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Difference between revisions of "Championship of Champions XI"
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The quarter-finals also started slowly, with Chris Wills scoring a win over [[Loz Sands]] despite an invalid word {{word|COAGULENT x}} in the first letters game. [[John Rawnsley]] beat semi-finalist [[Rupert Stokoe]] without ever looking like losing, despite faltering on the conundrum. | The quarter-finals also started slowly, with Chris Wills scoring a win over [[Loz Sands]] despite an invalid word {{word|COAGULENT x}} in the first letters game. [[John Rawnsley]] beat semi-finalist [[Rupert Stokoe]] without ever looking like losing, despite faltering on the conundrum. | ||
− | The following game was a classic which beat Wills and Williams highest joint total score. Both [[Ben Wilson]] and Tom Hargreaves spotted the [[letters game|niner]] {{word|FACETIOUS}} in the third round, and from then on Tom scored in every round to rack up 131 points. The second series champion was dispatched from the competition, as Ben Wilson lost his unbeaten | + | The following game was a classic which beat Wills and Williams highest joint total score. Both [[Ben Wilson]] and Tom Hargreaves spotted the [[letters game|niner]] {{word|FACETIOUS}} in the third round, and from then on Tom scored in every round to rack up 131 points. The second series champion was dispatched from the competition, as Ben Wilson lost his unbeaten record. |
The game after that was even more dramatic. Julian Fell and Graham Nash faced off, both players having won 12 games out of 12. The game started with a poor letters selection, but in round 4 Graham tried {{word|FORMICA x}} which but Julian six points in the lead with {{word|CORIUM}}. Both players spotted a nine in round 8 - {{word|ORGANISED}} for Graham and {{word|GRANDIOSE}} for Julian. Julian declared eight in the next round to Graham's seven, but Julian's offering of {{word|GAMBIERS x}} was duly disallowed and Graham had a one point lead. Equal scoring continued for the rest of the game, and the players had a perfect score between them going into rounds 12 and 13 where both players, and [[Dictionary Corner]] missed {{word|ROUILLE}} and {{word|SPERMATID}}. The game was poised for a crucial conundrum 110-109 in Graham's favour, and Graham buzzed in in just more than a second with {{word|MENDMEDOC}} to beat Julian, the first and only time that Julian has lost a game of Countdown. Chris Wills on his website later described it as the "best ever game of Countdown". | The game after that was even more dramatic. Julian Fell and Graham Nash faced off, both players having won 12 games out of 12. The game started with a poor letters selection, but in round 4 Graham tried {{word|FORMICA x}} which but Julian six points in the lead with {{word|CORIUM}}. Both players spotted a nine in round 8 - {{word|ORGANISED}} for Graham and {{word|GRANDIOSE}} for Julian. Julian declared eight in the next round to Graham's seven, but Julian's offering of {{word|GAMBIERS x}} was duly disallowed and Graham had a one point lead. Equal scoring continued for the rest of the game, and the players had a perfect score between them going into rounds 12 and 13 where both players, and [[Dictionary Corner]] missed {{word|ROUILLE}} and {{word|SPERMATID}}. The game was poised for a crucial conundrum 110-109 in Graham's favour, and Graham buzzed in in just more than a second with {{word|MENDMEDOC}} to beat Julian, the first and only time that Julian has lost a game of Countdown. Chris Wills on his website later described it as the "best ever game of Countdown". |
Revision as of 12:10, 23 April 2008
Championship of Champions XI ran from 6 to 24 January 2003, and was won by Graham Nash. It marked the debut of Countdown's current set.
The tournament started poorly with series champion Michael Calder being knocked out by quarter-finalist Loz Sands. The following game was one of the greatest in the history of Countdown, with Chris Wills scoring a come from behind win against David Williams, spotting the conundrum ETERNALLY in barely a second to win by two points. The next three first round matches all produced close scores, but Tom Hargreaves produced a very noteworthy performance against John Rainsden, beating the former runner-up by 52 points. Julian Fell produced a similar display against Octochamp Terence O'Farrell and won by 54 points. Graham Nash completed the first round matches with a 33 point win over David Ballheimer including the impressive MICROBES in the final letter rounds.
The quarter-finals also started slowly, with Chris Wills scoring a win over Loz Sands despite an invalid word COAGULENT x in the first letters game. John Rawnsley beat semi-finalist Rupert Stokoe without ever looking like losing, despite faltering on the conundrum.
The following game was a classic which beat Wills and Williams highest joint total score. Both Ben Wilson and Tom Hargreaves spotted the niner FACETIOUS in the third round, and from then on Tom scored in every round to rack up 131 points. The second series champion was dispatched from the competition, as Ben Wilson lost his unbeaten record.
The game after that was even more dramatic. Julian Fell and Graham Nash faced off, both players having won 12 games out of 12. The game started with a poor letters selection, but in round 4 Graham tried FORMICA x which but Julian six points in the lead with CORIUM. Both players spotted a nine in round 8 - ORGANISED for Graham and GRANDIOSE for Julian. Julian declared eight in the next round to Graham's seven, but Julian's offering of GAMBIERS x was duly disallowed and Graham had a one point lead. Equal scoring continued for the rest of the game, and the players had a perfect score between them going into rounds 12 and 13 where both players, and Dictionary Corner missed ROUILLE and SPERMATID. The game was poised for a crucial conundrum 110-109 in Graham's favour, and Graham buzzed in in just more than a second with MENDMEDOC to beat Julian, the first and only time that Julian has lost a game of Countdown. Chris Wills on his website later described it as the "best ever game of Countdown".
In the semi-finals, Chris Wills disposed of series 45 champion John Rawnsley, scoring 120 points. Chris scored in every rounds including the nine-letter DECAGONAL but it was John that got the conundrum to deny Chris a personal best of 130.
The second semi-final was most notable for its disallowed words, as Graham Nash had two words disallowed and Tom Hargreaves had three. The decisive factor was the 7th round where Tom risked RESCALING x to Graham's CLEARINGS which gave Graham a lead that would never be challenged in the game. Graham dispatched with the conundrum AVIANLOUT which set up a final between two players with 14 wins from 14 games.
The final turned out not to be a classic, thanks in large part to two impossible numbers games. Chris Wills initially took the lead with GAMBADE but was beaten in two letters rounds with PENSIVE and METALS as Chris risked an invalid six. The players scored in every round from there on, but neither player scored on the last numbers game where zero points was the maximum. The conundrum OVERSPADE was turned over, with Graham having a six point lead thanks to METALS. Dramatically the time ran out with neither player buzzing in, and Graham was triumphant 79-73. Thanks to his success, Graham was selected for the game show Grand Slam due to his unbeaten record at Countdown.