# Scrabble board with no plays. **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 10, 2009, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scrabble-board-with-no-plays/502606 "2009-07-10T20:51:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2009, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scrabble-board-with-no-plays/502606/21 "2009-07-11T15:10:27Z")
I want to see that thrown down in a Scrabble championship. ---
**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2009, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scrabble-board-with-no-plays/502606/22 "2009-07-11T17:06:40Z")
> [@MadTheSwine](#): > > Jeez..took me over an hour,but I think this is a dead board using six tiles. > > V > VOX > ..XU I’m afraid that Volvox (A type of colonial algae) is a playable word. ---
**Author:** ![ashman165](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e8cbc/32.png) [@ashman165](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ashman165)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2009, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scrabble-board-with-no-plays/502606/23 "2009-07-11T17:09:39Z")
> [@42fish](#): > > I’m afraid that > > Volvox (A type of colonial algae) > > is a playable word. I’m afraid not; it’s capitalized. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2009, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scrabble-board-with-no-plays/502606/24 "2009-07-11T17:16:48Z")
> [@](#): > > I’m having trouble understanding here. Are you saying there’s a two letter word in a dictionary somewhere, in which no other words exist that contain either of the two letters of the original word? I seriously doubt it. Maybe such a dictionary doesn’t exist right now, but I could write one easily enough. **42fish** , there are only two Vs in a Scrabble set, both of which have already been used up by the two copies of “VOX”. There’s still a blank tile left (one of them had to be used for an X), but we can waste the other one on the O or something. So the actual board is ```auto V V_X _U ``` where the first blank is an O, and the second blank is an X. ---
**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2009, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scrabble-board-with-no-plays/502606/25 "2009-07-11T17:36:09Z")
Re: What the heck is ‘xu’ anyway? A unit of currency from Vietnam. And I’ll concede that if you use the 2nd blank as the ‘O’ the board is, AFAICT, closed to further plays. ---
**Author:** ![Bootis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e8c25b/32.png) [@Bootis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootis)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2009, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scrabble-board-with-no-plays/502606/26 "2009-07-11T17:55:23Z")
What about sonovox? shows up on the scrabble online dictionary, is that the official one? ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2009, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scrabble-board-with-no-plays/502606/27 "2009-07-11T19:55:39Z")
Volvox is a playable word,but as pointed out,would not work on my example. Sonovox on the other hand mucks things up…dammit.I thought there might be a vox hook out there.Oh well,I had fun looking,I will try to come up with something else. ---
**Author:** ![Huvudtvatt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Huvudtvatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huvudtvatt)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2009, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scrabble-board-with-no-plays/502606/28 "2009-07-11T20:55:59Z")
Also allowed (at least in the Collins dictionary) are VOXEL/S and FLUVOXAMINE/S ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2009, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scrabble-board-with-no-plays/502606/29 "2009-07-11T21:08:13Z")
> [@Huvudtvatt](#): > > Also allowed (at least in the Collins dictionary) are VOXEL/S and FLUVOXAMINE/S I am using the dictionary that is sanctioned by theTheNational Scrabble Association (as we all should for the purpose of this thread IMO,that or SOWPODS) so voxels is not permitted AFAIK,tho I am not familiar with SOWPODS. If you played fluvoxamine in a game with vox already on the board you would be in trouble,seeing as yer only allowed 7 letters in the rack. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2009, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scrabble-board-with-no-plays/502606/30 "2009-07-12T03:24:15Z")
Is there an ASCII text version of the official Scrabble wordlist available anywhere? ---
**Author:** ![Opus1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/858c86/32.png) [@Opus1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Opus1)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2009, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scrabble-board-with-no-plays/502606/31 "2009-07-12T06:53:19Z")
[http://home.teleport.com/~stevena/scrabble/faqtext.html](http://home.teleport.com/~stevena/scrabble/faqtext.html) The position from which no play is possible no matter what tiles are held, which is reached with the fewest plays and tiles (found by Kyle Corbin of North Carolina) is: ``` (J) J U S S O X (X) U ``` Without using blanks, the smallest, found by Rick Wong of California, is: \*\*F \*HUP FUCI \*PIU ---
**Author:** ![Huvudtvatt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Huvudtvatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huvudtvatt)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2009, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scrabble-board-with-no-plays/502606/32 "2009-07-12T10:04:12Z")
> [@MadTheSwine](#): > > I am using the dictionary that is sanctioned by theTheNational Scrabble Association (as we all should for the purpose of this thread IMO,that or SOWPODS) so voxels is not permitted AFAIK,tho I am not familiar with SOWPODS. The Collins Scrabble Tournament and Club Word List (CSW) replaced SOWPODS about two years ago, and is now the official English language word list outside of north America. So VOXEL is allowed in Britain/Australia etc and at the world championships. ---
**Author:** ![MagicMocha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@MagicMocha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MagicMocha)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2013, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scrabble-board-with-no-plays/502606/33 "2013-05-05T12:59:20Z")
This puzzle does not work. Without using or allowing blanks, the smallest, found by Rick Wong of California, is: ``` F HUP FUCI PIU ``` you can play howF with the w in front of HUP to make wHUP ``` howF HUP FUCI PIU I did find another solution without using blanks but my count is 13 letters is there any smaller? ``` ---
**Author:** ![MagicMocha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@MagicMocha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MagicMocha)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2013, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scrabble-board-with-no-plays/502606/34 "2013-05-05T13:22:28Z")
my 13 letter solution, (someone may have less). No legal Scrabble moves with min tiles no blanks ##V## #QIS# VINIC #SIX# ##C## Whup and Howf could be played on the previous solution, so WHUP there it is! -Kevin Mocker ---
**Author:** ![OffByOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/45deac/32.png) [@OffByOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OffByOne)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scrabble-board-with-no-plays/502606/35 "2013-05-09T20:38:01Z")
> [@MadTheSwine](#): > > Jeez..took me over an hour,but I think this is a dead board using six tiles. > > V > VOX > ..XU Extend either “VOX” : vOL(VOX) where ‘v’ is a blank designated as a ‘V’ (you’ve already used all of the V’s). Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![MagicMocha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@MagicMocha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MagicMocha)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scrabble-board-with-no-plays/502606/36 "2015-03-11T04:27:27Z")
olivinic is a word darn it back to the board ---
**Author:** ![OffByOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/45deac/32.png) [@OffByOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OffByOne)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scrabble-board-with-no-plays/502606/37 "2015-03-11T14:05:36Z")
I once read a story, printed in Games magazine a lo-o-ong time ago, where two mysterious Scrabble players face off. First player plays VINIC, with N on the Star. Second player plays VINIC through the N on the Star. Then they both get up and go home. Note, hoever, that this game is NOT dead. VINICIDE is a possible extension, and two-letter words (possibly some three-letter words as well) can fit in the corners between the Is. Neither C nor V can be used in a two-letter word (in the US and Canada; the rest of the world plays with CH), so after those four corners are filled in, only extensions will allow the game to continue. It’s hard to imagine a dead game with so few tiles on the board. Much more likely (at least in the organized Scrabble world) is a situation where, on six consecutive turns, no tiles have been added to the board, the game is now over. For instance, first player echanges tiles. Sceond player makes a play, but the play is challenged off. First player exchanges again, then second player exchanges. First player plays a phony, has it challenged off, then the second player exchanges tile. Game over; each player counts the points on their tiles and subtracts from existing score (0-0). There have been games with scores of -7 to -8, with the -7 score being “higher”, and therefore the winner. This kind of pisses me off, since many tournaments have a prize for lowest win. Since most games (at my level of play) total around 800 points for both players, a game that I won with a 297 score seemed destined to win that prize (I won with a score less than 300, so our total in that game was less than 600), but I was robbed of the prize by someone winning with a -8 to -12. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2015, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scrabble-board-with-no-plays/502606/38 "2015-03-13T00:12:56Z")
Why would you even think of leaving after VINIC crossed with VINIC? Even the most uncreative of players can see that there’s still two pairs of dangling letters that you could build off of crossways. All you need is any word at all that contains a V or a C anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2015, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scrabble-board-with-no-plays/502606/39 "2015-03-13T05:07:36Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Why would you even think of leaving after VINIC crossed with VINIC? Even the most uncreative of players can see that there’s still two pairs of dangling letters that you could build off of crossways. All you need is any word at all that contains a V or a C anywhere. Good to know I’m not the only one that wasn’t getting the point of that scenario. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2015, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scrabble-board-with-no-plays/502606/40 "2015-03-13T14:56:33Z")
> [@OffByOne](#): > > I once read a story, printed in Games magazine a lo-o-ong time ago, where two mysterious Scrabble players face off. First player plays VINIC, with N on the Star. Second player plays VINIC through the N on the Star. Then they both get up and go home. Was this the one where it turned out that one of the players was a witch? I don’t remember the game being that short (and besides, as someone else pointed out, you can add letters to either of the Cs or Vs). Also, in a later issue, somebody wrote in, saying that there was a word that could be added to the board in the story, but replacing a letter or two would make it unplayable (and the editor replied, “True, but most Scrabble clubs have a rule where a game ends if both players refresh their tiles three times in a row without being able to play a word,” and never mind that this isn’t what happened in the story). This reminded me of a chess problem in a later issue, where the solution depended on a player promoting a pawn to a piece of the other player’s color - and nobody noticed that both the USCF Rules and FIDE Laws are quite clear in that pawns can be promoted only to pieces of the same color as the pawn. I should have said something at the time; maybe I would have gotten a Games T-Shirt (which they don’t seem to give out any more; the runner-up prizes in their contests has changed to a year’s magazine subscription). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scrabble-board-with-no-plays/502606.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scrabble-board-with-no-plays/502606.md?page=3)