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Difference between revisions of "Chris Wills"

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Since then, Wills has been a regular at unofficial Countdown competitions, winning [[CoBris]] in 2006 and 2007, and all three [[COLIN]] events. He is consistently {{corral|text=rated|url=ratings.asp}} as one of the top players, and is one of the few players ever to be rated over 1000.
 
Since then, Wills has been a regular at unofficial Countdown competitions, winning [[CoBris]] in 2006 and 2007, and all three [[COLIN]] events. He is consistently {{corral|text=rated|url=ratings.asp}} as one of the top players, and is one of the few players ever to be rated over 1000.
  
Wills has also appeared on 15-to-1, The Weakest Link, BrainTeaser and Mastermind. He holds the record for the most appearances since the start of the 15-round era and for this reason holds the record for the most points scored by any Countdowner. In 17 games including a [[Episode S24|12-round special]] against [[Conor Travers]], he scored 1767 points - 106.81 points per game, not counting the 12-round game in the average score.
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Wills has also appeared on 15-to-1, The Weakest Link, BrainTeaser and Mastermind. He holds the record for the most appearances since the start of the 15-round era and for this reason holds the record for the most points scored by any Countdowner. In 17 games including a [[Episode 4473|12-round special]] against [[Conor Travers]], he scored 1767 points - 106.81 points per game, not counting the 12-round game in the average score.
  
 
He currently works at the University of Leeds, in the Department of Health Studies.
 
He currently works at the University of Leeds, in the Department of Health Studies.
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{{ep | 3404 | 24/01/2003 | CGF | Chris Wills | 73 - 79 | [[Graham Nash]] | Eric Knowles | Susie Dent }}
 
{{ep | 3404 | 24/01/2003 | CGF | Chris Wills | 73 - 79 | [[Graham Nash]] | Eric Knowles | Susie Dent }}
 
{{ep | S12 | 15/09/2003 |S |[[Julian Fell]] | 100 - 92 | Chris Wills | [[Bob Bevan]] | [[Alison Heard]] }}
 
{{ep | S12 | 15/09/2003 |S |[[Julian Fell]] | 100 - 92 | Chris Wills | [[Bob Bevan]] | [[Alison Heard]] }}
{{ep |S24| 2/11/2007| S | Chris Wills| 58 - 69 | [[Conor Travers]] | | [[Alison Heard]]}}
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{{ep |4473| 2/11/2007| S | Chris Wills| 58 - 69 | [[Conor Travers]] | | [[Alison Heard]]}}
 
{{episode table end}}
 
{{episode table end}}
  

Revision as of 14:41, 2 March 2009

Chris Wills.

Chris Wills is often considered the greatest all-round player in Countdown history.

He began his rise to fame in Series 47, debuting on the 14th January 2002. He won his first seven games with centuries (including a 120-107 thriller against Terry Rattle) but won his last game with 92, missing out on the opportunity to be the first all-centuries octochamp.

In the middle of his run was a classic game against Terry Rattle. Chris was leading 100-79 going into the last letters game, where Chris played REACHING to Terry's CHAGRINED, which Terry declared as "very dodgy". Dictionary Corner okayed the word and after both players scored 10 points in the final numbers game, it was a crucial conundrum 110-107 in Chris's favour. The conundrum LINGOFLOW revealed itself and Chris buzzed in with FOLLOWING before the first second had elapsed. Terry's 107 was the highest losing score in the 15-round era until David Williams scored 111, also against Chris Wills.

Having totted up a record 875 points, he returned for the series finals as #1 seed, beating first Brenda Jolley and then Rupert Stokoe with scores of 110 and 118. In the final he faced the excellent Tom Hargreaves, and beat him comfortably to take the series.

He returned for Championship of Champions XI at the beginning of 2003, and was drawn against the masterful David Williams, holder of the 9-round octochamp record. The game was a classic, with Wills emerging the victory with 113 to Williams' 111. In the quarter finals, he faced the popular Loz Sands, and won comfortably but without a century. A semifinal score of 120 against John Rawnsley saw him comfortable into the final, where he was strong favourite to beat Graham Nash. The match was not as explosive as hoped, and the crucial conundrum was revealed with the scores at 79-73 in Nash's favour. Neither player could solve OVERSPADE, so Nash took the CoC trophy and Wills was beaten at last.

Many fans had expected Wills to face Julian Fell in the final, but Fell had been knocked out early on by Nash. To appease fans, a special "Fell vs Wills" episode was filmed in mid-2003 and broadcast on the 12th September. Wills was beaten again; this time, Fell was forced to come from behind, but solved the tricky conundrum VICTORIUS in just a few seconds to take the game.

Since then, Wills has been a regular at unofficial Countdown competitions, winning CoBris in 2006 and 2007, and all three COLIN events. He is consistently Template:Corral as one of the top players, and is one of the few players ever to be rated over 1000.

Wills has also appeared on 15-to-1, The Weakest Link, BrainTeaser and Mastermind. He holds the record for the most appearances since the start of the 15-round era and for this reason holds the record for the most points scored by any Countdowner. In 17 games including a 12-round special against Conor Travers, he scored 1767 points - 106.81 points per game, not counting the 12-round game in the average score.

He currently works at the University of Leeds, in the Department of Health Studies.

Preceded by
Ben Wilson
Series winner
Series 47
Followed by
Julian Fell


Preceded by
Kate Ogilvie
Champion of Champions runner-up
Championship of Champions XI
Followed by
Mark Tournoff

Episodes

Chris Wills alongside Mark Tournoff at COLIN 2005.
# Date Type Contestant 1 Score Contestant 2 Presenters Guest Lex Max
3166 14/01/2002 P Jeremy Slaney 66 – 107 Chris Wills Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Kathryn Apanowicz Susie Dent
3167 15/01/2002 P Chris Wills 118 – 44 Floraidh Campbell Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Kathryn Apanowicz Susie Dent
3168 16/01/2002 P Chris Wills 103 – 68 Jeff Baines Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Kathryn Apanowicz Susie Dent
3169 17/01/2002 P Chris Wills 129 – 77 April Carlin Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Kathryn Apanowicz Susie Dent
3170 18/01/2002 P Chris Wills 103 – 47 David Shaw Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Kathryn Apanowicz Susie Dent
3171 21/01/2002 P Chris Wills 120 – 107 Terry Rattle Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Tim Rice Susie Dent
3172 22/01/2002 P Chris Wills 103 – 48 Len Barker Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Tim Rice Susie Dent
3173 23/01/2002 P Chris Wills 92 – 52 Agnes Budis Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Tim Rice Susie Dent
3273 20/06/2002 QF Chris Wills 110 – 86 Brenda Jolley Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Geoffrey Durham Susie Dent
3277 26/06/2002 SF Rupert Stokoe 78 – 118 Chris Wills Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Richard Digance Damian Eadie
3279 28/06/2002 GF Tom Hargreaves 67 – 110 Chris Wills Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Richard Digance Damian Eadie
3391 7/01/2003 CP Chris Wills 113 – 111 David Williams Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Martin Jarvis Susie Dent
3398 16/01/2003 CQF Chris Wills 98 – 69 Loz Sands Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Tim Rice Susie Dent
3402 22/01/2003 CSF Chris Wills 120 – 88 John Rawnsley Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Eric Knowles Susie Dent
3404 24/01/2003 CGF Chris Wills 73 – 79 Graham Nash Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Eric Knowles Susie Dent
S12 15/09/2003 S Julian Fell 100 – 92 Chris Wills Richard Whiteley Carol Vorderman Bob Bevan Alison Heard
4473 2/11/2007 S Chris Wills 58 – 69 Conor Travers Des O'Connor Carol Vorderman Alison Heard

See also