Word power in Bengaluru: World No. 3 Hubert Wee among winners at 20th Indian Open Scrabble Championship

Securing the prize for the second year running was Singapore’s Hubert Wee, winning Division A’s prize of Rs 1.35 lakh. Kenya’s Millie Kikechi secured the Division B trophy, while India’s Pranav Ramkumar came out on top in Division C after an unbeaten 15-game streak. The tournament was also livestreamed on the Let’s Play Scrabble YouTube Channel, with commentary from players including Indian youth champion Madhav Kamath.

Journalist and event organiser Radhika Mahalingaiah said, “For the past eight tournaments Mu Sigma has been sponsoring us. Every year we grow bigger, with more participants, and this time we had almost 40 people who had never played in Scrabble tournaments. In the players across the four divisions, there are almost 30 foreigners from 13 countries.”

Regarding Scrabble gaining recognition as a mental sport comparable to chess, she expressed her belief that it is progressing in that direction. She identified sponsorships as a crucial factor in elevating Scrabble’s profile.

Several newcomers

While many of the foreign visitors are veteran international players, several newcomers flew in for the tournament, including three players from Mauritius.

Among the high-level international players present was Lukeman Owolabi, the Ireland-based President of the World English Scrabble Players Association, a 30-year veteran of the game who started playing as a student.

In conversation with the Indian Express, he said, “The new things in this tournament, such as livestreaming, will be very good for media exposure. The tournament’s paperless scoring system is also good.”

He also praised the hosts’ organisational skills and hospitality. With regard to the many young players attending the tournament in Bengaluru, Owolabi added that promoting the game among youth back in Ireland was something he also intended to do.

The tournament came on the heels of a strong 2025 for Indian Scrabble, with 14-year-old Madhav Kamath having secured the World Youth Scrabble Championship.

The Scrabble Association of India also launched a national title system to classify players by skill, similar to how chess classifies its players. At the moment, India has seven national grandmasters, 12 national masters, and 17 national experts under this system.