tilefishtilefishHere is a collection of links that a new player will find useful.
Association of British Scrabble Players website
Information on every aspect of Scrabble in the UK.
List of UK clubs (MS Excel file)
Many tournament players get their start playing in their local club. The [ABSP] keeps a list of all the clubs in the country. Most cities and many towns have a club - have a look to find the one nearest you!
There is a Scrabble event being held somewhere in the UK nearly every weekend of the year. Some are one-day events, some are overnight affairs with accommodation provided. On Bank Holidays there are even three-day Scrabble extravaganzas!
The beginning player should think about entering the lowest division of a tournament, even if they don't attend a club or don't think that they are very good. If you are a new player you will automatically be placed in the bottom division unless you request otherwise. The bottom division is generally made up of people who play for fun and are not fiercely competitive, so this is a great way to meet people and get a feel for what tournaments and competitive Scrabble are all about. You will quickly find that the UK Scrabble community is very welcoming and friendly, with most people sharing the opinion that the social side of things is as important as the game itself. There is a Guide For New Players on the ABSP website (linked above).
Here you will find a "cheat sheet" drawn up to help new players who are just starting to learn the basic Scrabble vocabulary. It contains a list of all the two and three letter words, as well as all the vowel-heavy and Q-without-a-U words, and it all fits on one sheet of paper - very handy! Yellow highlights also show which words were added to the Scrabble lexicon by the recent change to Collins Scrabble Words 2007. We also sell various booklets detailing the finer points of Scrabble strategy for those who want to improve their game.
The UK Scrabble mailing list is the centre of the social Scrabble world and the place to be if you want to discuss Scrabble strategies and techniques, or read about issues affecting the Scrabble world (like changes to the official dictionary, recent and forthcoming events, etc.). The list normally gets about 20 emails per day.
To get a Scrabble fix without leaving the comfort of your own home (or even needing to get dressed!), check out the Internet Scrabble Club (ISC). This is where most of the tournament players go to play socially, so you can play some really high-quality games against top-rated players, or relax a little and play against people at a smilar level to you. ISC offers a huge range of Scrabble opponents 24 hours a day!
Internet Scrabble Club - Frequently Asked Questions
Does exactly what it says on the tin! Everything you will need to know for playing on ISC (see above).
