Preview - 2012 UK National Championships final
The eagerly awaited culmination to the 41st edition of the UK National Scrabble Championships takes place on Sunday, November 4th 2012 at the Cavendish Conference Centre in London. 56 players made it through regional qualifiers around the country to the 14-round semi-final tournament in September. 2005 champion Olawale Fashina and current Northern Ireland champion Paul Gallen finished top of the standings at the semis to book their places for the best-of-5 final.
World number 5 Paul is hoping to become the first person living outside England to win the UK Nationals, whilst Olawale seeks to join the very select club of repeat winners that includes such Scrabble luminaries as Philip Nelkon and Mark Nyman.
Chris Hawkins profiles the two protagonists of what promises to be a hard-fought contest:
Paul Gallen
Age: 26
Hometown: Belfast
Occupation: Solicitor
WESPA World Ranking: 5
First started playing tournament Scrabble: 2006
WSC appearances: 1 (8th in 2011)
National Championships: 4 (Northern Ireland Champion 2008-2010, 2012)
National awards: ABSP Expert (2010)
Thoughts ahead of the final:
"With the NSC semi-final taking place a few weeks after the BMSC (British Matchplay Scrabble Championship ), I had to try to shake off the disappointment of finishing 2nd at BMSC again. Things didn't look too good after three games of the NSC semi-final when at that point I had won only one game. Thankfully, I went on a good run thereafter winning 10 out of the next 11 with a good spread to take me over the line.
"I am really looking forward to the final. My opponent Olawale is one of the nicest guys on the UK tournament scene so I was very happy for Olawale that he had made the final as well. He is a very good player and has won the UK Nationals before so I know that I am going to have to play my best Scrabble to have a chance of winning."
Olawale Fashina
Age: 43
Hometown: Liverpool (originally from Lagos)
Occupation: Accountant
WESPA World Ranking: 82
First started playing tournament Scrabble: 1992
WSC appearances: 1 (51st in 1999)
National Championships: 3 (Nigerian Champion 1998, 2002; UK Champion 2005)
National awards: Nigerian Grandmaster (2002)
Thoughts ahead of the final:
"At the semis in Birmingham, I suffered a slow start by losing my first game to Ebi Sosseh with a spread of -168. I only managed to win 4 games out of 7 on the Saturday. However luck smiled on me as I had a clean sweep on Sunday winning all 7 games of the day to finish second, edging out Philips Owolabi who had a terrific start to the tournament.
"I am looking forward to the final against one of the best players in the world ranked 5th on the WESPA ratings in the person of the amiable Paul Gallen. I am trying to catch up with the new dictionary, CSW '12, which I have just ordered today from Tilefish.co.uk. Win or lose for me, the final will be fun!"
Hearing from both gentlemen makes one realise how closely matched this final has the potential to be. Both progressed from the semi-final after slow starts, but who will make the quicker start (and better finish!) in London?
The games will be played behind closed doors, but the audience will be able to follow the moves as they happen on a giant board in the adjacent viewing theatre with live commentary from 2000 champion Brett Smitheram. Full online coverage (including live match updates) can be found at the CentreStar website.
Images courtesy Craig Beevers and British Scrabble
October 2012