“GENETICS” was the first nine-timer ( 158 points) I plonked down at the age of 11. Though this game has intrigued me since an earlier age of 9 when chicken pox had me jailed at home and I had chewed off all the story books lying around. My cousin came to give me company teaching me this game and since then I have fallen head over heels in love with this game. Years later, after my Post-Graduation, I heard about a Scrabble Club in my city, well the ONLY one in this country-Kuwait. I came to know how much developed it was way back in 1994, being a part of WESPA ( World English Speaking Player’s Association) and my tiny country was a part of it allowing its winners to go for World Scrabble Tournaments. Immediately I became a member and since then there has been ‘No Looking Back’. I play, learn, compete and have represented my country to the Worlds not once but 4 times in all.
I enjoy collecting boards, tiles and all the paraphernalia associated with Scrabble. If reading books gives a thrill to my eyes and mind, Scrabble gives me a thrill any time of the day. I can actually play in my mind too while asleep! The feel of the tiles, the rustling bag with tiles going clickety-clack against each other while shuffling them, the image of different boards all whet my appetite. Yes it is food for the brain. Give me games to play and I can forego food for days!
Initially I could make it to 1 tournament a year due to work schedules but in the past 6 years, I have tried to have maximum tournament games per year, sometimes 3-5 per year. My motto turning into : “ I travel for Scrabble” Over the span of 13 years Social media has connected us to have online tournaments which improve skills, enhance your vocabulary and scale your strategy multi-fold. I have made more friends due to Scrabble on Facebook rather than the friends I know and have.Its so nice to know them, discuss moves and plays and connect amiably. Its a beautiful virtual Scrabble family, unknown yet known to you. Recently, I happened to meet two of my virtual opponents for the World Scrabble in Goa-2019, we just connected as if we knew each other since years, thanks to scrabble. That is the strength of brainy wizards or rather word-o-mania fans getting together.
India has a huge population and a greater population playing scrabble in various states, so much so that we have tournaments set in each state almost each month of the year. I like to pick and choose which all would be my targets for the year as I have to travel miles . I love meeting up with most or all of them and have had such amazing tourneys in each state. We love to have our chit-chats during our lunch hours and yes post-scrabble some of them enjoy poker too. Its an instant connection with one and all its a beautiful relationship where we come from different backgrounds and mingle so easily, but what binds us is the glue called “Scrabble”