World Scrabble Championship: Difference between revisions
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The '''World Scrabble Championship''' ('''WSC''') is played to determine the world champion in competitive [[English-language Scrabble]]. It was held in every odd year from 1991 to 2013; from 2013 onwards, it became an annual event. |
The '''World Scrabble Championship''' ('''WSC''') is played to determine the world champion in competitive [[English-language Scrabble]]. It was held in every odd year from 1991 to 2013; from 2013 onwards, it became an annual event. |
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The most successful player in world championship history is [[Nigel Richards (Scrabble player)|Nigel Richards]] from [[New Zealand]], who won a record six titles between 2007 and 2019. |
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The reigning World Scrabble Champion is [[Nigel Richards (Scrabble player)|Nigel Richards]] from [[New Zealand]], who won his record fifth title at the [[World Scrabble Championship 2019|2019 Mattel World Scrabble Championships]] by winning the final in [[Torquay]], [[United Kingdom]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-10-28|title=Kiwi Nigel Richards wins fifth world Scrabble championship|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/116983135/kiwi-nigel-richards-wins-fifth-world-scrabble-championship|access-date=2022-02-15|website=Stuff|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=World Scrabble champion defends crown with 'Ghostier'|url=https://www.cumnockchronicle.com/news/national-news/18059278.world-scrabble-champion-defends-crown-ghostier/|access-date=2022-02-15|website=Cumnock Chronicle|language=en}}</ref> |
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==History== |
==History== |
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Sponsorship of the World Scrabble Championship (WSC) formerly alternated between [[Hasbro]] and [[Mattel]], the North American and global owners of the Scrabble trademark, respectively. However, after Hasbro declined to sponsor [[World Scrabble Championship 2005|WSC 2005]], Mattel has organized and sponsored all championships. Mind Sports International (MSI) began sponsoring the event in 2013 after successfully organizing their own major Scrabble tournament in [[Prague]] in 2012. As of 2018, it |
Sponsorship of the World Scrabble Championship (WSC) formerly alternated between [[Hasbro]] and [[Mattel]], the North American and global owners of the Scrabble trademark, respectively. However, after Hasbro declined to sponsor [[World Scrabble Championship 2005|WSC 2005]], Mattel has organized and sponsored all championships. Mind Sports International (MSI) began sponsoring the event in 2013 after successfully organizing their own major Scrabble tournament in [[Prague]] in 2012. As of 2018, it has been sponsored by Mindsports Academy and [[World English-Language Scrabble Players' Association|WESPA]]. |
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The number of players competing in the tournament has risen steadily over time, from 48 in [[World Scrabble Championship 1991|1991]] to 108 in [[World Scrabble Championship 2009|2009]]. Each country is allocated seats for the championship, and individual countries' national associations determine which of their players represent them. This is typically done by means of a national rating system or qualifier tournaments. A good performance by a national team according to specific criteria will earn further permanent places for that country. |
The number of players competing in the tournament has risen steadily over time, from 48 in [[World Scrabble Championship 1991|1991]] to 108 in [[World Scrabble Championship 2009|2009]]. Each country is allocated seats for the championship, and individual countries' national associations determine which of their players represent them. This is typically done by means of a national rating system or qualifier tournaments. A good performance by a national team according to specific criteria will earn further permanent places for that country. |
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In 2016, the tournament was split into two divisions based on players' rankings. MSI also hosted world championships in other languages, including French, German, Spanish and Catalan, alongside the French Duplicate Championship. |
In 2016, the tournament was split into two divisions based on players' rankings. MSI also hosted world championships in other languages, including French, German, Spanish and Catalan, alongside the French Duplicate Championship. |
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The 2017 MSI World Championships followed the same format as the 2016 event. This was won by Australian [[David Eldar]]. The second WESPA |
The 2017 MSI World Championships followed the same format as the 2016 event. This was won by Australian [[David Eldar]]. The second WESPA Championship (first held in 2015) was held in [[Nairobi]], [[Kenya]] in November, won by Akshay Bhandarkar. |
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The 2018 World Scrabble Championship was organised by Mindsports Academy. The main event was held in [[Torquay]], [[Devon]], but the best-of-5 final was held in London to celebrate the game's 70th anniversary. The event was won by Nigel Richards |
The 2018 World Scrabble Championship was organised by Mindsports Academy. The main event was held in [[Torquay]], [[Devon]], but the best-of-5 final was held in London to celebrate the game's 70th anniversary. The event was won by Nigel Richards. |
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In 2019 Nigel Richards went on to defend his title (and win his fifth championship) against [[David Eldar]] at the Riviera International Centre in [[Torquay]]. |
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In 2019 the third WESPA Championship <ref>https://nsw.scrabble.org.au/ATB1219.pdf</ref> was also held in [[Goa]], [[India]]. The best of seven final was contested between [[Nigel Richards (Scrabble player)|Nigel Richards]] and Jesse Day. The seventh and deciding game was won by Nigel Richards with a crucial triple-triple. |
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Due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] there was no tournament play in 2020. |
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In 2021 the fourth WESPA Championship was called the WESPAC 2021 Virtual Gladiators Scrabble Championships<ref>https://www.24newshd.tv/05-Dec-2021/new-zealand-s-alastair-richards-wins-gladiators-virtual-scrabble-world-championship</ref> and was held online at [https://woogles.io Woogles], hosted in [[Pakistan]] by the PSA (Pakistan Scrabble Association). In the seventh and final game, Alastair Richards of [[New Zealand]] won the title with a 13-point lead, defeating Australia’s [[David Eldar]]. The winner received €3,500 while the runner-up received €1,500. |
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The 2023 the fifth WESPA Championship in [[Las Vegas]] marked the first time since 2001 that a world championship was contested in North America. The winner was [[David Eldar]] who defeated Harshan Lamabadusuriya to capture the $10,000 first prize in a four-day, 32-game tournament, becoming the second person to win more than one world championship. |
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==List of finals == |
==List of finals == |
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|[[World Scrabble Championship 2007|2007]] |
|[[World Scrabble Championship 2007|2007]] |
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|{{Flagicon|New Zealand}} [[Nigel Richards (Scrabble player)|Nigel |
|{{Flagicon|New Zealand}} [[Nigel Richards (Scrabble player)|Nigel Richards]] (1) |
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|{{Flagicon|MAS}} [[Ganesh Asirvatham]] |
|{{Flagicon|MAS}} [[Ganesh Asirvatham]] |
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|[[Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces|Taj President Hotel]], [[Mumbai]], [[India]] |
|[[Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces|Taj President Hotel]], [[Mumbai]], [[India]] |
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|[[World Scrabble Championship 2009|2009]] |
|[[World Scrabble Championship 2009|2009]] |
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|{{Flagicon|THA}} [[Pakorn Nemitrmansuk]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=WSC 2009 Standings: Round 24|url=http://live.wscgames.com/2009/standing/1/24.html|access-date=2022-02-16|website=live.wscgames.com}}</ref> |
|{{Flagicon|THA}} [[Pakorn Nemitrmansuk]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=WSC 2009 Standings: Round 24|url=http://live.wscgames.com/2009/standing/1/24.html|access-date=2022-02-16|website=live.wscgames.com}}</ref> |
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|{{Flagicon|New Zealand}} [[Nigel Richards (Scrabble player)|Nigel |
|{{Flagicon|New Zealand}} [[Nigel Richards (Scrabble player)|Nigel Richards]]<ref name="wscfinals2009">{{cite web|author=John J. Chew III|title=WSC 2009: Finals|url=http://live.wscgames.com/2009/finals.html|access-date=2014-02-23|publisher=Live.wscgames.com}}</ref> |
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|[[Johor Bahru landmarks#The ZON Shopping Mall|Zon Regency Hotel]], [[Johor Bahru]], [[Malaysia]]<ref name="wscvenue2009">{{cite web|author=John J. Chew III |url=http://www.wscgames.com/2009/venue.html |title=2009 WSC Venue |publisher=Wscgames.com |access-date=2014-02-23}}</ref> |
|[[Johor Bahru landmarks#The ZON Shopping Mall|Zon Regency Hotel]], [[Johor Bahru]], [[Malaysia]]<ref name="wscvenue2009">{{cite web|author=John J. Chew III |url=http://www.wscgames.com/2009/venue.html |title=2009 WSC Venue |publisher=Wscgames.com |access-date=2014-02-23}}</ref> |
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| align="right" |108 |
| align="right" |108 |
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|[[World Scrabble Championship 2011|2011]] |
|[[World Scrabble Championship 2011|2011]] |
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|{{Flagicon|New Zealand}} [[Nigel Richards (Scrabble player)|Nigel |
|{{Flagicon|New Zealand}} [[Nigel Richards (Scrabble player)|Nigel Richards]] (2) |
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|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Andrew Fisher (Scrabble)|Andrew |
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Andrew Fisher (Scrabble)|Andrew Fisher]] |
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|[http://www1.hilton.com/en_US/hi/hotel/WAWHIHI-Hilton-Warsaw-Hotel-and-Convention-Centre/index.do Hilton Hotel], [[Warsaw]], [[Poland]]<ref name="hotel2011">{{cite web|author=John J. Chew III |url=http://www.wscgames.com/2011/venue.html |title=2011 WSC Venue |publisher=Wscgames.com |access-date=2014-02-23}}</ref> |
|[http://www1.hilton.com/en_US/hi/hotel/WAWHIHI-Hilton-Warsaw-Hotel-and-Convention-Centre/index.do Hilton Hotel], [[Warsaw]], [[Poland]]<ref name="hotel2011">{{cite web|author=John J. Chew III |url=http://www.wscgames.com/2011/venue.html |title=2011 WSC Venue |publisher=Wscgames.com |access-date=2014-02-23}}</ref> |
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| align="right" | 106 |
| align="right" | 106 |
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|[[Scrabble Champions Tournament 2013|2013]] |
|[[Scrabble Champions Tournament 2013|2013]] |
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|{{Flagicon|New Zealand}} [[Nigel Richards (Scrabble player)|Nigel |
|{{Flagicon|New Zealand}} [[Nigel Richards (Scrabble player)|Nigel Richards]] (3) |
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|{{Flagicon|THA}} [[Komol Panyasophonlert|Komol |
|{{Flagicon|THA}} [[Komol Panyasophonlert|Komol Panyasophonlert]] |
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|Andel's Hotel, [[Prague]], [[Czech Republic]] |
|Andel's Hotel, [[Prague]], [[Czech Republic]] |
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| align="right" | 110 |
| align="right" | 110 |
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|[[Scrabble Champions Tournament 2014|2014]] |
|[[Scrabble Champions Tournament 2014|2014]] |
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|{{Flagicon|ENG}} [[Craig Beevers|Craig |
|{{Flagicon|ENG}} [[Craig Beevers|Craig Beevers]] |
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|{{Flagicon|USA}} Chris Lipe |
|{{Flagicon|USA}} Chris Lipe |
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|[[ExCeL London|ExCeL Arena]], [[London]], [[United Kingdom]] |
|[[ExCeL London|ExCeL Arena]], [[London]], [[United Kingdom]] |
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|[[WESPA Championship 2015|2015]] |
|[[WESPA Championship 2015|2015]] |
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|{{Flagicon|NGR}} [[Wellington Jighere]]<ref name="BBC News 9 November 2015">{{cite web | title= Nigeria celebrates Africa's first English-language Scrabble win |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-34764670| author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|date= 9 November 2015| website= [[BBC News Online]] | access-date= 9 November 2015}}</ref> |
|{{Flagicon|NGR}} [[Wellington Jighere]]<ref name="BBC News 9 November 2015">{{cite web | title= Nigeria celebrates Africa's first English-language Scrabble win |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-34764670| author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|date= 9 November 2015| website= [[BBC News Online]] | access-date= 9 November 2015}}</ref> |
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|{{Flagicon|ENG}} Lewis |
|{{Flagicon|ENG}} Lewis Mackay |
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|[[Gloucester Park, Perth|Gloucester Park]], [[Perth]], [[Australia]] |
|[[Gloucester Park, Perth|Gloucester Park]], [[Perth]], [[Australia]] |
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| align="right" | 130 |
| align="right" | 130 |
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|[[World Scrabble Championship 2018|2018]] |
|[[World Scrabble Championship 2018|2018]] |
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|{{Flagicon|New Zealand}} [[Nigel Richards (Scrabble player)|Nigel |
|{{Flagicon|New Zealand}} [[Nigel Richards (Scrabble player)|Nigel Richards]] (4) |
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|{{Flagicon|USA}} [[Jesse Day]] |
|{{Flagicon|USA}} [[Jesse Day]] |
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|[[Torquay]] (final in [[Westfield London]]), [[United Kingdom]] |
|[[Torquay]] (final in [[Westfield London]]), [[United Kingdom]] |
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|[[World Scrabble Championship 2019|2019]] |
|[[World Scrabble Championship 2019|2019]] |
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|{{Flagicon|New Zealand}} [[Nigel Richards (Scrabble player)|Nigel |
|{{Flagicon|New Zealand}} [[Nigel Richards (Scrabble player)|Nigel Richards]] (5) |
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|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[David Eldar]] |
|{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[David Eldar]] |
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|Riviera International Centre, [[Torquay]], [[United Kingdom]] |
|Riviera International Centre, [[Torquay]], [[United Kingdom]] |
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| align="right" | {{currency|10000|USD|linked=yes}}<ref>{{cite web |url= https://slate.com/culture/2023/08/scrabble-world-championship-2023-david-eldar-harshan-lamabadusuriya.html</ref> |
| align="right" | {{currency|10000|USD|linked=yes}}<ref>{{cite web |url= https://slate.com/culture/2023/08/scrabble-world-championship-2023-david-eldar-harshan-lamabadusuriya.html</ref> |
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| align="right" | |
| align="right" | |
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|[[World English-Language Scrabble Players' Association|WESPA]] |
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|NASPA |
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|} |
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Revision as of 12:43, 21 August 2023
Sport | Scrabble |
---|---|
Founded | 1991 |
Most recent champion(s) | Nigel Richards (5th title) (2019) |
Sponsor(s) | Mattel |
The World Scrabble Championship (WSC) is played to determine the world champion in competitive English-language Scrabble. It was held in every odd year from 1991 to 2013; from 2013 onwards, it became an annual event.
The most successful player in world championship history is Nigel Richards from New Zealand, who won a record six titles between 2007 and 2019.
History
Sponsorship of the World Scrabble Championship (WSC) formerly alternated between Hasbro and Mattel, the North American and global owners of the Scrabble trademark, respectively. However, after Hasbro declined to sponsor WSC 2005, Mattel has organized and sponsored all championships. Mind Sports International (MSI) began sponsoring the event in 2013 after successfully organizing their own major Scrabble tournament in Prague in 2012. As of 2018, it has been sponsored by Mindsports Academy and WESPA.
The number of players competing in the tournament has risen steadily over time, from 48 in 1991 to 108 in 2009. Each country is allocated seats for the championship, and individual countries' national associations determine which of their players represent them. This is typically done by means of a national rating system or qualifier tournaments. A good performance by a national team according to specific criteria will earn further permanent places for that country.
The official dictionary, used in the majority of English-language Scrabble-playing countries and colloquially known as SOWPODS (an anagram of OSPD and OSW), was used until 2007. It is a combination of two dictionaries: OSPD (Official Scrabble Players Dictionary), published in the US, and OSW (Official Scrabble Words), published in the UK. Local tournaments used only their respective dictionary for the tournament, and each contains words chiefly used and spelled in US English and UK English. Since 2007, Collins supplies the only dictionary used in the WSC, Collins Scrabble Words, which is published in the UK.
On May 17, 2013, Mattel announced[1] that the event would be renamed the Scrabble Champions Tournament, and the tournament would be held annually as part of Mind Sports International's Prague Mind Sports Festival. MSI introduced a 'Last Chance Qualifier' tournament, giving players a last opportunity to qualify for 5 places in the main event if they failed to achieve a place on their national team. A four-way knockout stage was introduced for the top four finishers, which consisted of a best-of-3 semi-final followed by a best-of-5 final. Nigel Richards became World Champion here, making him the first player to defend his world title.
In 2014 the Scrabble Champions Tournament continued in London, but it became an open event, with all players invited to compete. A quarter-final stage was added, meaning that the top 8 progressed to the knockout stages. Craig Beevers won the event, making him the first British World Scrabble Champion since Mark Nyman in 1993.
In 2015, following cancellation of the SCT, Mattel and MSI agreed to allow WESPA to organize the 2015 WESPA Championship (WESPAC). It was held in Perth, Australia and followed the invitational format of pre-MSI WSC events. 130 players qualified to play. Wellington Jighere of Nigeria emerged as WESPA Champion after beating Lewis Mackay 4–0 in the final.
In 2016, the tournament was split into two divisions based on players' rankings. MSI also hosted world championships in other languages, including French, German, Spanish and Catalan, alongside the French Duplicate Championship.
The 2017 MSI World Championships followed the same format as the 2016 event. This was won by Australian David Eldar. The second WESPA Championship (first held in 2015) was held in Nairobi, Kenya in November, won by Akshay Bhandarkar.
The 2018 World Scrabble Championship was organised by Mindsports Academy. The main event was held in Torquay, Devon, but the best-of-5 final was held in London to celebrate the game's 70th anniversary. The event was won by Nigel Richards.
In 2019 Nigel Richards went on to defend his title (and win his fifth championship) against David Eldar at the Riviera International Centre in Torquay.
In 2019 the third WESPA Championship [2] was also held in Goa, India. The best of seven final was contested between Nigel Richards and Jesse Day. The seventh and deciding game was won by Nigel Richards with a crucial triple-triple.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic there was no tournament play in 2020.
In 2021 the fourth WESPA Championship was called the WESPAC 2021 Virtual Gladiators Scrabble Championships[3] and was held online at Woogles, hosted in Pakistan by the PSA (Pakistan Scrabble Association). In the seventh and final game, Alastair Richards of New Zealand won the title with a 13-point lead, defeating Australia’s David Eldar. The winner received €3,500 while the runner-up received €1,500.
The 2023 the fifth WESPA Championship in Las Vegas marked the first time since 2001 that a world championship was contested in North America. The winner was David Eldar who defeated Harshan Lamabadusuriya to capture the $10,000 first prize in a four-day, 32-game tournament, becoming the second person to win more than one world championship.
List of finals
See also
References
- ^ a b "Press Release". Forum.mindsportsinternational.com. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
- ^ https://nsw.scrabble.org.au/ATB1219.pdf
- ^ https://www.24newshd.tv/05-Dec-2021/new-zealand-s-alastair-richards-wins-gladiators-virtual-scrabble-world-championship
- ^ a b WSC 1991 results at cross-tables.com
- ^ a b WSC 1993 results at cross-tables.com
- ^ a b WSC 1995 results at cross-tables.com
- ^ a b John J. Chew III. "WSC 1997 Prizes". Wscgames.com. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
- ^ a b WSC 1999 results at cross-tables.com
- ^ a b "2001 World SCRABBLE® Championship". Scrabble-assoc.com. 2001-05-03. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
- ^ a b "Scrabble Masters". Wscgames.com. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
- ^ a b John J. Chew III. "2005 WSC Prizes". Wscgames.com. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
- ^ a b John J. Chew III. "2007 WSC Prizes". Wscgames.com. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
- ^ "WSC 2009 Standings: Round 24". live.wscgames.com. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
- ^ John J. Chew III. "WSC 2009: Finals". Live.wscgames.com. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
- ^ John J. Chew III. "2009 WSC Venue". Wscgames.com. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
- ^ a b John J. Chew III. "2009 WSC Prizes". Wscgames.com. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
- ^ John J. Chew III. "2011 WSC Venue". Wscgames.com. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
- ^ a b John J. Chew III. "2011 WSC Prizes". Wscgames.com. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
- ^ "Prize Table". Event.poslfit.com. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
- ^ "World SCRABBLE Championship - NASPAWiki".
- ^ "Nigeria celebrates Africa's first English-language Scrabble win". BBC News Online. 9 November 2015. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
- ^ "Obscure word propels Londoner to victory in world Scrabble championships". www.telegraph.co.uk. Telegraph Media Group. 27 August 2017. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
- ^ "Sulky word wins Scrabble championship". BBC News. 29 October 2018. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
- ^ {{cite web |url= https://slate.com/culture/2023/08/scrabble-world-championship-2023-david-eldar-harshan-lamabadusuriya.html