The third Malta International Scrabble Open (MISO), organised by the Malta Scrabble Club and sponsored by Intercomp (Dell Computers), Vascas Jewellers, Scotts Supermarket, ProPrint, Alliance Cruises, Tilefish and Seiko UK ltd., will be played from 14 to 16 May at the Suncrest Hotel in Qawra.

It will be attracting no fewer than 100 participants, 60 of them hailing from a total of 14 foreign nations. Among the latter feature some very illustrious names, notably former world champion Nigel Richards, from New Zealand, arguably the world’s strongest Scrabble player, and top British players, the Englishman Craig Beevers and the Scot Helen Gipson.

Fresh from an effortless victory of her fifth consecutive national title, Theresa Brousson faces a tall order in her bid to place among the world’s elite in her home country.

A resurgent Jojo Delia and former national champion David Delicata, second and third respectively in the 2010 Tetley Teas National Scrabble League, will be battling hard to achieve an honourable placing.

Vying for international success will also be the newly crowned National League 2nd Division champion Frans Farrugia, together with runner-up Josephine Mayo and third-placed Anna Borg, as well as the third division champion Mary-Rose Caruana and runner-up Carmen Stafrace and third-placed Marlene Calleja.

The participants

MISO will be gearing up for the tournament during the second European Scrabble Open championship which the World English Scrabble Players’ Association (WESPA) will be staging in Malta between 8 and 11 May, at the Victoria Hotel in Sliema.

All word lovers will be able to follow this two-act feast of competitive Scrabble online in real time by logging on to the club’s website www.scrabblemalta.com.