Julian Skeete overcomes stiff challenge to win Intermediate Scrabble crown

Mar 31, 2009 Sports

Julian Skeete (centre) is flanked by Michael Benjamin (left) and Ruby Cummings.

Former amateur boxer, Julian Skeete transformed his aggression from the ring to the scrabble room when he out-spelt a competitive field that included his former boxing colleague, Michael Benjamin, to claim the first place prize when the Guyana Association of Scrabble Players (GASP) staged its Intermediate Championships at the Chamber of Commerce Building, Sunday last.

Skeete amassed an impeccable 6 points with a positive spread of 316 to relegate Ruby Cummings, with 4 games and a positive spread of 251, into second place. Benjamin secured the final podium position with 31/2 points and a positive spread of 192 while Maurice Munroe also scored 31/2 points but had to settle for second place by dint of a lower spread of 119.

Skeete, Cummings and Benjamin signaled their intentions from the onset winning their first games against Kampta Ramnarine (7), Paul Adams (149) and Prudence Edwards (73), respectively. Skeete continued his dominance in the second set with a victory over Benjamin (18) while Cummings fell to Munroe (69). Skeete then defeated Cummings in the third set (67) while Benjamin disposed of Ramnarine (37).
Cummings returned to her wining ways in the first game after lunch with a comprehensive victory over Curtis Liverpool (96) while Benjamin made light work of Grace Hercules, winning by a spread of 145. Skeete then defeated Munroe (109).

In the penultimate round, Cummings shifted gears and defeated Ramnarine by a spread of 95 while Skeete prevailed over Hercules (112). Benjamin and Munroe battled furiously and at the end of the game both players had amassed 402 points each to end on a tie. They both received half a point for that game. Skeete entered the final set on 5 points and with his closest competitor, Cummings on 3 points, there was no way that he could have lost. He formalized the victory with a narrow win over Adams (5). It meant, also, that either, Benjamin, Munroe or Cummings could have claimed the second podium position. If all three had registered wins in that game, Benjamin would have gone ahead by dint of a one-point margin.

Munroe also found himself in a similar position while Cummings was also in a must win situation. In the end, Munroe dropped the game to Ramnarine by a mere spread of 5 while Cummings prevailed over Benjamin by 45. The next activity on the calendar is the ‘Wordsmith’ competition slated for April 8 at the Chamber of Commerce Building, Waterloo Street, Georgetown.