Hong Kong Scrabble Championship 2024

The supreme Scrabble experience exclusively for Hong Kongers!

Congratulations to all prize winners!

Division A
Champion – Thomson LAW Long Yin
1^st Runner-up – Ernest SO Yat Long
2^nd Runner-up – Carson IP
3^rd Runner-up – Brian PO

Individual Youth Awards
Best Under-18 Player – Adem NG
Best Under-16 Player – Adem NG
Best Under-14 Player – Samuel FOK
Best Under-12 Player – Samuel FOK

Team Unity Award
Rex CHAN, Thomson LAW Long Yin, Adem NG

Division B
Winner – WONG Tsz Sen
1^st Runner-up – Markus TSANG Tin Long
2^nd Runner-up – Braven YANG
3^rd Runner-up – Kheiron LAM

Individual Youth Awards
Best Under-18 Player – WONG Tsz Sen
Best Under-16 Player – WONG Tsz Sen
Best Under-14 Player – Markus TSANG Tin Long
Best Under-12 Player – Markus TSANG Tin Long
Best Under-10 Player – WONG Tsz Fung

School Awards
Best Player from a School –
Methodist School: LAI Hoi Lam
W F Joseph Lee Primary School: Casta LAM
Lam Tin Methodist Primary School: KWAN Chi Yan

Based on the results of both divisions:
High Word – HONG Hoi Ting [played EX(T)ERNES for 194 points in Round 4 against Douglas TSANG]
High Game – HONG Hoi Ting [664-287 in Round 4 against Douglas TSANG]

HKSPA is organising the Hong Kong Scrabble Championship 2024 (the Championship) to select the official Hong Kong Scrabble Champion this year.

The Championship is open to HKSPA individual members with Hong Kong representation statuses defined under the Hong Kong Player Statuses Regulation. Hong Kong players from all ages and levels can enter the competition.

The format this year is similar to that in 2023: Division A of the Championship will be a two-day tournament on 13 April 2024 (Saturday) and 14 April 2024 (Sunday), competing for the title of Hong Kong Scrabble Champion and the Lion Rock Trophy. Division B of the Championship will be an one-day tournament on 13 April 2024 (Saturday) only.

Apart from the Lion Rock Trophy, players may also compete for Individual Awards (including ranking awards and youth awards) and Best Player from a School award. Division A of the tournament will be WESPA-rated.

Entry Handout

Date and Time:
Division A: 13 to 14 April 2024 (Saturday and Sunday), 09:30 - 19:30 on both days.
Division B: 13 April 2024 (Saturday), 10:00 - 18:00.

An hour lunch break will be arranged. The finishing time of the tournament may vary subject to the actual tournament schedule.

Venue:
13 April 2024: 5/F, Spark City Cheung Sha Wan, 124-126 Castle Peak Road, Cheung Sha Wan, Kowloon
14 April 2024: The Foreign Correspondents’ Club, 2 Lower Albert Road, Central, Hong Kong

Eligibility: HKSPA individual members with Hong Kong representation statuses defined under the Hong Kong Player Statuses Regulation (i.e. Hong Kong permanent residents) may play in the tournament.

Division arrangement: There are two divisions:

• Division A
• Division B (for players with HKSPA Ratings below 1300)

The peak rating, including provisional ratings, from 1 January 2023 to the deadline of application will be used to determine the division of the player.

Players with peak ratings below 1300 can choose to play in Division A or B, but players with peak ratings above or equal to 1300 must play in Division A. Player who are eligible to play in both division should indicate his or her selection when completing the online enrollment form. All applications will be carefully considered to ensure smooth running of the tournament.

Both division of the tournament will be HKSPA-rated. Division A will be WESPA-rated as well.

Format: Each players has 25 minutes to play each round. 5 points unsubstantiated challenge penalty for both divisions. The latest edition of Collins Official Scrabble Words and WESPA rules are applicable to all divisions. Gibsonisation rules apply where appropriate. The following format is subject to change at the discretion of the organiser.

Division A
‌‌18 games, 8 to 10 games per day.

• Game 1 to 3: Init Fontes Swiss - Players will be categorized into 4 groups by their HKSPA ratings immediately prior to the tournament. Sub-divisions will be formed by selecting one player from each group to form a sub-division of 4 players. These 4 players will play a single Round Robin. If the total number of players is not divisible by 4 (due to players’ absence), there will be a group containing all the remaining players. They will play partial round robin and opponents / bye will be arranged by random.
• Game 4 to 16: Australian Swiss Draw (sometimes lagged). There will be a reset in number of repeats in Round 7 and Round 13, or the number of repeats permitted will increase by one in Round 7 and Round 13.
• Game 17 to 18: King-of-the-Hill (KOTH)

Division B
6 games, first 5 games Swiss Draw (first game random draw, sometimes lagged subsequently), last game KOTH

Prizes:
Division A
Champion – the title of “Hong Kong Scrabble Champion” + the Lion Rock Trophy + plaque
1^st Runner-up – medal
2^nd Runner-up – medal
3^rd Runner-up – medal

Individual Youth Awards
Best Under-18 Player (born on or after 1/1/2006) – medal
Best Under-16 Player (born on or after 1/1/2008) – medal
Best Under-14 Player (born on or after 1/1/2010) – medal
(Players may receive more than one award, e.g. the Best Under-16 Player might as well be the Best Under-18 Player. The award will only be set up if there are more than one eligible player from the age group)

Team Unity Award
(Players will be divided into several groups according to their HKSPA ratings immediately before the tournament. Each player may then choose their own team of players: one player from each of the other groups, plus themselves. At the end of the tournament, team scores will be computed, combining the individual results of each team's members. The player whose team scores the highest will be the prize winner. The "individual results" refer to the combination of number of wins and cumulative spread.)

Division B
Winner – medal
1^st Runner-up – medal
2^nd Runner-up – medal
3^rd Runner-up – medal

Individual Youth Awards
Best Under-18 Player (born on or after 1/1/2006) – medal
Best Under-16 Player (born on or after 1/1/2008) – medal
Best Under-14 Player (born on or after 1/1/2010) – medal
Best Under-12 Player (born on or after 1/1/2012) – medal
Best Under-10 Player (born on or after 1/1/2014) – medal
(Players may receive more than one award, e.g. the Best Under-16 Player might as well be the Best Under-18 Player. The award will only be set up if there are more than one eligible player from the age group)

School Awards
Best Player from a School – medal
(Applicable for school with at least three players in Division B)

Based on the results of both divisions:
High Word – medal
High Game – medal

Certificate of Participation will be given to participants at the end of the tournament free of charge on request during the application.

Players may request to issue Certificate of Award if they are an award-winner. A certificate fee will be charged per certificate issued (one award title per certificate). Players may request for such certificates after the prize presentation ceremony and pay the certificate fee of HK$20 per certificate by cash on the spot. The certificate will be sent to the player by ordinary mail.

Entry Fee: To play in the tournament, one must be an HKSPA member. The entry fee for the tournament is as follow:

Players in Division A are also required to pay a HK$50 deposit on the first tournament day. The deposit will be refunded to the players on the second tournament day in form of partial settlement of their meal fee. Division A players who enroll and paid the applicable fees in full by FPS or bank transfer on or before 15 March 2024 may enjoy HK$20 entry fee discount.

Players who will play in the Championship for the first time may enjoy a HK$40 discount.

Lunch is not included. Players are free to consume their lunch at nearby catering premises on Day 1, but they should have their lunch inside the club premises and should not bring outside food or drinks to the venue on Day 2. Players are encouraged to pay for their lunch on Day 2 by FPS, and avoid cash unless necessary.

Players can join HKSPA Individual Membership before the tournament by filling in the online application form. HKSPA will be offering the following special membership rates for non-current members:

• Full members: HK$220 for membership till 31 August 2025
• Student members: HK$90 for membership till 31 August 2025

Enrollment: All HKSPA individual members with Hong Kong representation statuses defined under the Hong Kong Player Statuses Regulation may play in the tournament. Click here to enroll now!

Entries are normally accepted on a first-come-first-served basis. The deadline of enrollment is 24 March 2024. The organiser reserves the rights to refuse entry or make changes to the division arrangement. Enrollment is also subject to quota. The quota for Division A is 20 players while the overall quota is subject to venue capacity.

Applications after the deadline will only be accepted in exceptional circumstances. A late charge of $20 should apply in addition to the original entry fee. Late entrants are not allowed to compete in any school award.

Payment method: Players are required to pay the entry fee, deposits and membership fees to the Association's Hang Seng Bank account upon enrollment.

We encourage players to pay their fees through FPS. Instructions will be provided during the enrollment procedure. However, players may also pay by the following methods:

• ATM Transfer (HSBC/Hang Seng Bank)
• Cash or cheque deposit using Cash/Cheque Deposit Machine/Smart Teller
• e-Cheque

Players who pay the fees via bank counter (but not self-service machines) shall deposit an additional HK$30 to cover the bank charges. Student players are encouraged to seek assistance from their parents, teachers or coaches in paying the entry fees if they do not have a bank account.

Application will only be accepted upon receipt of the payment in full.

Refund Policy: The membership fee and entry fees are non-refundable in all circumstances, unless the organiser is unable to accept a particular player due to venue capacity or any other reasons caused by the organiser.

Verification Policy: Players are required to bring their HKID Card (for local players - birth certificate if they do not have an HKID Card). Students should also bring their Student ID Card (student handbook if they do not have a Student ID Card). Players who fail to bring the required documents may not be allowed to play / being charged HK$50 administrative fee payable on the spot by cash or FPS.

Enquiry: Please direct all queries to info@hkscrabble.org.