More Than 400 Word Experts to Compete for $10,000 First Prize at National SCRABBLE® Championship in Dallas August 7-11th

DALLAS, July 27 /PRNewswire/ -- They say everything is bigger in Texas, and beginning August 7th, more than 400 people with some of the largest vocabularies in the world will gather at the 2010 National SCRABBLE® Championship (NSC) at the Hotel InterContinental Dallas.  These word wizards will come from 42 states and four countries and range from School SCRABBLE prodigies to multiple National and World SCRABBLE® champions.  

First prize is $10,000 and "bragging rights" for the hundreds of SCRABBLE aficionados who will be descending upon Dallas.

"Approximately 40 million people play the SCRABBLE game on a leisurely basis, however SCRABBLE is a lifestyle for our competitors," says Chris Cree, a veteran top expert and co-president of the North American SCRABBLE® Players Association (NASPA), organizers of this year's event.  There are 200 official SCRABBLE tournaments every year that are overseen by NASPA.  

Players at the highest level memorize the 120,000 word Official SCRABBLE® Players Dictionary and often devote several hours a day to studying.  

All the competitors know that the championship will be a marathon, not a sprint. There is no elimination, and everyone plays a staggering 31 games over four and a half days.  SCRABBLE experts and enthusiasts everywhere are encouraged to follow the live online coverage at www.scrabbleplayers.org.  The website has received over 6 million hits during previous Nationals.

The defending champion is Dave Wiegand, a mortgage underwriter from Portland, OR.  Wiegand also won the 2005 National SCRABBLE® Championship in Reno, NV.

Recently Edward De Guzman, a research and development professional from San Francisco, set a new record for highest game score in an officially sanctioned SCRABBLE tournament.  De Guzman scored a whopping 771 points, beating the previous record by one point.

About Hasbro:

Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE: HAS) is a worldwide leader in children's and family leisure time products and services with a rich portfolio of brands and entertainment properties that provides some of the highest quality and most recognizable and play experiences in the world. As a brand-driven, consumer-focused global company, Hasbro brings to market a range of toys, games and licensed products, from traditional to high-tech and digital, under such powerful brand names as TRANSFORMERS, PLAYSKOOL, TONKA, MILTON BRADLEY, PARKER BROTHERS, TIGER, CRANIUM and WIZARDS OF THE COAST. Come see how we inspire play through our brands at http://www.hasbro.com. © 2010 Hasbro, Inc. All rights reserved. SCRABBLE is a trademark of Hasbro in the U.S. and Canada.

SOURCE National SCRABBLE(R) Championship