Nwali leads by two wins with three games to go at Ultimate Scrabble Showdown

Posted : 22 July 2024

African Scrabble champion Enoch Nwali enters the final day of the Ultimate Scrabble Showdown on a high note, having moved to victory with 10 wins out of 18 games against Oluwatimilehin Doko.

Nwali, the scrabbler with a PhD in the game of words and mind, entered Day 2 of the historic event with 4 wins from 6 games and the determination to wrap it up. However, he faced a tough challenge as West African Champion Doko fought back in the final game of Day 2, extending the contest.

Doko’s win in the final round of Day 2 by a slim margin of 6 points (453-447) kept Enoch Nwali's celebration at bay, giving Doko a lifeline of hope.

Doko, a member of Team Nigeria for two editions of the West African Scrabble Championship (WASC), struggled in the first four games of the day, losing 3. Nwali’s UNILAG SC team, on the other hand, was firing on all cylinders in the captivating atmosphere of Genesis Grid Homes.

After 10 games, the score was 7-3 in favor of Nwali.

Enoch Nwali, winner of the Asaph Zadok National Championship in Ijebu Ode, soon ran out of steam in the next 4 games, dropping 3. This allowed the calm and collected Oluwatimilehin Doko to find his rhythm and narrow the gap to 7-6, with Doko winning games 11, 12, and 13.

Determined, Enoch Nwali reloaded and won game 14 with a score of 443–343, while Doko responded by taking game 15, 482–413. At this point, the scoreline was 8-7 in favor of Nwali, who then followed up with wins of 443–343 in game 16 and 482–413 in game 17.

Just when everyone thought Enoch Nwali’s coronation was imminent, Doko, demonstrating resilience and a never-say-die spirit, played the final game of the day with everything he had. He won with a margin of 6 points (453-447), bringing Day 2 to a dramatic close.

The winner of this groundbreaking Scrabble event, proudly sponsored by Olatunde Oduwole, will be decided on Day 3. Enoch Nwali has the upper hand, needing just one more win to secure the title and the prize money.

Oluwatimilehin Doko will have to fight hard, as the odds are not in his favor, keeping his eyes peeled for bingos as every tile could be his lifeline.

The history-making Scrabble event features cash prizes totaling N300,000, with the top contender receiving N200,000.

Following the nail-biting finale, the two Scrabble titans and their supporting teams were treated to a delightful dinner.

All the results so far:

- Nwali 431 – 410
- Nwali 489 – 481
- Doko 451 – 351
- Nwali 427 – 309
- Doko 519 – 361
- Nwali 503 – 440
- Nwali 443 – 332
- Nwali 547 – 451
- Doko 409 – 383
- Nwali 420 – 402
- Doko 491 – 394
- Doko 472 – 390
- Doko 519 – 419
- Nwali 526 – 434
- Doko 426 – 383
- Nwali 443 – 343
- Nwali 482 – 413
- Doko 453 – 447

Three games will be decided on Day 3, the final day of the Ultimate Scrabble Showdown.

Nwali leads by two wins with three games to go at Ultimate Scrabble Showdown

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