itamin D for victory

After spending the summer and autumn months soaking up Malta's sun in a caravan site, Dominic Borg (photo) typically ends his yearly estivation by returning all energised to playing and often winning at competitive Scrabble.

The 36th Malta National Scrabble Championship, which ran from early January to late April 2019, was the latest example of this annual cycle, with Dominic triumphing in Division B for the second year in a row. 

Further evidence of the benefits of this seasonal Scrabble playing pattern was provided by Dominic's wife, Anna, who finished runner-up, just four points short of her victorious hubby and as many points clear of Kevin Pirotta, who pipped the former Division B National Champion Frans Farrugia to third place by a few hundred spread points.

The gap between first and second place was equally clear but narrow in the premier division, where Theresa Brousson clinched her twelfth national title ahead of David Delicata, who, however, edged Brousson for the prize of the highest average number of bingos, of which the six-time national champion amassed a staggering 106 over 46 games.

Delicata's chances of beating Brousson to the title were scuppered by his defeat to former champion Charles Micallef, who recovered strongly from a slow start to finish third.

There was plenty of daylight between placings in the Partial Championship tables, where Mario Camilleri came a clear first in the A Division and Paul Mifsud finished well ahead of Marlene Calleja and Bryan Priest, second and third respectively, in the B Division. 

Dominic was the second highest net gainer of rating points after Josephine Mayo, who climbed from being the lowest ranked player in the A Division to placing sixth. Sammy Mangion's anomalous winning pattern saw him finishing fifth and rising to a +1500 rating. 

Click here for full final results of the 36th Malta National Scrabble Championship.

(penned & published by Nicky Vella Laurenti (Promotions), photo credit John Chew)