(NECN/WESH: Michelle Meredith, Orlando, Fla.) - The National Scrabble Championship was held in Orlando, Fla. this week - and a scandal has rocked the tournament In day four of the 31 game tournament - a top young scrabble player only 14 years old was caught hiding two blank letter tiles…Which is like scrabble gold.
Blank tiles may be used for any letter.
He was kicked out of the tournament
Does it taint the scrabble tournament?
Local
"We don't feel like it really taints the scrabble world. Whether it is the Olympics a local bridge tournament… a local high school soccer game the reality of human nature is that some people are going to try to bend the rules in their favor," said John D. Williams, Jr., Executive Director of the National Scrabble Association.
It was upsetting to some players… because it turns out… knowing how to spell obscure words can really pay off...the prize in this scrabble tournament is $10,000.
"We want to do well by walking the right path so when somebody in a big money tournament like this does something dishonest they are essentially attempting to steal from us," Scrabble Player David Koenig said.
The tournament is a popular one… there are 350 scrabble players from all over the world… the reigning champ… Nigel Richards.... Is from Malaysia.
Scrabble has been around since the 1950s, and has inspired its own dictionary along with bringing people together.
Verna Richards met her husband over a scrabble game.
"The competition… competing with someone of like mind… but you hope you are better than," Richards said.
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