National Scrabble Championship Preview

The first weekend of October will see the two-day National Scrabble Championship take place at the Park Royal Hotel in Warrington.

Ed Martin, pictured, will be there, defending the title he won last year. It's not going to be easy, as the field is packed with major winners, including four former national champions. There are already 6 Grand Masters, 2 Experts and 2 other top players rated above 170.

The field is headed by 10-time major winner, 2012 champion Paul Gallen, already winner of the Festival of Scrabble and the ABSP Masters this year. Lewis Mackay will be looking to add a national championship to his 9 major titles, adding to the 2019 Easter Matchplay trophy. Harshan Lamabadusuriya, 2003 champion, will likely be in contention. Phil Robertshaw is another former winner, with David Webb, another winner of multiple majors, being the other Grand Master in the field.

Natalie Zolty, Elie Dangoor, Colin Northmore and Robert Richland round out the top 10 seeds, with no fewer than 7 further players rated 160+. Just in case you thought that this tournament wasn't already looking tough to crack, 2017 BMSC champion David Koenig will be looking to join the party through Friday's Last Chance Qualifier.

Alongside the main event will be the plate event, open to anybody who has not qualified for the main event. Both events feature 16 rounds, with the champion due to be crowed Sunday evening.

Entrants: NSC LCQ | NSC Main | NSC Plate