ARIAKA

7.30 am
Saturday October 11th, 2008
KASARANI SPORTS COMPLEX
NAIROBI - KENYA

I slept late last night, spending time reviewing the my game, catching news in Kenya and the world. Trying to follow the American Election.  I meet Jeff Koinange on 24 TV with his humour, satirising the president Moi on Moi day.  I needed to lighten up.  This Koinange thing helps, easing the heavy head, taking me well beyond midnight.  I blink once; get up and move about.  Then sat back and blinked again, and again when I woke, there was this headache. Not gain. Oh my good.

After the abysmal showing on day one when I performed below par. I hoped today to be a different day altogether.  Last night, I did a game by game analysis to discover my weakness, did a psychological profiling to determine my mental preparedness and peeped into my opponents mind set and their perceived superiority.

I discovered that I was not up to it.  The bus lag, the malaise, the luck of rest and a host of other misfortunes could have conspired to deny me certain victories.  With hindsight, I should have won the games against ETA Karo, Menya Mukonge and Isiaya Wayuga.  With that, my day on day one would have ended 6/8.  Okay I would have moved upwards and met tougher jobs, but many people ended on 5/8.  That is a safer bet; 62.5% is a reasonable outing.

Anyway, today I am paired against Chris Ntege of
Uganda.  Chris is a kind of a jinx to me in Uganda.  He has relegated me in the past in many tournaments back in Uganda.  I tell Chris, despite being my chairman and recent odds being in his favour, I am taking this game.  Chris scoffs at me for this confidence and soon the game begins.

Game 9: We play ping-pong, for while; playing cautiously until the fifth move.  The score card reads 98 – 130 in my favour.  Suddenly, Chris lands STREaKy +5, for 109.  I am alarmed by this trend of events and make 40 points in two moves.  When Chris passes to balance his rack, I play PUIREST, hooking on APERIENT (+10) to lead by 55 points.  I held on this lead for dear life.  Despite a TOMATOES by Chris later, I keep the slim lead to end game where a phoney play by Chris gifts me a photo finish to win (390 - 373).

Game 10:  Dr. Patrick Litunya is world number 6 – (as per results of 2007 World Scrabble Championship).  ASC08 is not going his way so far.  That is how come he is playing in the middle lane with us lesser mortals.  I have had quite a good run against Patrick going back to ECASA 08 in Dar and a recent BUSIA Kenya ASC qualifier.  However, Litu is in mood and duly dispatches me back to the Bedroom. He plays STENGAH and later VAURIEn.  I have no reply to his bingos and quickly lose this game 469 – 256, a whooping -214 spread.  I lose my little + spreads and now lie deep down in dangerous territory, in the throes of the hyenas who so decimated me yesterday.  So far, after10 games I am 4/10.  40 percent, which is really mediocrity.  Not good at all. I better improve to 5/10 next game.

Game 11:  I met a wounded David Kangethe (Kenya).  A man who has not played competitive scrabble in a long time.  I say to myself, this is fair game.  Alas, David lands three bingoes, one after another; REUNITES (60) through my R, HOARSEN (81) and OBOVOID (84) to open a commanding lead.  I respond later with EMULSIVe and very late with SUNDARI.  But the game was safely the other side of the board and David is grinning with satisfaction for 423 – 391 win.

Game 12:  After tea-break, I scan the pairing board and discover that am up to play Femi Awowode of Nigeria (The Champ).  We last met in Dar 4 years ago where I upset establishment by taking a game from him.  Surely, he must be itching for his pound of flesh.  I sigh deeply, organize my recording paraphernalia and start with LEMURIA.  This is it, I must be on good picking again.  He challenges this move and places HUIA.  I notice that his picking is no good.  But he played so defensively, I could not land my jackpot.  My chance comes later with NERvULE (74) which he cancels with IRISATE (82) immediately.  He leads 142 -126.  We play pound for pound, him leading marginally until I pick NONITL?, spotting a hanging T, I land NONTITLe +5 (73).  Despite a bad play ODORATED, I recover and hold to win this game 421 – 397.   Phew.  Another game gone my way.  What a relief. 

Game 13:  I am paired to play JC Auka of Kenya.  Yesterday, as I sidled into the hostel, I met JC who bantered in Kiswahili. Huyo ni mboga yangu. Referring to me as his vegetable (sic).  You know Kenya and sukuma wiki. That side dish, ever present at a truly Kenyan cuisine.  Another word for that bullying is provocation, which tends rouse the warrior in me.  I tell he is in for a rude awakening.  His confidence had soared owing to my poor record against him in Dar and Busia.

True to his deposition, he lands COLLEEN +5 for 77.  I reply with STATING two moves later.  Then holding girlie +I, I play GIRLIE for 27, ZAGS for 72 FORCE for 39, MOES for 37 and ABOITEAu through A on triple lane for 77 and leave the poor guy panting in dust.  I finish him of with PIETY (25) +5 and wrap up the game 483 – 377.  Auka could not believe it.  But I was gone.  Thrust 6/13.  Quite a recovery.  If only I could make it 7/14.  I will be on track for something.  Who knows what lay ahead.

Game 14:  The win from JC Auka propels me to Fred Magu, another Kenyan maestro in the wrong place at the wrong time. On my second move I place UNITARD, anagram (TRIDUAN) +5 for 78.  When Magu plays a bad word on the ninth move, I know his time is up. And am goner (sic) win it at all cost. We play a cat and mouse game until I notice that Magu has trouble on his rack.  He wants to pass. So I open the triple play with NIL for 14 while trailing by 10 points.  It is a harmless opening so MAGU plays TAU for 15.  I land TOTALIzE +5 for 63 and take this game 412 – 377.  Now I am at 7/14; and the threshold to take off into the top half of 56 players and hopefully into top 10; and into some money at the end of the day.

Game 15:  In this game, I am paired against Philip Edwin Mugisha of Uganda.  Edwin is a rising star in the country who had qualified as seed number two, after Rose.  He is on a free fall after losing up front.  He promises fire for me and to consign me to where I belong; in throes of hyenas at the back of the pack.

So I play AGLEY for 26 and balance a difficult rack.   He responds with TWIRLY for 24.  My picking has not improved, so I play KILIM for 27.  He replies with PIX for 24. I play RUC to balance for a jackpot.  He passes on this move.  I play TREEING 63 and lead by 86.  His PLEDGE for 24 is met with my DEF for 42.  A good score and a balancing act whereupon I land COWRITEr +5 (75) and run away to the finishing line.  When Edwin plays RECANTER and BUSH in succession for 113, I confound him with ATTONES 73, ZIN for 41 and wrap this game when he played a bad word BEUOF; my response JAMBES through the B on triple lane.  I take this game 515 – 322 and leave Edwin in a wake of another heavy loss.  He laughs loudest he who laughs last.  Hmmm

Game 16:  I met a Nigerian for the second time.  ETA was a player of silent disposition.  He is also religious.  Before we started the game, the very first game, ETA had picked up the bag of tiles and held it on his forehead muttering something in Yoruba or Igbo or some Nigerian Language about winning this game or tournament.  He won that game. So the Gods must have heard his prayers.

Meeting Ikojo Anthony, I was a bit surprised by his demeanour. A quiet man, easy manners and honest.  Not the aggressive stereotyped as we had imagined Team Green Locust would be.

Ikojo starts with GLENT for 16.  I reply YOK for 30. I notice the game is closing too early.  Is this Anthony’s strategy, I muse to myself. The man is slowly drifting away, leading by 11 points.  Suddenly while holding ROLINGE, I could not land a bingo. But on closer observation, I spot (TO) and promptly land RETOOLING (60), my first nine letter jackpot.  With that move my picking changed as I landed high scores VOCULE (47) followed by CORoNATE (70) through T and finally AERATIoN (74) through triple lane starting A(…).  In desperation, Ikojo tried SADDIST hooking on RETOOLING; which I gladly challenged off board.  I took this game 467 – 363.  I am now gaining in confidence and baying for the blood of anybody.

At this point the director called a committee to consider an urgent matter, the start of King of the Hill pairing system.  This causes quite a stir as the Green Locust see a conspiracy (sic).  There is huge rivalry between Kenya and Nigeria, even in Scrabble. So the Nigerians could not see the merit of play KOH now, preferring it for tomorrow.  When the matter was put to the vote, the YAHS had it.

Game 17:  That was not to be anybody, but Dennis Ikekerego of Nigeria, the man who won in Dar es Salaam and defended his position successfully in Nigeria two years ago.  While walking on the lawns of the hostel on day one, I met Dennis and told him it will be an honour for me to play him.  I said on account of my performance so far, that was a slim prospect.  But providence had other plans. He now granted my wish and thrust Dennis my way on table 8.

Holding EEHINOR, I played HEROINE (78).  Dennis must have been miffed for he replied with IO for 8.  My rack was bad, so I play GROG for 14 while Dennis’ response was MOY for 21.  I played MICK (31), holding only an I for vowels. Dennis plays GLAIK for 20 while I was Keeping ZX?.  Dennis takes full advantage and plays FAILS for 32 opening a triple lane.  I play ZEX for 39 and Dennis cannot run for his rack was bad.  Dennis destabilize me.  I have DILATeD but it cannot land anywhere.  So I play LAD for 17 whence he plays THORNED hooking on ED(H) opening a triple timer.  I seize the moment and ran him out with INDART?D through his D for 140.  I pick ?EENLLA and respond with pANNELED on triple play.  At this point Dennis mutters something like, “You are picking every ting now”. I can not comprehend this.  All I hear is a jabber and ting tings.  It occurs to me that the Nigerians take their “NIGLISH) seriously.  I inquire if something is the matter, for which the Director could help.  He says “nating”.  That he is just “tinking” aloud about my good luck.  Good luck it was and I win big 545 – 376. And with this win my score is 10/17. 

It feels good. I want another opponent.  Bring on Chinedu, Ibukun, Jighere Mbugua, Mwangi.  Bring them all I say to myself.  I am all fired.