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.
|
I1
