600 Word Experts to Compete in U.S. SCRABBLE(R) Open Aug. 4-9 in Phoenix; $25,000 Top Prize; ESPN to Telecast.GREENPORT, N.Y. -- The competitors are as fierce as you'll find anywhere, many having trained years for this event. But instead of hours in the gym and a spartan diet, these players are studying secret word lists and conducting marathon sessions against the computer. That's because they're among the best of the world's 30,000 tournament SCRABBLE game players. Over 600 of them will converge on the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa Aug. 4-9 for the 2006 U.S. SCRABBLE Open, competing for the top prize of $25,000 and the chance to be showcased on national television, when ESPN ESPN Entertainment and Sports Programming Network telecasts the finals later this year. "This is both a mental and physical challenge," notes National SCRABBLE Association The National Scrabble Association was created in 1978 by Selchow & Righter, then the makers of Scrabble, to promote their game. It coordinates local clubs and Scrabble tournaments in North America, including the United States Scrabble Open. The current director is John D. Williams. Executive Director John D. Williams Jr. "Players compete nearly eight hours a day for four straight days -- 28 games in all." The ultimate champion will be crowned on Wednesday, Aug. 9th, when the top two finishers play a best-of-five match. The field includes many former World and National SCRABBLE Champions as well as rising stars from the National School SCRABBLE Championship circuit. The youngest word wizard is just 13 years old, while the oldest is 91. There will be additional strategies employed this year as over 4,000 new words were added to the Official SCRABBLE Players Dictionary The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary or OSPD is a dictionary developed for use in the game Scrabble, by speakers of United States English. History Creation The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary was first published in 1987 (OSPD OSPD Official Scrabble Players Dictionary ). Most notable among these are ZA (slang for pizza) and QI (vital force in Chinese thought). There are 140,000 words in the OSPD; most experts have memorized the complete volume. There are 40 million leisure SCRABBLE players in the U.S. and Canada. The U.S. SCRABBLE OPEN -- formerly the National SCRABBLE Championship -- is organized by the National SCRABBLE Association (www.scrabbleassociation.com) and sponsored by Hasbro, manufacturer of the game. Hasbro is a worldwide leader in children's and family leisure time entertainment products and services, including the design, manufacture and marketing of games and toys ranging from traditional to high-tech. Both internationally and in the U.S., its PLAYSKOOL, TONKA, MILTON BRADLEY  This article or section is written like a personal reflection or and may require .Please [ improve this article] by rewriting this article or section in an . , PARKER BROTHERS Parker Brothers is a toy and game manufacturer and brand. For almost 115 years the company published more than 1800 games;[1] among their best known products are Monopoly, Cluedo (known as Clue in North America), Risk , TIGER and WIZARDS OF THE COAST Wizards of the Coast (often referred to as WotC or simply Wizards) is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes. Originally a basement-run role-playing game publisher, they popularized the collectible card game genre with in brands and products provide the highest quality and most recognizable play experiences in the world. SCRABBLE, the associated logo, the design of the distinctive SCRABBLE brand game board, and the distinctive letter tile designs are trademarks of Hasbro in the United States and Canada. (C) 2006 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved. |
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