WORLD YOUTH SCRABBLE CHAMPIONSHIP 2012

DATE: Friday 7th December to Sunday 9th December

VENUE: UK Britannia Hotel, 6 Union Passage, New Street, BIRMINGHAM, B2 4RX
Tel: 0121 631 3331, Fax: 0121 643 3228

NUMBER OF GAMES: 24 (Friday 7, Saturday 10, Sunday 7)

SCHEDULE: Play begins 2pm Friday (if you will not be there by 1pm, contact the organiser urgently). Tournament finishes by 5pm Sunday. This will allow you to arrive at Birmingham airport at 11.45am Friday, and leave at 8.20pm Sunday, if you don’t mind rushing from airport to venue by taxi.

FORMAT: Swiss draw (lagged), with up to 3 repeat matches. No lagged draw for the last 3 games.

TIME: 25 minutes per player

RULES: WESPA version 2

DICTIONARY: Collins Scrabble Words 2012 (CSW)

CHALLENGE: free challenge (ie no penalty for challenging correct words)

ELIGIBILITY: must be born 1/1/1995 or later. Passports or ID cards will be checked for birth dates

QUOTAS: The quota of free places is reduced this year, due to lack of sponsorship. You are encouraged to send more players than your free quota. However, they will need to pay an entry fee to help us fund the event (GBP60 or US$100). For non-WESPA nations, the quota is 2 free entries. It may be more economical to join WESPA, if you want to send more than 2. Please contact your national association for your local qualifying criteria (which vary between countries). Below is shown the number of places you will be allocated this year, without paying an entry fee – you are most welcome to have more than this, as long as they pay GBP60, or US$100 entry fee. UK have extra places, because they are the host country. These numbers were allocated according to the known number and strength of young players within each country. If your country is not listed, but you intend to compete, please contact me.

* China and Trinidad and Tobago could each have 4 if their country joins WESPA.

ENTRY FEE: There is no entry fee for players who have qualified to represent their country (see above). However, players (or their associations) must pay for their own travel and accommodation.

NON-QUALIFYING PLAYERS: If you don’t qualify to represent your country, you are welcome to pay an entry fee (US$100, or GBP60). We expect you will have some tournament experience (eg know all 2-letter words, score accurately, finish your game within 25 minutes, score around 250 to 300 minimum). You must also pay for your own accommodation and travel. Entry fees are used to cover WYSC costs, so we encourage as many “extras” as possible. Such players are treated the same as their qualifying countrymen - they will receive the same free t-shirts, tile bags etc, and will be eligible for all prizes. Their results will *not* be used to calculate their national quota for next year, unless they finish ahead of a qualifying player from their country.

ENTRY DATE: Enter by 30th September latest. Late entries will not appear in the souvenir booklet.

PRIZE STRUCTURE: trophies and/or money prizes for

• PLACING - the top 10 finishers
• AGE GROUP - best player born 1/1/97 or later, 1/1/99 or later, 1/1/2001 or later, and 1/1/2003 or later (players may receive more than one award – eg if you are aged 9, and finish overall 10th, you could receive 3 age awards, plus the award below). In 2011, an 11-year-old player won the tournament, hence taking out all except the under- 10 award. Additional “age” awards may be made, if this happens again.
• ENCOURAGEMENT AWARD - youngest player finishing in top 25 (usually someone aged about 12)
• HIGH WORD and HIGH GAME
• BEST NOVICE (who has not competed in WYSC before) and
• BEST PLAYER FROM A NEW COUNTRY (eg Malta, China)
• MIKE O’ROURKE MEMORIAL AWARD – for a special person who everyone enjoys playing.

ADJACENT TOURNAMENTS: You are invited, and encouraged, to participate in other tournaments being held in conjunction with WYSC. This is an excellent way to improve your game, as well as overcome jetlag, if you have travelled from a different time-zone.

• PRINCESS CUP, Bangkok, 2days – 24th and 25th November - *Suitable for players born 1/1/1992 or later. This tournament has big prize-money. There is also an adult section (Collins) with less prize-money, but the opportunity to play Thailand’s best (average rating >1900). Both junior and senior tournaments will be internationally rated. Full details are on WESPA website tournament calendar. Cheap flights are available from many Asian cities to Bangkok, with Air Asia/ Jetstar/Tiger.
• DUBAI: 2 day Scrabble workshop, followed by a tournament for local and overseas players, tentatively scheduled between 27th and 30th November.
• UK - BIRMINGHAM: Sunday afternoon, 2nd December: WORKSHOP for young players (beginners or experienced) run by Alastair Richards and Karen Richards. Tentatively scheduled for 2pm to 9pm.
• UK – BIRMINGHAM: Wednesday 5th December: WARMUP TOURNAMENT, Britannia Hotel? International rating status is being sought for this tournament, suitable for adults and youth – up to 15 games.
• TRIVIA AND TEAM SCRABBLE – Thursday afternoon (2pm to 6pm), if room available.
• BIRMINGHAM ROUND ROBIN (PROGRESSIVE) will be held at the same time as WYSC, for any adults wanting to compete. The 25-game format will be suitable for all levels of player, and it will be WESPA rated. This tournament is adjacent to WYSC, so parents can still be “there” for their offspring. For more details, or to enter, email me closer to the date. karendrichards@gmail.com
• If you are travelling back via Asia, consider also PESTA PULAU PINANG (Malaysia)…. 4 days, 13th December to 16th December: This tournament is for both adults and youth. 33 games. See WESPA calendar for details.

GETTING IN/GETTING AROUND

• Easiest/ closest airport is Birmingham UK International Airport. Airlines such as Emirates and KLM/Air France fly direct into Birmingham, rather than having to travel through London. It is a short train trip to Birmingham New St Station (there is a free light rail bus from the airport to Birmingham Airport Station). Britannia Hotel is nearly opposite New St Station.
  *We are attempting to gain sponsorship from Emirates Airline, such that they give us cheaper airfares into Birmingham. If you would like to travel via Emirates, please contact me (or Nikhil Soneja) before booking, in case we have been successful in that quest.
  If you decide to fly into London instead, allow about 5 hours to get to Birmingham. It will cost a significant amount (eg GBP50, approx US75, or more, for return train/bus tickets if not purchased in advance). Manchester Airport is approximately 140km north, and will take about 2 hours by train or bus. It is highly recommended to fly into Birmingham.
• TAXIS: are *expensive* A short distance (eg from Birmingham Airport to Britannia Hotel) is reasonable, if you have a group. Otherwise, I suggest the train.
• TRAINS: are reasonable. However, if you are travelling long-distance, say from London to Birmingham, it is often half price if booked ahead online. Off-peak times are cheaper. www.thetrainline.com is one site which compares train prices
• BUSES: National Express sometimes offer special fares for long-distance coaches, eg London to Birmingham, so monitor these (get onto their mailing list).

VISAS: Check what is required (many of you won’t need any). If you need documentation to support a visa application, please contact me early – by end September if possible.

ACCOMMODATION:

• BIRMINGHAM AIRPORT HOTELS, within a 1-minute walk from the terminal: eTap, Ibis, or Novotel.
• BRITTANIA HOTEL (Tournament venue) There is no special room rate being offered by Britannia Hotel for this event. However, if you monitor the online rates, you should get rooms for GBP32 (about US$50) per night for 2 people. It is easier for young players to stay in the same venue as the playing room. However, you may prefer to to find other accommodation nearby.
• NEARBY: The cheapest way to find other accommodation nearby is through an internet site such as Laterooms or Agoda. Chains such as Travelodge and Premier Inn have their own websites which often offer excellent value - from GBP9 to 19 per night if you are lucky. This is off-season, so accommodation rates will be competitive, particularly if you are prepared to postpone your room bookings until about 30 days in advance, to get the best deals.

FOOD: can be expensive, particularly in hotels . There are fast food outlets everywhere – including 3 McDonalds within a 2 minute walk, KFC, Marks & Spencer Food Hall. Tesco Express etc. Nothing happens in England until late morning – shops don’t open until 10am. Hence meals tend to be later, with the evening meal happening around 8pm or later. WYSC timetable will reflect the local way of life.

UK WEATHER: This is the beginning of winter. It will be cold outdoors, and overheated indoors. You will need one warm jacket/coat for outdoor wear, just to get from the train station to the venue. You will also need a warm hat and gloves if you feel the cold, or want to wander around the streets for longer periods. However, you can wear ordinary clothes inside (long pants, gentlemen: no-one in UK wears shorts). There is a possibility of snow – make sure you have covered shoes/boots. Take an umbrella or raincoat if you intend to stay somewhere other than the Britannia. The sun will come up late (about 8am) and disappear early (around 4pm).