2013 European Open Scrabble Championship: May 11–14, Malta

May 11–14, 2013

Go to: Commentary Players tsh Reports Scoreboard Standings Photos Prizes

Back to EOSC 2013 Live Coverage

Commentary: Before the Tournament

[ ]

Go to: Before the Tournament, Round 1, Round 2, Round 3, Round 4, Round 5, Round 6, Round 7, Round 8, Round 9, Round 10, Round 11, Round 12, Round 13, Round 14, Round 15, Round 16, Round 17, Round 18, Round 19, Round 20, Round 21, Round 22, Round 23, Round 24, Round 25, Round 26, Round 27, Round 28, Round 29, Round 30, Round 31, Round 32.


The Sixth European Open Scrabble Championship is about to begin, here at the Pergola Club Hotel and Spa, here in Mellieħa, Malta. Mellieħa is at the western end of the main island of Malta, not far from where the ferry leaves for Gozo. The hotel is in the village itself (not on the far outskirts as was last year's venue), and there are shops and restaurants within easy walking distance. The hotel appears to have a longer than usual list of amenities - two pools, spa service, and good free WiFi, and the staff that I have dealt with so far are courteous and competent in the extreme.

In fact, the only issue that I have had with the hotel concerns its layout, which appears to have been designed by M.C. Escher. If you ask staff for directions, they will usually point you on your way and tell you to take the first lift you see to a different floor. Woe betide you if you miss that first lift though, because not all lifts stop at all floors, nor are all floors numbered the same or even in the same direction in all lifts. For example, the nearest lift to the playing room labels this level as floor 2. The floor above it is floor 3, and I think to get to the reception you need to transfer to another lift that takes you up another floor to floor 1. I'm on the top floor, which in my wing is called floor 0. My room is in an unlabelled hallway, which I discovered by accident after trying a room which appeared to have the same number as mine, but which didn't open to my key. I am delighted that I was able to make it to reception just now stopping to ask directions only thrice; and on the way back, I didn't run into myself once.

Among the players, we had two no-shows from Nigeria, Chinedu Okwelogu (NGA) is due to show up during Round 1, and David Eldar (AUS) during Round 2. Good luck to them navigating their way to the playing room.


HASBRO is the owner of the registered SCRABBLE® trademark in the United States and Canada. The SCRABBLE® trademark is owned by J.W. Spear and Sons, PLC, a subsidiary of Mattel, Inc. outside of the United States and Canada. 

To report technical difficulties in reading this page,  please contact webmaster John Chew at: poslfit@gmail.com