Eelicate times ahead for Delicata

The new year had dawned with the sweet warm light of his sixth National Championship title.

 

But after that shining moment, the star of David Delicata (seen in photo) lost some of its brilliance with the 39-year old champ eclipsed by his longtime competitive foe Theresa Brousson in the 10th MISO Early Bird and Main Event as well as by his newer arch-rival Charles Micallef in Summer League 1.

 

Engulfed in front by the growing darkness of Brousson's increasing lead in the National Player Rating List and behind by the intense light of Micallef's narrowing points gap, Delicata desperately needs to find his old sparkle again. 

 

Two golden opportunities to do just this await him. In the first, Delicata will face Micallef in Autumn League 1, which starts on 2 October and is likely to culminate in a best-of-seven final in mid-December between the two Scrabble aces. Delicata is hoping for a repeat of last year's Autumn League when he had outshone Micallef in the final.  

 

Delicata's participation in Autumn League 2, which runs in parallel to League 1, will fire him up even more for a dazzling event, namely the WESPA Championship 2017, or quite simply the World Scrabble Championships to be held in Nairobi, Kenya, in November. As Malta's only representative in the WESPAC, Delicata will do his best to emerge, at least partially, from the long shadows which the towering presence of the world's Scrabble giants will create. 

 

A falling star or a rising star? Look up at the Autumn sky, wait and see. 

 

(penned and published by Nicky Vella Laurenti)