The 2023 World Scrabble Championship Finals were EPIC

Welcome to Episode 8 of Scrabble History, a series where I break down some of the most incredible plays, epic rivalries, and amazing moments in Scrabble's rich competitive history.
For our latest episode of Scrabble History, we're going to cover extremely RECENT events!
The 2023 WESPA Championship (effectively the World Championship of Scrabble) concluded with a best-of-7 finals between the top two finishers in the main event, David Eldar and Harshan Lamabadusuriya. These two players put on a spectacular show of top-level Scrabble, and in this video, I'll break down all the key moments in this incredible matchup.
For more Scrabble content from me, follow my Twitch channel:
/ wanderer15
I also have a weekly show on the official Scrabble Twitch channel (Tuesdays 3-5 PM ET)
/ scrabble
Play Scrabble at playscrabble.com!

[@ricsreptiles9531]

Their interaction after the third game is genuinely so wholesome, just a full recognition and appreciation of David's intelligence

[@RandyDaGamer]

Indeed

[@canaans1]

Indeed. Dude rolled into poker, played without tools and made over a million in year against the best with no tools. Quit to focus on scrabble. Genius.

[@ronaldbaginski7889]

@@canaans1I wouldn,t say david didn’t have any tools, can guarantee he put in the hours understanding poker, odd, reads and more.

[@canaans1]

@@ronaldbaginski7889 from what source? My conversations with him and what I saw he was not using a HUD at all when it was the norm at the time. He won with his brain from what I saw. Just out thought the regs.

[@ronaldbaginski7889]

@@canaans1 I used to watch David when he played on poker stars. Despite not using a hud, david was very familiar with statistics, percentages while playing poker and was well read on game theory, as well as prolific on poker forums.

[@throwaway1743]

Harshan's reaction to the SEALANT play was so kind and wholesome, he seems like an incredible guy

[@wanderer15]

He really is. Great player, great person.

[@thomasbrodie-sangsteredits5971]

@@wanderer15 Still so confused of how they know all theese words. Looking at the board state theres practically so little I know.

[@harrisonodonnell5646]

@@thomasbrodie-sangsteredits5971 99% of the time they don't even know what the words mean, they basically learn the spellings for as many words as possible.

[@thomasbrodie-sangsteredits5971]

@@harrisonodonnell5646 so they just memorise? wow thaats impresive, I can't remebr that many words

[@harrisonodonnell5646]

@thomasbrodie-sangsteredits5971 yeah it's super impressive, especially when you find out that the winner of the current french language scrabble speaks 0 french and memorised the french dictionary in 8 weeks and won

[@kiffe22]

I have never seen competitive scrabble. This slid into my recommends. It's funny to me how this is a completely different game about being able to keep track of which letters are still in the game, knowing what possible plays your opponent might have and setting up your own future plays all at the same time. When I play scrabble I look at my pieces for 12 minutes just trying to find a word that fits anywhere lol

[@mattcanik]

There's a hierarchy of scrabble skill: 1) know the words 2) find the words 3) find the plays on the board 4) determine the best play on the board it's hard even getting over the first two steps, but the game is so deep once you've taken the plunge!

[@carmacksanderson3937]

4.5) Determine the best *subsequent* plays, too, from what I'm seeing here

[@MMAGurusMom-zm3tn]

You could simply describe this by saying they play defensively by deterring future opportunities for the opponent

[@KolMan2000]

As a person who has only played scrabble a handful of times, I appreciate how insightful these videos are and how they genuinely make me care about a game I barely know

[@AlexDings]

CUT and TAN were both awesome, but out of the two, TAN is the one that left me stunned. I don't think I've ever seen a pattern like that, creating a lane out of thin air by pseudo-obstructing it! What a creative move in a high-stakes situation. And then to come up with another clutch play two games later... after TENIOID, some people were already congratulating Harshan in the chat. Thanks for this wonderful recap and also for your great live commentary.

[@wobblysauce]

Just luck of the bag as well

[@typhonyx_was_taken]

This video does a fantastic job of showcasing the potential and nuance of high tier play that I never would have understood just watching the match without commentary

[@wanderer15]

Thank you very much - this is a major goal I am hoping to achieve!

[@SpencerTwiddy]

As a programmer, I love how thematic FUBAR is after CODING

[@user-ru1xc4qf4r]

I also love the theoretical OVULAR and GONADIC sequence

[@onewayturtles]

If I'm the one coding, FUBAR will be followed by a LOT more profanity.

[@christian9387]

We have witnessed a surge in interest in strategy games -- most notably in poker and, more recently, chess -- and I think Scrabble is following suit. I don't think it will ever reach the heights of the aforementioned two games, but I definitely see it gaining in popularity. I love poker and chess, and never in a million years did I think I would subscribe to a Scrabble channel, but here I am...

[@rumpelRAINS]

everyone was going crazy in chat live. great finals

[@idontknowwhattoputhere3398]

Video essays on competitive tournaments you didn’t know existed 30 minutes ago hit different at 2am on a Wednesday morning

[@EvanBerofsky]

definitely the best scrabble final i've seen live. and it was kinda cool that eldar came into the viewing room after every game of the finals to check the quackle analysis. also, only realized there was a significant delay between the livestream and reality during game 5 when eldar sat down beside us while the game was still being played on the screen.😄

[@gplnd]

sup Evan?

[@EvanBerofsky]

@@gplnd sup, grampa?

[@gplnd]

@@EvanBerofsky been studying for my VOLOST comeback. sup with you?

[@EvanBerofsky]

@@gplnd looking at upcoming tournaments, contemplating cardboxing the 10s, wondering why i'm here on this planet.

[@AlexDings]

By the way, here's a notable quote from the champion, who wrote on his blog about the peak viewership of 900 people during the finals: "Will Anderson is carrying the entire scrabble world on his back" Who could disagree with him? 🙂

[@wanderer15]

That's more than a little hyperbolic, but I feel like many of us working together are achieving some great momentum right now!

[@jamiebruner8463]

@@wanderer15 MODEST

[@ohseb-4672]

so much respect between these two players, i havent followed scrabble for long at all but its really exciting to watch

[@pacepicante6952]

i LOVE how you included Evo moment 37 in this video especially considering Evo is THIS WEEKEND!!!

[@wanderer15]

I'll be watching! Big fan of the FGC, particularly Street Fighter, for many years.

[@TrashTaster]

As somebody who has never watched or played scrabble (The only board game I've played is Chess). This was so amazing to watch

[@wanderer15]

Thanks for giving it a try!

[@Boosteradidas]

your love and enthusiasm for scrabble are so damn contaigous. I' ve never even played the game much, but your videos are just very very good and entertaining. Keep it up! ;)

[@forljotur]

Seeing two geniuses of this game with only 10000$ reward makes me think they are underpaid. They shouldnt play for this little money competitively, they deserve much more!!

[@wanderer15]

Here's hoping for a brighter future in that regard!

[@adamsandler1211]

not enough demand for people to watch the market is very niche

[@itskelvinn]

This video is very well edited and described to do these games justice. I don’t know much about competitive scrabble but I did play quite a lot of words with friends and got good at it. This video was really good in showing how genius these two players are

[@VaingloriousGabagool]

Thank you very much for making commentary for these games and sharing your insight, expertise, and infectious passion for Scrabble with us viewers.

[@wanderer15]

My pleasure!

[@ciscoortega9789]

Amazing video. I'm very much a casual and a novice, but your commentary was incredibly clear and helped me deeply appreciate the moves that these masters were making :))

[@thesoundofgunfireoffinthed5654]

great video my goat .. love your insights + breakdown of the tactics that go into deceptively complex plays like "cut".. those r my favorite kind of plays where the player takes into account so much about the game that the average person wouldn't even factor in and its always fascinating to hear about ...

[@kidada7714]

I watched these games live. And even as a lower level NWL player it was incredibly fun. There was real drama. I appreciated your commentary so much. Great Job!!

[@snowfloofcathug]

Getting to watch this live (didn't get to see the end sadly) with your commentary was great, really appreciate the community post you made about it being on Twitch

[@wanderer15]

Appreciate the kind words!

[@gilamesh3417]

David was in the year above me. Wish him all the best in his successes. Thanks Will for recapping the WSCF.

[@taintofcartman8064]

Next level competition! The sportsmanship and ingenuity these titans demonstrated really sets a high bar

[@natebengtson5252]

It’s so funny that I’ve been watching wirtual for a few years and have been watching your channel a ton this summer. That collab you guys did was great! Keep it up will (also what an amazing match)

[@pullt]

Without a doubt the most exciting Scrabble match I've watched.

[@hridaysamtani5797]

Brilliant as always, Will! Great recap.

[@AmaranthRBY]

Would have been fun to see some of your live commentary in this summary! It was so tense and exciting to watch this live, and I feel like editing in snips of the live commentary could have helped convey that. Still, love to see this World Championship get coverage. David had some tough losses earlier in the tournament, truly amazing to see his mental fortitude to come back and play this well. Amazing final series, already can't wait for the next world championship!

[@Ascension721]

I love to see coverage of a new event on Scrabble History!

[@evanyurko3640]

Really appreciate this vid and channel Will! Chat has been eagerly awaiting for this vid after that epic showdown in Vegas

[@user-sg4lw7cb6k]

everyone was going crazy in chat live. great finals. Without a doubt the most exciting Scrabble match I've watched..

[@seamusg5965]

you got the best obscure storytelling channel on this platform man. Love the videos

[@wanderer15]

Thank you!

[@darkhorseash4337]

I love watching unique competitions like this because both sides are always so happy for each other, sincd its such a small community

[@csfan8965]

Masterful play in this series. Thank you for an excellent recap.

[@garys5175]

Wow, really great stuff, Will. Thank you so much for showing the strategy and the beauty of high level scrabble.

[@wanderer15]

Thank you for watching!

[@blessedbetwitch827]

KZbin recommended me this. I am horrible at scrabble but was compelled enough to watch. It was a great video. Good luck to Harshan & David in the future.

[@wanderer15]

Thanks for watching & for the kind words!

[@Hottodoggu.]

Thanks for blessing us with 17minutes of scrabble content! Video idea: I would love to see you talk about your best plays in competition and explain the logic behind them!

[@Luigiman-rc9fi]

What I love about watching these videos is that I don't care who wins, I just love seeing all the cool strategies and the outome is secondary. They're both clearly incredibly skilled players and it's just so impressive to learn about these wild strategies as someone that plays very little Scrabble and is definitely not skilled enough to pull these off (haven't even learnt all the 2 letter words, but I do know ZA!)

[@edition-deluxe]

Well don't watch this video to learn them, as ZE is not a acceptable scrabble word. Nor is EE, both given in this video as possible plays.

[@jellomochas]

@@edition-deluxe ZE, EE, and several other words mentioned in this video are not in the (North American) Official Scrabble Players' Dictionary, but they are in (international) Collins Scrabble Words. The WESPA championship uses Collins.

[@edition-deluxe]

@@jellomochas Really? Then what does ze mean?

[@thesoundofgunfireoffinthed5654]

@@edition-deluxe yes because obviously a scrabble competition of this size and players of this caliber would get the 2 letter words wrong. have you ever thought about anything you've said in your life

[@jellomochas]

@@edition-deluxe gender-neutral third-person singular nominative pronoun that can be used to refer to humans, unlike "it" tldr: he/she

[@code_report]

Awesome video! Would love to see more of these tournament recaps : )

[@Izopod]

saw game 1 and 7 live, definitely felt like history in the making! amazing analysis Will

[@duustinduude6776]

this is amazing coverage, perfectly digestible

[@hfcriske]

I love the in-depth explanations of cut and tan, very nice video

[@terrykang5000]

Another awesome, super professional video, Will! Thanks!

[@TonyTarantula]

Very nice summary, Will. I see you blended Daigo's epic Evo moment 37 into your intro!

[@wanderer15]

One of my favorite gaming moments ever!

[@Dry_Bones_Stan_]

I've never played scrabble but love these videos sm

[@ZachariahP15]

I dont know why, but i really like your content. I guess its cause youre so enthusiastic about such a niche topic. Keep on keepin on my man

[@Cherokeechuck9]

Been waiting on a new video, I binged every other one already. Keep em coming!

[@wanderer15]

Glad you like them!

[@carlorossi4928]

12:48 'self-descriptive': Love it.

[@JBoogsDeluxe]

Phenomenal recap! Thank you for putting in the time to make this.

[@wanderer15]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@joshuatatum8519]

Fantastic video!

[@Filthyanimal9]

Fantastic- thx so much for sharing!

[@RandyDaGamer]

15:19 Aye! Respect… I love that you understand and can relate

[@ramaicatseye]

This is entertaining and i like the players skill and your commentary.

[@thomasdawson2257]

Congrats to yourself on your great performance with great start to the championship, shame you couldn't hold out for top 2. That was my first time watching a scrabble championship and I was always excited to come back from work and watch the second half that I couldn't see live. The 'TAN' and 'CUT' plays were phenomenal to here from the commentators realisation, on the edge of my seat. One of my other favourite round was watching round 23, you vs Thacha. And don't forget that E!

[@AllemandInstable]

I never thought I could appreciate this game These videos are complete bangers

[@jamisonr]

Another great vid, been meaning to watch some of the WSC but have been quite busy!

[@chipikasimanwe9333]

Awesome as always. I was glad to have met you in the flesh. Keep up the good work!!

[@wanderer15]

Likewise!

[@Arindam381]

Brilliant games & equally brilliant analysis

[@Irdanwen]

Wow, that was honestly an excellent video. I'm not much into scrabble, though I play occasionally, but I thought I'd give your video a go anyway. I found it well-balanced, objective, enthusiastic and intelligent. Good job, well done, I truly appreciate the overview.

[@wanderer15]

Really appreciate the kind words!

[@rhydalic9540]

Great video, really enjoyed the explanations!

[@wanderer15]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed!

[@karinvasu3005]

wait ur channel has been popping off i was so unaware congrats man!

[@wanderer15]

Thanks!

[@Pengie780132]

This literally made my day! Love your videos, thank you for posting :)

[@wanderer15]

Thanks for watching!

[@Lashyy]

Brilliant commentary, man got me invested

[@jasoncookie5456]

don't know anything about competitive scrabble but hearing the strategy and passion behind it was awesome

[@humbertocruz6214]

Another great video. and congratulations on your well deserved NASPA recognition.

[@wanderer15]

Thank you very much!

[@jamyreaf]

The first one I've ever watched live, it was pretty cool

[@wanderer15]

Thanks for watching (both the livestream and this video)!

[@Sole880]

Congrats David and Harshan!

[@tonyodok5489]

I pretty much enjoyed the finals and utmostly loved the Will/Wellington commentary…

[@2xYuW]

My first exposure to pro scrabble and I'm having a sensory overload. Great breakdown and video.

[@Truthmane1]

I was waiting for this one!

[@vincentskater]

These analysis videos are goated, Will Anderson, you are the best and also GOATED 🐐🐐 🐐

[@takeobeats]

never seen pro scrabble but this was awesome. great video!

[@beagle_uah]

Love to see top players who respect each other.

[@EvolveSomePie]

Really cool to see Evo moment 37 during the intro

[@PickUps]

Great video. Please keep them coming.

[@wanderer15]

Thanks, will do!

[@thesoundofgunfireoffinthed5654]

HONEY WAKE UP NEW WILL "WANDERER15" SCRABBLE VIDEO !!

[@noahjz]

This episode of Scrabble History might have been the best episode of Scrabble History in Scrabble History

[@waltercardcollector]

I just want to say that I appreciate you giving the definitions of the unusual words that they use :)

[@lunardancer6047]

Harshan is so cool. Absolute gent.

[@mattyartell9575]

I got really excited and felt so clever when I spotted "gunsmoke"! 😅

[@wanderer15]

That’s still a great find by you, it’s quite plausible and could easily be a word!

[@shailaamalean4996]

Amazing games!

[@LRXC1]

This is great stuff

[@LeDuyBao-ex7fj]

I don't even know how Scrabble works and still watched the video for 17 min straight. Brilliant coverage and brilliant gameplay (sometimes I even wonder is this even modern English words). Also I think the way people sit, think and compete resembles chess so yeah interesting.

[@johnsillings]

Another great video. I love when you mention the definitions of the words, though - missed those this time!

[@wanderer15]

Thank you very much! I thought I included my usual smattering of on-screen definitions this time for the most obscure words. Did you mean I should include them in my voice-over?

[@johnsillings]

@@wanderer15 yes, IIRC you did that in a few other videos! but in general i just love when you mention the definitions :)

[@RobertNowland]

Really impressive the way you're able to make this game accessible and exciting to those like me who've played the game but never watched it. This is my favorite kind of KZbin content, the kind that leaves you with a much greater appreciation for something you knew very little about. Awesome video!

[@wanderer15]

I really appreciate this, thank you. Inspires me to keep going.

[@knasttrast7168]

Very impressive!

[@yommish]

Man, it’s not common for someone as talented at something as Will to also have the skills to excellently write, edit, and record videos explaining it (assuming he does all that). Great channel.

[@wanderer15]

Thank you so much! Yes, I’m doing them all start to finish. Maybe if I ever get a big, fancy number of subscribers, I’ll be able to get an editor (I actually really enjoy that part but man, is it time-consuming)

[@brandonbowers3703]

Ngl putting the evo moment in their really puts this in context for me 😂

[@wanderer15]

Have been a fan of various fighting games especially 3rd Strike for a long time!

[@nickpsilvestri]

Following OVULAR with GONADIC is quite the funny joke from a parallel universe

[@werhsdnas]

One interesting thing is that in game 1, ZOWIE is a big mistake from Harshan, allowing David several bingos out through column O, such as NONwAGE. The best play would have been O7 TOWZE, scoring 67 points and blocking the high scoring triple lane. However, what's crazy is that TOWZE loses ONLY if David's 7 tiles are AEENOU?, where he has the ridiculous bingo out of I9 AENEOUs, with 5 overlaps and connecting JAP and D to form JAPED.

[@wanderer15]

Yeah, I glossed over ZOWIE somewhat, but that is amazing analysis, especially AENEOUs!

[@YOUTY209]

6:37 Bingo, "Gielnor" the name of the fictional world RuneScape takes place in. (Jokes ofc) Btw I've followed both you and wirtual since before the colab and I hope you guys play more XD

[@homelesstogreatness6626]

Damn. Never knew scrabble can be intense like this.

[@AlishaTownley]

I love this series!!! Thanks Will👏

[@ddragonwhistler]

I agree. Thanks very cool.

[@nekrugderzweite8298]

i didnt even know there was a championship for that 😂 great vid

[@lucasm1545]

I’m proud to say I’m averaging about 24 per word. Majority of my bingos end with er, ed,ing, etc. these guys are on another stratosphere!

[@wanderer15]

That's a really solid average! Well done!

[@martinx9027]

The first 30 seconds are wild

[@arisweedler4703]

I was very moved by Harshan's reaction at 6:30

[@edwardthao1991]

I can’t believe it but. This was quite exciting

[@matthewkrambeer2480]

I became interested in Nigel Richards due to your videos. Is Nigel still active on the Scrabble scene? From what I can tell online, it seems like he hasn't been active since about the beginning of covid. I ask you this here because I found it difficult to find much relevant information online and figure you might be more in the know.

[@wanderer15]

He's been active locally in Malaysia and the surrounding region, but hasn't traveled too far since the easing of the pandemic. Here's hoping he gets back out on the world scene sometime soon.

[@matthewkrambeer2480]

@@wanderer15 I'm a bit late checking back on this but thank you for the info, I appreciate it