Tournament Time: Part Three

Tyler Hinman did it again, in a thrilling finish. If you weren't there ... if you enjoyed the excitement of the final A Division round in Wordplay ... you owe it to yourself to download the Quicktime video of this year's A Division Final kindly posted online by Nancy Shack. Wait for the download (it's a large file and takes a while). Then thrill to the drama as the 3 top players -- Trip Payne, Francis Heaney, and Tyler Hinman -- all with identical scores -- vie for the championship. (Fair warning, though: I wasn't able to actually watch this, as my Quicktime software is woefully out of date.)

Or just watch the very end as the light finally dawns for Tyler:



As for me, I proved once again that I am soooo not a speed solver, one reason I really enjoy getting the collection of tournament puzzles, with the answer sheet, at the end. I solve them again, in leisure, at home, able to just enjoy the puzzles' clever twists and turns as they (slowly) reveal themselves at last.

So, this year: I finished at 635 out of a field of 685.

Next year: God willing and the creek don't rise, as my Mom used to say, Ellen and I have vowed to return, complete with hotel room rental so we can have the full Tournament experience and won't have to miss the evening festivities.

Oh, and I shall practice diligently in an attempt to climb up into the exalted ranks of those who place among the 500's in the rankings. Not that I'm competitive at all. But the challenge has been made.