News

...chittishchittishchittishchittish....... 

What is this rattling noise coming out through the windows of the piano nobile of L’ Hostel de Verdelin? A quick look up to the sprawling closed balcony of this gorgeous 17th century palace, liveried in a bright red banner, provides the answer. 

SCRABBLE

It is the intermittent sound of people vigorously and hopefully shaking a bag of 100 plastic tiles before drawing not more than seven of them at random. 

A closer glance up at the facade of the palazzo, which is situated just off St George’s Square in Valletta, returns more hints. Going on behind the balcony’s woodwork and glass panes is the 17th Malta International Scrabble Open, organised by the Malta Scrabble Club, running between the 30th of October and the 5th of November and sponsored by the Civil Service Sports Club, the modern-day custodians of Palazzo Verdelin.

Better known as MISO17, this highly popular Scrabble competition in three acts every year draws Scrabble gurus and aficionados from almost every corner of the world. This year’s edition saw 40 players from 13 nations playing in the Main Event. These included a former world champion, Mark Nyman, the veteran player from England whose lexical knowledge and tactical nous were unfaded as he marched to victory in this 3-Day event. 

The runner-up could not have made a sharper contrast. Young and hailing from Thailand, Nuti Suri showed that he is a force to reckon with in the growingly globalised world of competitive Scrabble in English. He did so by getting the better over 25 rounds of 3rd placed local Scrabble master, David Delicata, who in turn outran his arch-rival and co-national, Theresa Brousson, who finished fourth. 

Also from Malta and coming fourth, but in the B Division of the Main Event, was Mario Camilleri, who was not able to keep up with the searing pace of the top three, Lisa Mueller from USA, Surya Sudharsan from Germany and Matthew Pinner from England, in this order.

Another Englishman, Paul Thompson, placed first in the curtain raiser of MISO17, the 1-Day Early Bird. Right behind him, on 6 wins out of 9, came a Scot, Vincent Boyle, and a Pole, Rafal Dominiczak. 

After a relaxing and salubrious tour of Comino and other picturesque coastal sites, the final curtain was drawn on MISO17 with the 2-Day Late Bird. Victory here went to a Canadian, Sue Tremblay, who won 12 of 16 games, one more than runner-up Sam Kantimathi of the USA and Simon Gillam from Scotland in third. 

Outside the aged walls of L’ Hostel de Verdelin, Valletta was an attractive hive of beauty and activity, to which the players happily surrendered whenever the clock struck seven and the rattling sounds of Scrabble subsided.

(by Nicky Vella Laurenti)