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McDonald, Belony, Michael inspire in Diwali Scrabble Championships
Abigail McDonald
Leon Belony
Abigail McDonald, currently preparing for the World Scrabble Championships in Malaysia later this year, regained some of her lost form and carted off the Diwali Open Scrabble Championships staged at the Malteenoes Cricket Club in the Guyana Association of Scrabble Players (GASP) organized championship, yesterday afternoon.
The scrabble queen conceded the penultimate game to Carlton Murray (17) but claimed victories over Julian Skeete (156), Moen Gafoor (87), Floyd Carmichael (97), Leon Belony (48) and James Krakowsky to amass 5 games and a positive spread of 541. The victory also reinstated some measure of confidence in her supporters as she prepares for the international challenge.
Leon Belony rebounded from the loss to McDonald and an extremely stern test from Carlton Murray, whom he defeated in his final play by a slim spread of 20, to finish just behind McDonald with 5 games and a positive spread of 408, while Orlando Michael spoiled Murray’s day with a drawn game over James Krakowsky that earned him a crucial ½ point and the eventual third place that Murray appeared destined to occupy after amassing 4 games and a positive spread of 204.
Michael also defeated Colin Chichester (57), Keith Allicock (42), and Floyd Carmichael (130). He earned a bye and the 50 points that went with it but dropped a game to Moen Gafoor. His final tally was 4 ½ games and a positive spread of 119.
Carlton Murray, back after a self imposed hiatus could consider himself unlucky after defeating McDonald (17), Kampta Ramnarine (13), Grace Hercules (82) and Floyd Carmichael (114).
Orlando Michael
Earlier he had started the competition on a losing note to Krakowsky by a slim spread of 2. Maybe the most hurting of his experience occurred in the final game against Belony. The game fluctuated in the early part with both players enjoying good plays. Consequently, Murray opened the gap and at one time was leading by more than 80 points. Belony doggedly persevered, closing the gap considerably. With all of the tiles liquidated and Murray ahead and set to win, Belony found a play that Murray challenged and lost, taking a crucial 5 points. It was indeed a costly gamble as Belony cantered home by a spread of 20.
Overall, it was competitive scrabble that boiled down to the player that held his/her nerve. McDonald did just that and in the end, prevailed.
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