Scrabble win fair and square

The Star: Scrabble win fair and square
Louise Brown’s article about the National School Scrabble Championship winners and ensuing column by Kathy English (April 23) implied that the Scarborough winners clinched the victory by playing the word “carnate.” Leaving aside the debate about the authenticity of the word, the contention that the team won the tournament by playing this word is false. This play was made early on in the final game, and numerous other plays went into winning it. There were also seven other games prior to the final one.

As the mother of one of the winners, I know that he and his partner studied diligently and systematically to prepare for the tournament, memorizing stacks of index cards with obscure words, reading books about strategy, and playing/analyzing hundreds of games. They played the tournament with integrity and style, and there was nothing capricious about their victory.

Gabrielle Bauer, Toronto