A SCRABBLE enthusiast from Wardy Hill will battle it out against 58 wordsmiths in 14 games at this year’s National Scrabble Championship semi-final held in Cardiff in September.

Jake Jacobs, 64, will be vying for one of two places available at the final held in London in November, with the pressure on for Jake to win as many games as possible in Cardiff to secure qualification.

If successful, Jake will compete to be crowned National Scrabble Champion and take home a £2,500 top prize.

Retiree Jake was crowned the oldest player to ever win the National Scrabble Championship in 2006 and has successfully reached the semi-final stage every year since.

He previously played in a number of tournaments to develop his rating, progressing from the B to the A division.

Jake first started playing Scrabble in 1960 in a game against his granddad, where he was intrigued by his ability to achieve a high score just by placing two letters strategically on the board.

In the late 1990s, Jake discovered that the game was played competitively in tournaments across the UK, so he decided to join the Cambridge Scrabble Club, Milton Scrabble Club and the Cherry Hinton Scrabble Club where he met his partner, Barbara.

Jake said, “Each Scrabble game is different and presents its own problems to solve which makes it a great game to play. It can be very strategic, much like chess, and every player has differing skills, strategies and abilities. I am looking forward to playing in the semi-finals in Cardiff.”

Aside from Scrabble, Jake enjoys computing, watching sport on TV and any games that challenge the mind. He has always loved competing. In his youth, he was Herefordshire county champion in shot-putt, discus and javelin.

The semi-final will take place at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, from September 14-15, held in conjunction with the Cardiff Mind Sports Festival, organised by Mind Sports Ltd.