In a hard-fought battle of wordsmithing prowess, Victor Amartey emerged victorious at the prestigious Alisa Veterans Invitational Scrabble Tournament, clinching the title with a historic 8-0 match record and a +920 point spread over the 24 veteran Scrabble players.
The Scrabble event saw an exciting three-way race take shape before Amartey pulled away with his flawless performance, leading him to secure the coveted #17 national Scrabble ranking.
Hot on Amartey’s heels was Shem Suleiman, who turned in an impressive 6.5-1.5 showing with a 166 point spread, enough to claim the runner-up position and the #21 ranking.
Early on, it was Amartey, Kwabena Asare, and Kojo Acheampong jockeying for position as the trio had better cumulative spreads than the rest of the elite field. However, in round 4, Amartey relegated Asare out of the top three with a comfortable routine victory, seizing control of the tournament.
The highly-anticipated event drew Ghana’s the top veteran players to compete in an intense battle of skill and strategy.
When the final tiles were played at the new home of competitive Scrabble in Ghana, the luxurious Asante Hall of the Alisa Hotels in Accra, it was Amartey claiming the 2000 Ghana Cedi top prize from the total 5000 Cedi purse sponsored by Alisa Hotel and Media Majique.
Runner-up Shem Suleiman (6½–1½, +166) took home 1500 Cedis, while third-place David Akpor (5½–2½, +194) earned 1000 Cedis. The young star Acheampong (5-3, +234) rounded out the top four and a 500 Cedi prize.
Amartey’s masterful strategic brilliance and extensive vocabulary allowed him to consistently outmaneuver opponents en route to the lucrative title and winner’s check.
The event featured Ghana’s #1 player Charles Tachie-Menson, coming off an 8th place finish at the 2023 WESPA Championship in Las Vegas.
With Amartey’s victory and the prestigious Alisa setting, the tournament was a prime backdrop as Ghana bids to host the 2025 WESPA Championship in Accra, likely at the Alisa Hotel through their partnership with the Scrabble association.
At the other end of the spectrum, Johnny Darko (#12) endured a tough tournament, failing to notch a single victory across eight matches and finishing with a dreadful -860 point spread.
For champion Amartey, the Alisa title adds another accomplishment to his remarkable career. His total dominance left no doubt about his elite skills and hunger to remain one of the region’s Scrabble kings.
Below is the top 10 place players
- Victor Amartey
- Shem Suleiman
- David Akpor
- Kojo Acheampong
- Mensah Mantey
- Chief Rashad
- Mike Ofori
- Daniel Buadu
- Alex Agyekum
- Alhaji Amin
