Montrealer wins North America's top Scrabble prize
Montrealer Michael Fagen took home top prize in North America's biggest Scrabble competition last week, despite being an underdog.
"Amazing and, at the same time, unbelievable!" exclaims Fagen holding the trophy he earned at The Scrabble Players Championship, an event held in Baltimore after a two-year hiatus.
"They have seeds like they do in tennis. I was seeded 28th out of 42 players, so I wasn't expected to come even close to winning!" he said. Somebody in the bottom half of the seeding has never taken home the top spot - until now.
Fagen joined the Montreal Scrabble Club in 2009 and has been perfecting his skills ever since.
It's a multi-layered game, he said.
"You also want to be able to see the players, look at the board, look where the high-scoring place could be, find the words in your rack, rearrange the letters, find places over the board, find where I can score a lot of points."
Plus, there's preventing your opponent from scoring, as Fagen did with Orry Swift to win the championship. That strategy earned him the trophy and a $10,000 U.S. prize.
His club is so proud. Montreal Scrabble Club founder Bernard Gotlieb has played against Fagen many, many times.
"He's just brilliant. It's like playing against a computer. He's so methodical and calculated!" he said.
"I think you have to be good at math. In this game, it's not just a word game," explained club co-director Sary Karanofsky. "It's a math-oriented game. Spatial awareness is important. And he's good at all of it!"
Curious? The Montreal Scrabble Club meets at the Cote-Saint-Luc Aquatic Club building at 5794 Parkhaven Ave. every Wednesday evening and welcomes new members.
"It's definitely social, and I think that's an important aspect of the game," said Karanofsky.
The game has so many variables at play.
Fagen said his winning formula is "three parts skill, two parts luck and one part attitude."
Despite wearing a mask during his trip to Baltimore and while playing all his games, Fagen caught COVID-19 along the way, so any Scrabble celebrations will have to wait for now.
But he's already planning his next moves.
"I think my goals for next year will be to try and redefend my title, do it again and get better as a player, keep studying more words, keep reviewing words!" he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Ex-tabloid publisher testifies he scooped up possibly damaging tales to shield his old friend Trump
As Donald Trump was running for president in 2016, his old friend at the National Enquirer was scooping up potentially damaging stories about the candidate and paying out tens of thousands of dollars to keep them from the public eye.
Here's why provinces aren't following Saskatchewan's lead on the carbon tax home heating fight
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye make it four NFL drafts with quarterbacks going 1-3
Caleb Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the franchise quarterback Chicago has sought for decades.