Top Ten

After competing in a tournament last week, I wondered how the performance from the top ten rated players in Indonesia is. There are many ups and downs (particularly me) in the top ten. After almost three years since the first release, the top ten has stretched its bounds. Currently the maximum point is almost reaching 1950 points and the minimum point is ranging from 1400 to 1450.

The first ever top ten in Indonesia looks like this (Indonesia Scrabble Challenge 2011) :
1. Albert Martono (1612)
2. Hyendi Gumilang (1549)
3. Fadlan Satria (1522)
4. Robby Swandanu (1488)
5. Christian Oktavius (1468)
6. Hendy Yohanes (1418)
7. Adelina Harry Santi (1372)
8. Eko Tama Putra (1369)
9. Vincentius Salim (1343)
10. Jimmy (1313)

After Indonesia Scrabble Challenge 2012, we added a new condition where the players have to reach a minimum 50 rated games to be included in top ten rated players.

Top ten rated players in 2012 :
1. Christian Oktavius (1759)
2. Fadlan Satria (1667)
3. Albert Martono (1624)
4. Hyendi Gumilang (1615)
5. Julius Wilson (1598)
6. Jimmy (1461)
7. Eko Tama Putra (1446)
8. Adelina Harry Santi (1400)
9. Steven Surya (1389)
10. Hendy Yohanes (1367)

Top ten rated players in 2013 :
1. Christian Oktavius (1788)
2. Fadlan Satria (1736)
3. Julius Wilson (1669)
4. Albert Martono (1606)
5. Robby Swandanu (1574)
6. Hyendi Gumilang (1556)
7. Jimmy (1459)
8. Eko Tama Putra (1448)
9. Hartanto Wibisono (1440)
10. Adelina Harry Santi (1400)

Top ten rated players in 2014 (so far) :
1. Christian Oktavius (1946)
2. Fadlan Satria (1725)
3. Julius Wilson (1723)
4. Albert Martono (1655)
5. Robby Swandanu (1612)
6. Hyendi Gumilang (1611)
7. Jimmy (1509)
8. Alexander Gozali (1452)
9. Eko Tama Putra (1448)
10. Ario Ananda (1435)

There are as many as 19 players that have ever reached the top ten. The latest is Ario Ananda, who leapfrogged Hartanto Wibisono to the tenth place.
Here are the 19 players :
Albert Martono, Hyendi Gumilang, Fadlan Satria, Robby Swandanu, Christian Oktavius, Hendy Yohanes, Adelina Harry Santi, Eko Tama Putra, Vincentius Salim, Jimmy, Julius Wilson, Haris Prihartono, Fangky Adetia,  Harryadi Hermanto, Steven Surya, Hartanto Wibisono, Alexander Gozali, Rizko Alfitrian and Ario Ananda.

3 - The number of players that ever placed first (Albert, Christian, Hyendi).

5 - The number of players that have reached 1700 rating points mark (Christian, Hyendi, Fadlan, Albert, Julius).

221 - Currently the margin between the first place, Christian and the second place, Fadlan. A record high.

478 - Christian's rating has improved 478 points. The highest in top ten.

1060 - Both Hartanto and Ario started from the same rating points and made it to the top ten.

ESo National Scrabble Competition 2014 (Part 1)

Hi all! Finally I went to Lampung for the first time in almost two years to join this competition held by English Society of Lampung University. ESo National Srabble Competition (ENSC) 2014 was held on July 5th-6th, 2014. 24 participants from Jakarta,Tangerang, Palembang and Lampung were there to compete in 15-round tournament. So here is my tournament report :).

Round 1 against Septian Moufti. My opening game was a one-sided game as I took command during the whole game. Septian was caught making invalid move 6 times as I could stretch the lead. CORONAS and NODDERS were my bingos. I won 569-194. Result after round 1 : 1-0 +375.

Round 2 against Julius Wilson. We were in the top 2 after the first round. Julius started strongly with two straight bingos, WINDERs and INFAMOUs. I managed to cut his lead with ZEIN and LIONETS but his ADJOINED later did the blow. I got no E after bingoing LIONETS in my fifth turn. I lost the game by 378-515. Result after round 2 : 1-1 +238.

Round 3 against Ginanjar Agung. Got some tricky tile combinations here. First, IIORTT? and then AISTUV?, I didn't know InTROIT and I found VAcUIST but he blocked my spot. Ginanjar was the first to get a bingo with sPINNER but illegally created AMENEs*, again I didn't know AMENE doesn't take S. Later, I replied with HAGRIDEs, which he challenged. Had to exchange twice to get rid off dreadful tile combinations. I won 457-326. Result after round 3 : 2-1 +369.

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4 against Rastra Teguh. It was a tight match as we kept exchanging the lead during the game. I played FIRMA* and escaped the challenge. His ReADILY was directly replied by my rEJONES to keep my 40-point lead. Shortly, he made another bingo ASTONING through the I of my FIRMA*. His ZOA for 41 pts stretched his lead until I reduced it with AZALEA for 48 pts. Then we reached a tense ending where he was leading 397-370. My final rack was GHOORST and his was CFIINOU, I played AGO for 11 pts leaving HORST (missed ORTHOS/EDS). Rastra then shockingly played KUFI for 13 pts instead of FOCI or FUCI /ETIC. I played with SHORT/KUFIS for 28 pts and won the game by additional points from unplayed tiles. Final score 421-410. Later, Rastra said that he knew neither FOCI nor FUCI. Result after round 4 : 3-1 +380.
Round 5 against Muhammad Ihsan. Another close match. I got not so great tiles in this game and the board condition was also against me. He played a bingo first with ANATASe and took the lead but he then made a crucial mistake by playing JAB/AP*. I capitalized it to catch him by playing LOURIES. Right after the bingo, I got AEILMRT on my rack and I had seen two spots for another bingo through O and N but Ihsan amazingly blocked the spots at once with BORTZ. In the end of the game, he again made a huge blunder by playing NEC(K)LERs* having already taken the lead and only need to score to keep the lead. I managed to pip him 380-377 and it was back-to-back 'gifted' win. Result after round 5 : 4-1 +383.
Round 6 against Christian Oktavius. This match was inevitable. I started the game somehow in an outstanding fashion. SMARTEN (74), KEX (51), RICH (39), DELETION (61) and ZA (65) were my first five moves. I made VETeRANS to extend my rare lead over him. I even missed YEELINS and just realized it after I pressed the clock to finish my move, doh! I added another bingo, ALINERs and blocked Christian's chance to play PRESONG. I won comfortably by 548-340. Result after round 6 : 5-1 +591.

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

Pairings for round 7

Round 7 against Alexander Gozali. Started steadily but it was Alex who got the bingo first (SPORTED). He then made FRIA* and was challenged off immediately. I capitalized to make a bingo STATIVE and took the lead. He then cut the margin with ALIENERS but I regained the margin by playing another bingo sHATTER shortly. I won 487-383. Result after round 7 : 6-1 +695.
Round 8 against Rizko Alfitrian. Last game for day 1. We exchanged bingo in the opening moves, MAROONeD by him and AZOTISED by me. Just two turns later, I got STORIES, which he countered with EXED. QI (44), another bingo CADgIEST (88) and UNCLE (38) strengthened my lead, although he had a lifeline after making TOOLERS. Steady scoring took me to reach 500-point mark and won the game 500-403. Result after round 8 : 7-1 +792.

Round 7

Round 8

TO BE CONTINUED...