COMIC STRIP is no longer available.
From the clues in the comic strip above, explain why it is not possible for Calvin to obtain a score of 957 for the "word" ZQFMGB.
Then disregarding the first panel, what is the highest score that can be obtained on a Scrabble board for the "word" ZQFMGB?Please send in your answer in the following format using the Scrabble Board below:
Give the Row number and the Column letter for the letter Z, and then tell whether it goes horizontally or vertically. Then, give the score, explaining how you calculated it.
You must use the rules of Scrabble for scoring:
The score for a turn is the sum of the score values of all the letters. If a letter falls on a
Double Letter Score or a Triple Letter Score, that letter score is either doubled or tripled. Then
if one of the letters falls on a Double Word Score or Triple Word Score, the entire sum is either doubled
or tripled.
The score values for the letters in the comic are:
Z = 10 points
Q = 10 points
F = 4 points
M = 3 points
G = 2 points
B = 3 points
Solution to the Problem:
In the first panel, Calvin says that he landed on a Double Word Score. Since it is not possible to also land on a Triple Word Score with only six letters, his score could not be 957 since it is not divisible by two.
Disregarding the first panel, the highest score is 126.There are many different solutions, but all of them must pass over a triple word score and either the letter Z or Q must be on a double letter score.
One solution is to begin on the square at Row 1 column D and go horizontally.
Another solution begins at Row 3 column A and goes vertically.
In the first solution, the letter Z is doubled (20 points), then Q counts 10, F is 4, M is 3, G is 2, and B is 3, for a total of 42 points. Then tripled, the score is 126.
Correctly solved by:
| 1. John Funk | Ventura, California |
| 2. Tristan Collins | Virginia Tech Blacksburg, Virginia |
| 3. Jake Aimone |
Mountain View High School Mountain View, Wyoming |