FOCAL favourite MSR reports back from our first new FOCAL event of 2025

In close to 10 years of FOCAL tournaments, we’ve covered quite a lot of the British Isles and Ireland, from Bristol to Braintree and from Glasgow to Galway. Yet somehow we’d never ventured to Kent, despite it’s lovely sounding nickname The Garden of England (although if you’re sat indoors playing word games do you really need a picturesque view?).

The day started off ordinarily enough. Into Tunbridge Wells, get to the venue, and away we went. Some hiccups here and there (if you host a CO:Event for the first time they’ll happen, but props for Gabriel for not just giving it a go, riding it out smoothly) but once the conundrums were loaded and everyone was settled, we got cracking. Having won against the lovely Mauro, my decision to declare the dud words HOOPIEST and BRAINER had me losing against Fiona. Normal service resumed – win some, bottle it elsewhere, rather routine. Left me somewhat miffed with myself… Playing whilst miffed turns out to be a good tactic. Scoring 82 and only dropping one max is not something I normally do, so sorry Jase!

After lunch, remaining miffed at the draw (against the monster that is Matthew Brockwell) also helped as I nicked it on the con. Which had me playing Thomas “T-Cap” Cappleman; the one who’d been getting the weird words everyone else had been missing. Time to ask for him to go gentle…

Don’t ask me from where I yoinked CRINOIDS from, but I did, and whilst GYRFALCON sounds like someone started choking on their lunch whilst birdwatching, I solved it as the conundrum which won me the game against the day’s current leader. I don’t normally play quite this well! For the second time in three events, two of my opponents have been related to each other as I played Jess. BANSURI and URBANISM will haunt my dreams for a few week, but signing off with SIGNATURE (wayl) if a move I approve and suddenly I’m in a final, against T-Cap, who I’ve already beaten.  I’d been skittish enough when I took an eight-point lead with PATIENCE, but a 6-small solve from Thomas ( 5 4 3 8 3 6 -> 888) had me behind. Kept on preparing for the inevitable capitulation, but no…We stayed 2 points apart until the conundrum – ICOMENUDE, which I unscrambed for EUDEMONIC. See what I said about CRINOIDS. And I somehow left the victor… 

So come along to one of these-you never know, you could also fluke your way to a first time victory. And it’s always good to have new hosts and locations on the circuit. I’ll say again, massive huzzah to Gabriel for doing a grand job. Give hosting a try too if you’re thinking about it! The next event to look forward to is in Stockport on Saturday 14th June.