NIGEL’S WORLD(S)

In late October, Scrabble’s World Championships took place in a mall in Torquay, England. The event seemed to captivate all of Scrabbledom, regardless of location; hundreds of players, including me, were glued to their computers watching the 75 competitors in Division 1. They represented 25 countries and battled for 35 rounds, plus the three rounds of playoffs that followed. Breathtaking Scrabble theater.

But it was the best-of-five finals that will be forever etched in our collective minds. This showdown featured the game’s top player, Nigel Richards, who hails from New Zealand but currently lives in Malaysia, against Jesse Day of the United States. And years from now, I suspect the wonderful, pivotal “Game 3” will be known to Scrabble players the way “Game 6” is known to baseball fans (a reference to the 1986 World Series Champion New York Mets): a truly unique, fascinating battle with a brilliant,