that I'm cheating or I'll abort, noplay you, and list you here.
9) ISC douchebags: http://meezerman.livejournal.com/17134.html

Phoenix highlights

3x3@cox.net — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 03:50:29 GMT

I seem to be making a habit of these perfect final days to come from behind and win tourneys. Grand Canyon in 03, Las Vegas in 05, Chicago in 07, and now Phoenix.

I didn't really have any close games until the final day, when I had 3 and 2 point wins. My best play of the tournament came in the Early Bird against John Karris:

(Yeah, I know, PARODIZE*. I thought it was good for some reason, while at the same time talking myself out of the higher-scoring DROPhEAD 15A).

Best bingos of the tourney:

1) EEGMRSTU
2) EESTTY? (ending in E)
3) AEEHLMPT
4) ADKMOS?

Thanks as always to Larry and Barbara for a well-run tournament. Looking forward to defending my title next year at the 25th anniversary tourney back at the Grace Inn.

Phoenix final results

3x3@cox.net — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 20:03:41 GMT

And I take it! A 4-0, +96 final day nets me first as the only 14-6. Patrick Hodges takes second with 13.5, Lloyd wins third by 23 spread points over Nigel Peltier.

Another Tucsonan, Ed Saunders, wins division 2. Go Tucson!

--
Nathan Benedict

Phoenix after 12

3x3@cox.net — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 21:14:55 GMT

It's locals all the way, as Jim, Laurie, and Patrick round out the top 3. I'm 2 games back at 7-5.

Phoenix after 8

3x3@cox.net — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 01:13:18 GMT

Only 3 players went into round 7 6-1: Patrick Hodger, Mike Baron, and Jon Shreve. Patrick lost, and Mike and Jon are playing now. Looks like Jon will pull it out, making him the only 7-1. I'm 4-4 after surviving a 512-464 barnburner over Lloyd Mills.

Phoenix after six

3x3@cox.net — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 00:21:33 GMT

At five wins, in descending spread order:

Maddy Kamen, Mike Baron, Patrick Hodges, Jon Shreve, Laurie Cohen, Nigel Peltier.

I am not in contention so far, but the tournament is young!

Phoenix live blogging

3x3@cox.net — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 22:09:44 GMT

Early bird, at lunch:
Nigel Peltier, Louis Muller, Lloyd Mills and me all 3-1. I'm in 4th with a negative spread. Geary is 2-2, +300 something.

For those of you that don't read CGP...

3x3@cox.net — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 05:34:40 GMT

An honest-to-goodness 5 to make 10 to make 15 letter extension, taught to me years ago by Mark Milan. Never thought I'd see it get played.

Quick Reno standings

3x3@cox.net — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 03:11:27 GMT

4 at 13-3: Wiegand, Me, Carl Johnson, Schonbrun. Lisa Odom at 12, Sherman tops the 11 win contingent with the largest spread of anyone in the tourney.

Reno after day 1

3x3@cox.net — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 02:54:27 GMT

8-0, + 1080, first place.

After 3

3x3@cox.net — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 21:00:08 GMT

I'm 3-0, + 600. Another good start.

Reno live blogging again

3x3@cox.net — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 16:53:36 GMT

Internet connection is spotty, but decent enough for this. EB results:

1st: Joe Dackman, 5-3 + 500
2nd: Me, 5-3 + 400
3rd: Sam Kantimathi, 5-3 -something

Main event starting in 10-15 minutes or so.

Another great endgame

3x3@cox.net — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 00:26:35 GMT

From an on-line game. I did not find the winning sequence in the 5 minutes I had. Very complicated position. Correct play involves analyzing at least 3 distinct lines, two of which are quite complex.

Following the meme...

3x3@cox.net — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 18:53:41 GMT

Visited the city:

ABQ BKK BOI BOM CNX DAY DEL DEN FHR GOI HNL IAD IAD LAS LON MIA MSY NRT OGG ORD PDX PEK PHL RDU REP RNO SDR SEA SFO SHA SJC SMF SNA TOY TUS TYS XIY YVR

Just passing by:

ATL BOS IAH LAX MAD MHT ONT PHX PVD SEL SLC

Some of these are a bit hazy--LON because I can't remember what London airport I flew into, for example--are others are questionable: does playing in Parsippany count as visiting Newark? And at least two stops (BOS and ONT) were diversions.

Driving in India

3x3@cox.net — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 16:02:10 GMT

Someone needs to inform the Indians that this article is satire.

Karma?

3x3@cox.net — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 03:19:29 GMT

At the Can-Am, I "won" a game by 2 points when my opponent underscored his bingo by 4 points and didn't ask for a recount. Going over my games from the WSC, I see that in the game I "lost" by 9 points, my opponent overscored a play by 10 points. Ouch. I thought a 9 point loss was too big to consider asking for a recount. From now on, I'm keeping better track of my opponent's scores during the game. Quackling has shown that they (and I) screw up the score far more often than I had previously assumed.

Mumbai

3x3@cox.net — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 12:29:34 GMT

At the hotel Godwin, room 503. Same street as the Ascot, which I know some people are staying at. Anyone up for dinner/ get together? Best way to contact is probably to call my room. I'll be back there around 6:30 or 7 i think.

Live, from Jodhpur!

3x3@cox.net — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 12:51:43 GMT

Having a wonderful trip. Saw the historic red fort of Jodhpur today, off to dinner tonight by the clocktower. Hotel is wonderful--swimming pool, nice rooms, calm setting. The whole city is a welcome contrast to the hustle-bustle of Delhi. Some great pics I can't upload now, but look for them in 3 weeks.