Revision as of 12:51, 11 July 2016

NOTE: TOURNAMENT DETAILS HAVE BEEN FINALIZED, AND THE INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE IS NOW CONSIDERED TO BE FINAL (subject to potential changes as identified below).

The 2016 North American SCRABBLE Championship will take place on August 6-10, 2016 at the Grand Wayne Convention Center, 120 W. Jefferson Boulevard, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46802, with the Courtyard Fort Wayne at the Grand Wayne Center and Hilton Fort Wayne at the Grand Wayne Center serving as host hotels. This webpage will be updated regularly as additional details became available.

Live Event Coverage

Live Event Coverage will be available throughout the event. A link will be posted here, once it is available.

Registration

Online registration for the 2016 North American SCRABBLE Championship is now open.

Click Here to Register Online.

A link to a list of registered players is updated automatically with each new registration.

The rest of this section describes in detail the various terms and conditions of registration, most of which are also discussed on the registration form.

Registration will close at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on July 27, 2016, after which players will only be accepted if they do not make a division odd.

Eligibility

To play in the NASC, you must (1) be a NASPA member, and (2) have played in an officially sanctioned SCRABBLE tournament to earn an official tournament rating. If you live in the United States or Canada, that rating should be a NASPA rating; if you live elsewhere it may be a WESPA rating or other comparable national rating.

TWL Divisions

If you meet the eligibility criteria and wish to play using the Official Club and Tournament Word List 2014 (TWL), you may do so. Four TWL divisions will be offered, divided by Qualification Rating (QR), with unlimited play-up available. If your QR is 1800 or higher, or if you do not have a NASPA rating, you must play in Division 1. If your QR is in the range 1400–1799, you must play in Division 1 or 2. If your QR is in the range 1100–1399, you must play in Division 1, 2 or 3. If your QR is below 1100, you may play in any of the four divisions.

Your QR which consists of the highest tournament rating attained at the end of any NASPA TWL-rated tournament (or segment of a split-rated tournament) which finished during the period from August 1, 2015 to July 27, 2016 (the start of last year's Championship to the close of registration). If you have a rating, but do not play during this period, your QR is your unchanged current rating.

Player division assignments will be reviewed after July 27, 2016 to ensure that everyone is registered in the correct division. If the division in which you registered is not one in which your QR permits you to play, we will automatically move you up to the lowest permissible division.

Collins Divisions

If you meet the eligibility criteria and prefer to play using the international Collins (CSW) lexicon, you may do so. If your Collins Qualification Rating (CQR) is 1500 or higher, or if you do not have a NASPA rating, you must play in Division 1. If it is 1499 or below, you may play in Division 1 or 2. If there are fewer than 20 players registered in either division as of July 20, 2016, the divisions will be automatically combined into a single division.

Your CQR is the highest Collins tournament rating attained at the end of a NASPA CSW-rated tournament which finished during the period from August 1, 2015 to July 27, 2016 (the start of last year's Championship to the close of registration). If you had a NASPA CSW rating prior to this period, but did not play during the period, your qualifying rating is that unchanged rating. If you do not have a NASPA CSW rating, but have a NASPA TWL rating, your CQR is your TWL QR. The Collins division will be run using NASPA rules, except that the Collins lexicon will be used and the challenge penalty will be 5 points per word. The Collins division will be NASPA and WESPA rated.

If there will be two divisions, player division assignments will be reviewed after July 27, 2016 to ensure that everyone is registered in the correct division. If the division in which you registered is not one in which your CQR permits you to play, we will automatically move you up to the lowest permissible division.

Information for International Players

If you are thinking about travelling from overseas to play in this event for the first time, please read our 2016 NASC for Overseas Visitors page.

Again this year, there will again be one or two separate divisions of players using the Collins lexicon at the North American Scrabble Championship.

If you do not have a tournament rating (NASPA, WESPA, or other equivalent rating deemed acceptable by the Championship Committee), you must first obtain one at a regular tournament before competing in the Championship.

The Collins division will be run using NASPA rules, except that the Collins lexicon will be used and the challenge penalty will be 5 points per word. The Collins division will be NASPA and WESPA rated. Please see full information about the division in the section above.

Entry Fees

The base entry fee for all divisions is $160.

Youths, defined as those whose 18th birthday is after August 6, 2016, may pay $50 to play in any division.

The above fees will be increased by $50 after May 31, 2016. For example, a non-youth player signing up on June 1, 2016 would pay $210, while a youth would pay $100.

Players accepted after the close of registration on July 27, 2016 must pay a $75 late penalty. For example, a non-youth player signing up on July 28, 2016 would pay $285, while a youth would pay $175. Acceptance of registrants after July 27, 2016 is not guaranteed, and will generally only be permitted if it does not cause a division to be uneven.

Players not staying at one of the host hotels for the duration of the event must also pay a commuter/facility fee of $20 per day ($100 maximum). This fee is expected to be waived (and refunded to those who have paid it), as described below in the Hotel/Travel Information section. The commuter fee does not apply to those local to the Fort Wayne area. Verification of status as a hotel guest will be performed at registration/check-in and throughout the event. Players staying at the host hotel for only part of the event must pay the full commuter fee, and may then apply for a refund of $20 per day stayed at the host hotel (to a maximum of $100) after the conclusion of the event, by providing the Championship Committee with hotel confirmation number and dates of stay.

Fees payable are computed based on when (Eastern Time) funds are received in full. If you are not paying right away online at the moment when you register, please be sure to allow enough time for your mailed payment to reach us.

Division Changes

To change divisions after you have registered, please email the organizing committee at nsc@scrabbleplayers.org. Division changes are subject to the following conditions:

• After registration closes on July 27, 2016, if your division change would increase the number of players who may potentially have to have byes (if you would make two divisions odd, or would make a smaller division odd), you will be waitlisted until this is not the case.

• If your rating rises above the limit for the division in which you registered, you will automatically be moved to the lowest division for which you qualify.

Refunds

If you paid your tournament fees by credit card, any credit owing to you will be issued to your card; otherwise, we will mail a check to your membership address as shown in your member profile.

No refunds will be issued after the refund deadlines described below.

All refunds are subject to a cancellation fee of $15.

If you decide you need to cancel your registration, we will refund your entry fee (and commuter fee, if applicable), if you so request by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on July 27, 2016.

Conditions

Rules, Code and Terms/Conditions

By registering for the NASC, you agree to abide by the NASPA Tournament Rules and Code of Conduct, and agree to comply with the 2016 North American SCRABBLE Championship Terms and Conditions. In particular, some games at this tournament, probably the highest Division 1 TWL and Collins board without a Gibsonized player, will be annotated live, and may be live streamed. If you refuse to play a designated game with annotation, you will forfeit it, and may at the director’s discretion be assigned a spread penalty of −200 points.

Minor Release

A Minor Release and Consent Form will be required for all players under age 18 as of August 6, 2016, and may be downloaded and submitted in advance, or executed by a parent or guardian at registration.

Player Bulletin

Please read our Player Bulletin, and check it again for last-minute updates before you travel to the event.

Equipment Required

Participants in the 2016 North American Scrabble Championship are responsible for bringing all equipment necessary to play in the tournament. If neither player in a game has equipment available for their game, a double forfeit may be imposed.

Changes

The Championship Committee reserves the right to modify the above to account for unforeseen special circumstances.

Format

The Format for the 2016 NASC will be 31 rounds of Championship Pairings, without any playoff rounds.

The NASC will be paired using tsh along the lines of 2014 and prior events, including Gibsonization on spread. After an initial phase of fixed pairings based on pre-event ratings, the top contenders are paired with each other, and everyone else is paired Swiss. These two groups, contenders and noncontenders, are paired with minimal repeats. For example, if there is no way to pair the contenders without at least one repeat, then they will be paired with one repeat.

The maximum number of contenders is typically 12 in Rounds 1-28, 8 in Round 29, 4 in Round 30 and 2 in Round 31. The contenders are further divided into a subgroup of leaders and non-leaders, if this can be done without increasing the number of required repeats while maintaining at least four players among the leaders. Leaders are paired by repeatedly having the top unpaired player play the lowest-ranked player that can catch up to them. Non-leaders are paired Swiss.

For further information about this pairing system, please refer to the section on Chew pairings in the tsh documentation.

Hotel/Travel Information

Hotel Registration

The official event hotels are the Courtyard by Marriott - Fort Wayne Downtown at Grand Wayne Convention Center and the Hilton Fort Wayne at the Grand Wayne Convention Center.

At this time, both host hotels are sold out of rooms during the tournament dates. The hotel has blocks of rooms for other groups that may not fill completely, and they will release a limited number of rooms to us when the contract on them expires. However, that will likely not occur until early July.

The Championship Committee has created a waiting list of players who wish to book a room at the host hotel. At this time, the waiting list is closed. As rooms are made available, they will be allocated to those on the waiting list on a first come, first served basis. Please note that you must act quickly when a room is made available to you, to avoid losing your position.

You can View the Waiting List, which is periodically updated. The date and time of the last update is listed near the top of the page.

Should our room blocks remain sold out through the date of the NASC, commuter fees will be waived for all players. For that reason, we encourage players to book alternative accommodations while they are awaiting a room at the host hotel. The Championship Committee is currently exploring alternative accommodation options, and will post that information as soon as it is available.

The Courtyard by Marriott is located at 1150 South Harrison Street, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46802. Rooms are available at the Courtyard for dates from August 1, 2016 through August 13, 2016 at the group rate of $112/night, single or double occupancy (plus applicable taxes and fees, and subject to availability). The rate includes complimentary wireless internet and complimentary airport shuttle to the Fort Wayne airport (subject to availability, and during applicable hours). Courtyard hotel bookings at our group rate are subject to availability within our group rate block of rooms, and must be booked before July 7, 2016 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Courtyard charges a $50 early departure fee to those who modify their reservation after arrival.

Click Here to Book the Courtyard by Marriott online at our group rate (Note: the online site incorrectly lists the parking charge as $8/day. Guests booking in our block will receive the rate of $4/day.) To book by phone, call (866) 704-6163 and reference the group code "SCR" when you book.

The Hilton Fort Wayne at the Grand Wayne Center is located at 1020 S. Calhoun Street, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46802. Rooms are available at the Hilton for dates from August 1, 2016 through August 13, 2016 at the group rate of $99/night, single or double occupancy (plus applicable taxes and fees, and subject to availability). The rate includes complimentary wireless internet and complimentary airport shuttle to the Fort Wayne airport (subject to availability, and during applicable hours). Hilton hotel bookings at our group rate are subject to availability within our group rate block of rooms, and must be booked before July 5, 2016 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Click Here to Book the Hilton online at our group rate. To book by phone, call (260) 420-1100 and reference the group code "NAS" when you book. You can also book through the Hilton's Facebook page, using the group code "NAS."

Those who live outside of the Fort Wayne area and do not book a room at a host hotel will pay a $100 facility fee to contribute the cost of the venue space.

Hotel and Event Parking

The Courtyard by Marriott - Fort Wayne Downtown offers parking at the Harrison Square Parking Garage, 1210 South Harrison Street (adjacent to the hotel), at the discounted rate of $4/day with unlimited in and out privileges for guests of the hotel who book under NASPA's group block.

The Hilton at the Grand Wayne Center offers parking at Civic Garage, 100 E. Washington Blvd. (across the street from the hotel), at the prevailing rate ($7/day as of 1/1/2016) with unlimited in and out privileges for guests of the hotel.

Those not staying at a host hotel can park at either of the above lots at current prevailing rates ($7/day as of 1/1/2016). Please note that these rates DO NOT include in and out privileges for non-hotel guests.

A number of other parking options are also available in the downtown Fort Wayne area. The most affordable nearby lot is located approximately 2 blocks from the venue, at 210 East Washington Boulevard. It is a surface lot offering $3/day parking (as of 1/1/2016) with NO in and out privileges.

More information about parking can be found on the Fort Wayne Downtown Improvement District website.

Dining

Downtown Fort Wayne boasts a number of different eateries, catering to all tastes and budgets. To view the many restaurant options available in Fort Wayne, Indiana, please visit the Restaurants Page on the Visit Fort Wayne website.

Sightseeing

There is much to see and do in the Fort Wayne region. Local attractions and activities can be explored on the Things to Do Page of the Visit Fort Wayne website.

Roommate Wanted

If you need a roommate and would like a listing here, please complete the NASC Roommate Request Form.

• Chris Schneider is seeking a male or female, non-smoking roommate, staying at the Hilton from August 4 - August 13, 2016. He does not have a room reserved at the Hilton. Contact him at cschneider_1970@yahoo.com or 708-435-9084.

• Brian Bowman is seeking a male or female, non-smoking roommate, staying at the Hyatt Place from August 6 - August 10, 2016. He has a reservation at the Hyatt Place (he is also on the waiting list for the host hotels). Contact him at brianbowman7@gmail.com.

• Joey Mallick is seeking a male, non-smoking roommate, staying at either host hotel from August 5 - August 10, 2016. He does not have a room reserved. Contact him at jmallick@maine.rr.com or 207-318-5647.

IMPORTANT: When you get your roommate, please contact the committee so we can remove your listing.

Ride Wanted

If you need a ride/rider to or from the tournament, and would like a listing here, please complete the NASC Ride Request Form.

IMPORTANT: When you get your ride/rider, please contact the committee so we can remove your listing.

• Chani Katz is seeking a ride to the tournament from the Chicago area on August 5, and from the tournament to the Chicago area on August 10 (She writes, "Will be in Cicero, but can meet anywhere. I am completely flexible on departure times, though I would prefer to leave the tournament as soon as it ends.") Contact her by email at pitzikat@gmail.com.

Airport Transport Information

Fort Wayne, Indiana is served by the Fort Wayne International Airport. For complete airport information, please visit www.fwairport.com.

Airport Shuttle

Both host hotels offer a complimentary airport shuttle. Shuttle information will be posted here soon.

Many other hotels in the area also offer complimentary shuttle transportation. If you are not staying at the host hotel, please check with your property for shuttle information.

Check-In

To play in the first round on Saturday morning, you must check in between 10:00 A.M. and 7:00 P.M. on Friday, August 5, 2016, at the NASC registration desk (Convention Center - Harrison A-D). You may ask a friend to check in for you by proxy, if you cannot check in in person. If possible, please email us at nsc@scrabbleplayers.org to notify us in advance of proxy arrangements. If you check in by proxy, but do not show up to play, then neither you nor your proxy will be permitted to check in by proxy at future events. If you do not check in before the desk closes at 7:00 P.M., you may join the championship in progress as soon as it is convenient for the pairings staff to add you back in; this may not take place before Sunday morning. No refund will be issued to latecomers.

When you check in, you will be given an announcement sheet. This is to reduce the number of announcements that have to be made on Saturday morning, so that the event can get underway quickly. You are responsible for familiarizing yourself with the announcements and tournament schedule.

Schedule

This schedule for the 2016 North American SCRABBLE Championship may be modified to add new events, or possibly to change room locations. Until about a month before the event, it should be considered an early draft, with only the times for registration and the main event to be set in stone.

Nearly all events take place at either the Grand Wayne Convention Center (GWCC) or the Courtyard Fort Wayne at the Grand Wayne Center (Courtyard).

Friday, August 5, 2016

10:00 A.M.–7:00 P.M.

Registration (GWCC - Harrison A-D)

10:00 A.M.–11:30 P.M.

After hours room open (Courtyard - Foster)

12:00 P.M.–4:00 P.M.

Early bird tournament, restricted to NASC Staff and other NASPA directors (GWCC - Convention Hall AB1)

4:30 P.M.–5:30 P.M.

Committee meeting for Division Leaders, Division Assistants, Auxiliary Staff (Courtyard - Lawton)

7:30 P.M.–10:00 P.M.

Opening Reception (Courtyard - Legacy Ballroom)

Saturday, August 6, 2016

8:30 A.M.–8:50 A.M.

Set up for play (GWCC - Convention Hall AB1)

8:50 A.M.–8:55 A.M.

Group Photos - School SCRABBLE/Youth Players (GWCC - Convention Hall AB1)

8:55 A.M.–9:10 A.M.

Announcements (GWCC - Convention Hall AB1)

9:10 A.M.–1:15 P.M.

Rounds 1–4 (GWCC - Convention Hall AB1)

1:15 P.M.–2:30 P.M.

Canadian Committee and Technology Committee lunch meetings (Courtyard - Legacy Salon A)

2:45 P.M.–2:55 P.M.

Set up for play (GWCC - Convention Hall AB1)

2:55 P.M.–3:05 P.M.

Announcements (GWCC - Convention Hall AB1)

3:05 P.M.–6:15 P.M.

Rounds 5–7 (GWCC - Convention Hall AB1)

6:30 P.M.–10:00 P.M.

Advisory Board Dinner Meeting (TBD)

9:00 A.M.–11:30 P.M.

After hours room open (Courtyard - Foster)

7:45 P.M.–11:00 P.M.

Trivia Contest (Courtyard - Legacy B/C)

Sunday, August 7, 2016

8:30 A.M.–8:50 A.M.

Set up for play (GWCC - Convention Hall AB1)

8:50 A.M.–8:55 A.M.

Group Photos - Past NSC Champions/Division Winners (GWCC - Convention Hall AB1)

8:55 A.M.–9:05 A.M.

Announcements (GWCC - Convention Hall AB1)

9:05 A.M.–1:15 P.M.

Rounds 8–11 (GWCC - Convention Hall AB1)

1:15 P.M.–2:30 P.M.

Club/Director Committee and Rules Committee lunch meetings (Courtyard - Legacy Salon A)

2:45 P.M.–2:55 P.M.

Set up for play (GWCC - Convention Hall AB1)

2:55 P.M.–3:00 P.M.

Announcements (GWCC - Convention Hall AB1)

3:00 P.M.–6:15 P.M.

Rounds 12–14 (GWCC - Convention Hall AB1)

9:00 A.M.–11:30 P.M.

After hours room open (Courtyard - Foster)

8:30 P.M.–11:30 P.M.

Evening Musicale (Courtyard - Legacy B/C)

Monday, August 8, 2016

8:30 A.M.–8:50 A.M.

Set up for play (GWCC - Convention Hall AB1)

8:50 A.M.–8:55 A.M.

Group Photo - NASC Staff (GWCC - Convention Hall AB1)

8:55 A.M.–9:00 A.M.

Group Photo - (GWCC Indianans - Convention Hall AB1)

9:00 A.M.–9:10 A.M.

Announcements (GWCC - Convention Hall AB1)

9:10 A.M.–1:15 P.M.

Rounds 15–18 (GWCC - Convention Hall AB1)

1:15 P.M.–2:30 P.M.

Membership Committee, Tournament Committee and International Committee lunch meetings (Courtyard - Legacy Salon A)

1:15 P.M.–2:30 P.M.

World Youth Events informational meeting - tentative (GWCC - Anthony Wayne Ballroom A)

2:45 P.M.–2:55 P.M.

Set up for play (GWCC - Convention Hall AB1)

2:55 P.M.–3:05 P.M.

Announcements (GWCC - Convention Hall AB1)

3:05 P.M.–6:15 P.M.

Rounds 19–21 (GWCC - Convention Hall AB1)

9:00 A.M.–11:30 P.M.

After hours room open (Courtyard - Foster)

8:30 P.M.–10:00 P.M.

Town Hall meeting (GWCC - Anthony Wayne Ballroom B)

Tuesday, August 9, 2016

8:30 A.M.–8:50 A.M.

Set up for play (GWCC - Convention Hall AB1)

8:50 A.M.–8:55 A.M.

Group Photo - International Players (GWCC - Convention Hall AB1)

Group Photo - Family Members together at NASC (GWCC - Convention Hall AB1)

8:55 A.M.–9:00 A.M.

Announcements (GWCC - Convention Hall AB1)

9:00 A.M.–1:15 P.M.

Rounds 22–25 (GWCC - Convention Hall AB1)

1:15 P.M.–2:30 P.M.

Dictionary Committee and Social Media Committee lunch meetings (Courtyard - Legacy Salon A)

2:45 P.M.–2:55 P.M.

Set up for play (GWCC - Convention Hall AB1)

2:55 P.M.–3:00 P.M.

Announcements (GWCC - Convention Hall AB1)

3:00 P.M.–6:15 P.M.

Rounds 26–28 (GWCC - Convention Hall AB1)

9:00 A.M.–11:30 P.M.

After hours room open (Courtyard - Foster)

7:30 P.M.–10:30 P.M.

Designer Games Event with John Kaufeld (TBA)

8:00 P.M.–9:30 P.M.

Director meeting (GWCC - Jefferson A)

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

8:30 A.M.–8:55 A.M.

Set up for play (GWCC - Convention Hall AB1)

8:55 A.M.–9:00 A.M.

Announcements (GWCC - Convention Hall AB1)

9:00 A.M.–12:30 P.M.

Rounds 29–31 (GWCC - Convention Hall AB1)

1:30 P.M.–3:00 P.M.

Prize Ceremony (GWCC - Anthony Wayne Ballroom B)

3:00 P.M.–7:00 P.M.

Tear Down (GWCC - Convention Hall AB1)

The Rose Award

Bob and Andi Schoenman, creators of Protiles, honor Rose Kreiswirth's memory. Rose was an expert Scrabble® player for over 30 years and cherished the game for its educational values. An accomplished player, Rose was as well known for her sense of fairness and her congeniality as she was for her competitiveness. The Rose Award will be awarded each year at the North American SCRABBLE Championship to a female player who, in the opinion of the judges, best exemplifies the fierce competitiveness and compassion that we remember Rose for. Thank you, Bob and Andi Schoenman!

Other Donors

If you are interested in donating prizes to events at the championship, please email us at nsc@scrabbleplayers.org.

Sponsors

For information about sponsorship opportunities at the championship, please contact Chris Cree.

Prizes

Full details about cash and merchandise prizes will be listed on the prize table.

Staff

Organizer

Chris Cree

On-Site Executive / Webmaster

John Chew

Director

Dallas Johnson

Incoming Director

Arthur Moore

Assistant to the Director

Sue Grogan-Johnson

Incoming Assistant to the Director

Diane Moore

Master of Ceremonies

Alan Stern

Member Services

Shelley Ubeika

Social Media

Kate Fukawa-Connelly

Division Leaders

Division 1: John Robertson

Division 2: Bryan Pepper

Division 3: Dan Stock

Division 4: Kieran O'Connor

Collins: Jason Idalski

Division Assistants

Division 1: John Merlau

Division 2: Kristen Chew

Division 3: Heidi Nemeth

Division 4: Sue Tremblay

Collins: Jim Pate

Data Entry

Division 1: Tim Crotty

Division 2/3: Reese Daniel

Division 4/CSW: Vince Castellano

Internet Reporter

Sherrie Saint John

Internet Photographer

Patty Hocker

Annotators

Kate Watson - TWL

Lisa Kessler - TWL

Ian Chew - Collins

Pete Zeigler - Collins

Live Stream Staff

Rasheed Wallace - Director

Robin Pollock Daniel - Commentator

Jesse Matthews - Commentator

Other Volunteers

If you would like to volunteer to help out with the NASC in any of the capacities listed below, please fill out the NASC Volunteer Form.

Thursday, August 3

Volunteers are needed to help prepare the playing room for the tournament.

• Chris Schneider - 12:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Friday, July 31

Volunteers are needed to help with registration and check-in.

10:00 A.M.-12:30 P.M.

• Mary Jo Germani

12:30 P.M.-3:00 P.M.

• Mary Jo Germani

3:00 P.M.-5:30 P.M.

• Mary Jo Germani
• Judy Cole

5:30 P.M.-7:30 P.M.

• Mary Jo Germani

Wednesday, August 10

We need about 15 Clean and Pack volunteers to help collect and box NASPA tournament supplies to be shipped back to the storage facility after the awards ceremony on Wed., August 10, 2016.

Vendors

Only vendors of merchandise licensed by Hasbro will be provided with vendor space and permitted to display and/or sell products inside the tournament venue (which includes the playing room, after hours room, meeting rooms, and any other function rooms or prefunction space used by NASPA during the event). Licensed vendors are subject to prior approval by NASPA, at its sole and absolute discretion.

Other vendors who wish to sell products must do so at their own expense from their own rented space (hotel room, meeting room, etc.), subject to any applicable regulations. NASPA accepts no liability or responsibility for such vendors or their activities.

Further Information

This page will be updated as the event draws nearer. If you have urgent questions about the event, please email us at nsc@scrabbleplayers.org.