Scrabble is a game of language, strategy, math and chance, all rolled into one. Scrabble holds many meanings to the millions of people who enjoy the world’s most iconic word game; but for most players, Scrabble is a way to connect more deeply with family and friends.
At Scopely, we’re proud that our “Scrabble® GO” game brings players together through a shared love of Scrabble and can unite Scrabblers near and far. The game lets players enjoy a fully reimagined Scrabble experience, test their skills with new game modes, and challenge friends from around the globe anytime or anywhere.
Father-daughter duo Stefan and Chloe Fatsis are among the many Scrabblers who use “Scrabble® GO” to stay in touch, enjoy friendly (or heated!) competition, and share the joy of wordplay. Stefan is well-known as the author of Word Freak, the New York Times best-seller that celebrates the world of competitive Scrabble, while Chloe is a college student and rising star on the competitive Scrabble circuit.
Recently, Stefan and Chloe competed in Scopely’s first-ever “Scrabble® GO Invitational” tournament, hosted by our very own Will Anderson - a competitive Scrabble champion in his own right. Today, they will be facing off against one another in “Scrabble® GO” in the tournament’s semifinals. Prior to the competition, we sat down with Stefan and Chloe to discuss their love of Scrabble, how the game has impacted their relationship with each other, and how they use “Scrabble® GO” to stay connected.
What made you fall in love with Scrabble?
Chloe: Growing up, Scrabble was always a part of my life. When I was little, my dad would put letters on the carpet at home and I would try to form words. I could probably play a full game of Scrabble once I was 6 or so. I loved the game, the words, the competition. It was a great feeling to excel at something at such a young age, and was a cool thing to show off at school.
Stefan: I played casually as a kid. My Facebook profile picture is me holding a Scrabble set on Christmas morning when I was around 12. If only there had been School Scrabble in the 1970s!
When I was a teenager, an older brother memorized all of the two- and three-letter words, which I secretly found pretty cool. But I didn’t get fully sucked into the game until my 30s. I knew there was a quirky competitive scene and began researching what I thought might be a story about it for the Wall Street Journal, where I covered sports. But I quickly realized I belonged there as a player. I loved the crazy words, the vastness of the language, the dopamine rush of a puzzle on every turn, the ever-shifting strategy, and the thrill and tension of the competition.
When did you introduce Chloe to Scrabble and how did it impact your relationship?
Stefan: Chloe actually attended her first North American Scrabble Championship when she was six weeks old! I was promoting the release of the paperback edition of Word Freak and competing in the tournament, which was in San Diego. Baby Chloe was passed around from one player to another like a bag of tiles. As Chloe mentioned, we had a rug with a pattern of small squares, and when she was around 5 years old I dumped out some tiles and began spelling words. Then we began playing collaborative games on a board—I’d help and guide her in making words. At age 8, “her” side of one game scored more than 600 points, which she was very excited about! It was clear from the beginning that Chloe “got” the game—not just anagramming words but also the strategy.
After Chloe entered kindergarten, I started a Scrabble club at her public elementary school and began holding tournaments. It’s been a central part of our lives, and, as a parent, an immeasurable gift to share a passion and all of that time with your child. I’m a very lucky dad.
How did it feel watching Chloe become a formidable Scrabble competitor?
Stefan: It’s been one of the greatest joys of my life! I knew from the beginning that Chloe would be a good player. But making the leap into the upper levels of tournament Scrabble requires something I wasn’t always sure she’d undertake; that is, studying words in a continuous, methodical, organized way.
For her, that started at the beginning of the pandemic, when she was taking a gap year before college and had time on her hands. Almost three years later, she’s still at it on a daily basis, even with the demands of school. That’s part love for the game but also part determination. I couldn’t be prouder.
Do you remember the first time you beat your dad at Scrabble?
Chloe: I can’t say I remember the first time I beat him (maybe he does), since we played so often at home, but the first time I beat him in a tournament was actually not too long ago, in 2019. I had been having a pretty bad tournament, with a 1-5 record going into the game, but I managed to pull off a 423-363 win. That win alone made all the losses in that tournament worth it.
Tell us about your experience with “Scrabble® GO.” Do you play it together when you can’t be in the same room?
Chloe: I enjoy playing “Scrabble® GO!” I play with a couple people on the app, and it’s always a good way to keep in touch with Scrabblers from afar.
Stefan: With Chloe away at college, “Scrabble® GO” is one way we stay connected across the board. We’re about to face off in a “Scrabble® GO” tournament right now, which has been a blast.
What are some of your top tips and strategies for “Scrabble® GO” players?
Chloe: Making parallel plays (words on top of other words) is a great way to increase your score, because you get the points of each letter going both ways. Learning the two-letter words is super helpful for this. Also, look for bingos, which are plays that use all seven of the tiles on your rack and give you a 50-point bonus. To make this easier, it helps to look for common prefixes and suffixes on your rack, like RE-, -ED, and -ING.
Stefan: Sounds like Chloe was listening when she joined the Scrabble club back in third grade! A couple more tips: Build toward making bingos. Some good ways to do that are to keep a balance of vowels and consonants, play off duplicate (or triplicate) letters, save an S unless you can score a healthy amount of points, and use the coveted blanks (in most instances) only to bingo.
But the best tip is to accept that English is filled with strange and beautiful words—and Scrabble helps liberate them from the purgatory of the dictionary. The more words you know, the more complex and satisfying the game becomes. And, oh, by the way, the more you win.
Tune in to twitch.tv/scrabble TODAY, March 1, 2023 at 4:30 p.m. PT to watch Stefan and Chloe in action!