Director's notes:
Thanks to so many for the enthusiastic support, BUT the most recent official Covid report for the Asheville area includes the following: Although cases per 100,000 per week decreased to 295 this week from 351 the week prior, COVID cases, rates, and percent positivity remain at high levels. The percent positivity decreased slightly to 8.3% from the mid-9% range for the past month. Hospitalizations remain level but high.

Even with requirements for immunization, we know that many of us who were immunized early are very likely to have waning immunity, hence the plan for boosters. Masks help but only so much.

How can we pretend that it’s fine to invite 100 people from twenty states to spend 16 hours inside a facility just one month from now? Is it vital that we have the tournament? Is it essential? If we weigh 1) the pleasure of attending a big Scrabble tournament with 2) the risk of catching or asymptomatically spreading a disease which can be fatal to some, we have to say that it is not worth that risk.

So. we have to say “Dang, we WANTED to have this tournament, but in OUR area here in Asheville, it is NOT worth the risk.”

No Asheville Tournament this year in November.

Refund checks will be going out the first week in October. Disappointed? SO ARE WE!

Division 1 scouting report / head-to-head
	Name	Rating	St/Prov	Expected Wins†	History
1.	Matthew O'Connor *	2082	MA	11.8	history
2.	Ryan Fischer *	1922	NC	10.0	history
3.	Lucas Freeman *	1809	TN	8.7	history
4.	Steve Krieger *	1422	OH	4.1	history
5.	Joe Roberdeau *	1293	OH	2.8	history
Average rating: 1706
* = tentative
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