…with Gary Moss

Most of us do it all the time, talking to our opponents during the game. Obviously, we are required to call out our scores to one another and say things like “Hold” or “Challenge”. I’m not referring to those exchanges.

Making cute comments and expressing frustrations is called ‘coffee-housing’ and is not permitted, according to the rules.

During club play the rules are relaxed at times. Some players are habitual ‘coffee-housers’ and will even continue in their usual fashion during tournaments. There is no doubt in my mind that a lot of ‘coffee-housing’ occurred during the recent National Scrabble Tournament in Dayton.

The solution, when you are being distracted by some ‘coffee-houser’ is simple.
1) Neutralize the clock.
2) Call, “Director”.
3) Ask the director to tell your opponent about the ‘coffee-housing’ rule.

A player who continues to abuse the rule is subject to penalties.

I’m mostly annoyed with myself for a loss that I suffered yesterday, do to coffee-housing. I was playing with a player who makes a comment after almost every play. She is being playful. I have never made an issue over her distractions. Near the end of the game she made a comment about missing her opportunity to play a bingo. I was paying more attention to her words than tracking the tiles on the board. Her chatter lured into making a simple play to hasten the end of the game. Then she bingoed out and notched up a WIN on her belt.

In close games I always track the tiles on the board. I had 18 minutes left on my clock. I allowed myself to be thrown off course by her coffee-housing.

We each have an obligation to follow the rules and hold our opponents accountable to the same set of rules. If and when we don’t, we have no right to complain about our losses.

I’ll try hard not to make that mistake again.