Youngest Scrabble Expert Ever Emerges from Norwalk Tournament

Norwalk Patch: Youngest Scrabble Expert Ever Emerges from Norwalk Tournament
Scrabble is not just another board game in the family room for 11-year-old Mack Meller of Bedford, NY.

It’s a competitive challenge and an arena for him to test his vast knowledge of words. And at the most recent NASPA Scrabble tournament (North American Scrabble Players Association), played in Norwalk on June 25, Meller placed second in Division I, bumping his official Scrabble rating by 53 points to 1638.

He won $75 and the distinction of being the youngest player in Scrabble tournament history to achieve "expert" status, or over 1600 points, said Katie Schulz, marketing director for the National Scrabble Association. He played eight games and scored three games over 500 points. A typical expert averages 365-400 points a game against other experts, according to the NSA.

What is it about the game that appeals to this tween so much?

“I like strategy games that test skill, rather than luck,” said Meller. “I really like everything about Scrabble.”

Though he started playing the game when he was four years old, he played in his first tournament just seven months ago and has averaged about one per month since then, traveling as far as Orlando, FL, and Philadelphia for the chance to best his record.

The official Scrabble tournaments are almost exclusively attended by adults, especially in the higher divisions, said his mother, Jessica Meller, who said it “was a matter of time” before he reached expert levels.

“We knew his game was steadily improving due to all his study and practice. At the tournament when he found out his new “expert” rating we were indescribably happy for him, and thrilled for his life lesson that his hard work paid off,” she said of her son, who is home-schooled.

As for what helped him develop his affinity for words, Jessica Meller said Mack has always loved games, words and math. “It’s hard work, fueled by his interest,” she said.

And his favorite words?

“That's a tough one to decide,” said Mack. “Some top ones are: teocalli, which is an Aztec temple, conferva, an algae, babassu, which is a palm tree and bombyx, a silkworm."

The family celebrated his achievement by “playing a lot of ping pong—a favorite of Mack’s,” said Jessica Meller. He's not all about the tiles on the board though—his interests include math, tennis, film-making and African Drumming, making it tough to predict whether he’ll follow the likes of wordsmith and puzzlemaker Will Shortz.

But what is in his future is more Scrabble. He’s already set his sites on reaching a 1,700 rating. Meller also donates a portion of his winnings to St. Jude's Children's Hospital.