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Player Profile

David Eldar

David Eldar

Victorian State Champion 2004

Trans Tasman Representative: 2004
WSC Representative: 2005

Age: 15
Occupation: School student
Location: Melbourne

Kick-start

David is the youngest player ever to reach Australia's top ten. He first played Scrabble when he was five years old. At eleven years he tried playing online and was soon hooked. When he turned twelve he joined a club, then played his first tournament soon after in March 2003.

A few weeks later he jumped into the deep end, playing in the 'Open Division' at the National Championships in Adelaide. It was a strong tournament held over two days, with most players at least twice David's age and others much older than that! Amazingly, David won convincingly, with 11 wins from 14 games.

David's next major challenge came two months later, playing in the 'Open Division' at the Victorian State Championships. He turned in another stunning performance over two days, again winning the section.

March into Masters

Inevitably, David quickly progressed and soon qualified to play at Masters level. It wasn't long before he scooped all six games to win his first Masters tournament at McKinnon in November, 2003.

The second time David ventured to the National Championships, he was competing with more than a hundred others at the top level in Canberra at Easter, 2004. He performed solidly to finish in the middle of the field. No glory but he gained valuable experience. He vowed to improve...

And improve he did! His second trip to the Victorian Championships was also at the top level. The tournament was 24 games over three days in Melbourne. Indeed, he found himself three games behind the leader on the final day. But David never gave up. He backed his ability and rode a wave of good luck in the last couple of rounds. He claimed the State title in a nail-biting finish to overhaul the leader. Aged just 14 years, David became the youngest player ever to win a State championship anywhere in Australia.

Experience counts

David is always keen to gain more experience and improve his game. He journeyed to Bangkok this year to learn from some of the world's best players in the Kings Cup. He enjoyed the visit and the contest, including a game against UK wizard Mark Nyman. David has also travelled with his family to America, Singapore and Israel (but not to play Scrabble).

David spends much more time on his schoolwork than studying Scrabble. He certainly hasn't had the time yet to improve his game to the level he aspires to. He hopes to gain top-notch experience at the Trans-Tasman Challenge in Brisbane, and one day have a crack at the World Championships.

David tried his luck on Cup Day at Victoria's first 'speedy' tournament. Each player had just ten minutes to complete their entire game. David proved he is no slouch. He zipped to the lead and stayed there, finishing undefeated after eight games.

 

Tailpiece

David loves playing sports such as soccer, tennis and table tennis. He attends school at The King David School in Armadale. He travels around Melbourne in 'Dad's taxi'.

He has a younger teenage sister. Plus a cat who shares the same birthday with him.

 
ASPA
 
Australian Scrabble® Players Association (ASPA)
© Copyright 2001-05 www.scrabble.org.au   info@scrabble.org.au Last Updated: 31 Mar 2005