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Bahrain and Gulf Scrabble champion Mohammed Zafar came eighth in the 23rd King's Cup in Bangkok - the highest ever placing for a player from the Gulf.
Competitors from 12 countries, including world champion Nigel Richards (New Zealand), took part. Richards, however, was outmanoeuvred by Malaysian Ong Suanne and had to settle for the runners-up spot in this contest. The victor took $6,000 in prize money as well as the trophy.
A record 7,000 participants took part in the King's Cup, mostly students from across the nation, making the event the world's biggest Scrabble contest.
This was the 18-year-old Bahraini's first tournament since winning the Gulf Scrabble cup last month.
Bahrain Scrabble League chairman Roy Kietzman said: "Scrabble's just a game, of course. Some refer to it as word chess, and, indeed, some chess players have converted to Scrabble, mainly because they say all the classic moves have been known for a hundred years or more. Every game of Scrabble is new.
"I suppose you can say that Scrabble's an addiction and that some people just have to have their Scrabble fix for the day. I tell Mohammed that he's got a bad case of scrabble-itis. One of the world champions from Britain said he just loved making 'order out of chaos,' seeing that mess of letters in his rack and then perhaps making amazing moves with them.
"A pre-teen in Bahrain has admitted: 'I just love this game.' Yep! She's hooked and has even asked for a book that will help her with strategy, technique and lots of tips in getting ahead in the game. She's already able to make bonus words."
