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Cheat! Top Player In US Scrabble Scandal

Cheat! Top Player In US Scrabble Scandal

One of America's top young Scrabble players has been caught cheating at the country's national championship and kicked out of the tournament.

The player was spotted concealing blank tiles from a previous game and attempting to use them in the next round, according to organisers at the event in Florida.

The player was confronted by game officials - and admitted he had cheated.

The incident is the first of its kind at a national level and has rocked the Scrabble world.

John D Williams Jr, executive director of the National Scrabble Association (NSA), said: "It's the first time it's happened in a venue this big. The Scrabble world and the internet are a-buzz."

Mr Williams said the incident could draw attention to other methods players employ to give them a tactical advantage - some are known to take minerals which act as 'brain boosters'.

"It gets pretty deep. We're one step away from drug testing," Mr Williams joked. "But no steroids so far".

The guilty player was ejected from the tournament and has had to forfeit his previous wins. He has not been identified by name or age as he is a minor, according to organisers.

There are four divisions when Scrabble is played at national level and the cheating player was competing in Division 3.

According to Mr Williams, this level is equal to "any great living-room player out there."

The tournament has reached its final day. US Scrabble champion David Gibson, a 61-year-old maths teacher from Spartanburg, South Carolina, was in the lead.

The winner will receive a price of \$10,000 (£6,378).