At this year’s World Scrabble Championship in Poland, a scandal erupted when a contestant accused his opponent of hiding a letter “G” on his person. Thai player Chollapat Itthi-Aree demanded a strip search of English-born Ed Martin to find the hidden “G.” Tournament officials didn’t go through with the search due to lack of evidence, but it’s an example of how passionate players can become over the classic board game.
At this year’s world championship, 116 players from 44 countries participated. The champ, New Zealander Nigel Richards, took home $20,000 after using the word “omnified” in the final game for 96 points.
