Scrabble players all over the world partake in a number of different competition formats to showcase their game strategy and word-making skills. In this article, WordsRated looks at the major tournaments available at adult and youth level, as well as their annual winners.
- Major Scrabble tournaments are typically split between world events and national/regional events.
- National/regional events may be restricted to players from the given territory, or open to other players.
- Youth tournaments are also available to players under the age of 18 years.
- Based upon his accomplishments in the game, New Zealander Nigel Richards is widely considered to be the greatest Scrabble player of all time.
- He has won the World Scrabble Championships 5 times, the Scrabble Players Championship (NASPA) 5 times and the WESPA Championship 2 times, in addition to an abundance of other titles.
- Overall, he has a tournament win percentage of around 75% and is estimated to have earned over $200,000 in prize money.
- The first ever winner of the World Scrabble Championship was English-born Peter Morris, who won the title in 1991.
- As of 2023, Australian David Eldar is the current holder of the WESPA Championship (which replaced the World Scrabble Championship).
- For the Scrabble Players Championship, Canadian Josh Sokol holds the 2023 NASPA title and Nigerian Wellington Jighere holds the 2023 Collins title.
Adult Scrabble tournaments
A number of significant Scrabble competitions are available for adult players to take part in. Some of the game’s most important competitions are held in North America, Europe and Asia.
WESPA Championship
A biennial world event that uses the previous WSC format, upon which teams must qualify from national organizations. Many other national associations have since adopted WESPA’s rules for use domestically.
- Has been held every other year since 2015.
- As of 2023, 4 different players have won the WESPA Championships.
- Nigel Richards is the only player to have won the tournament 2 times.
| Year | Winner | Country |
| 2015 | Wellington Jighere | Nigeria |
| 2017 | Akshay Bhandarkar | Bahrain |
| 2019 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
| 2021 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
| 2023 | David Eldar | Australia |
World Scrabble Championship
The World Scrabble Championship was seen as the top Scrabble international tournament in the world. Although it was initially held only in odd years, it became an annual event in 2013.
- The competition ran from 1991 to 2019 across 18 editions.
- Nigel Richards won the tournament 5 times, more than any other player.
- Players from the United States, Canada and England each won the tournament three times.
| Year | Winner | Country |
| 1991 | Peter Morris | United States |
| 1993 | Mark Nyman | England |
| 1995 | David Boys | Canada |
| 1997 | Joel Sherman | United States |
| 1999 | Joel Wapnick | Canada |
| 2001 | Brian Cappelletto | United States |
| 2003 | Panupol Sujjayakorn | Thailand |
| 2005 | Adam Logan | Canada |
| 2007 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
| 2009 | Pakorn Nemitrmansuk | Thailand |
| 2011 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
| 2013 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
| 2014 | Craig Beevers | England |
| 2015 | Wellington Jighere | Nigeria |
| 2016 | Brett Smitheram | England |
| 2017 | David Eldar | Australia |
| 2018 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
| 2019 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
Scrabble Players Championship
The Scrabble Players Championship is organized by NASPA Games to be an open event. It is typically held as an annual summer tournament in the US, attracting several hundred players.
NASPA format
- After its inaugural tournament in 1978, it is still ongoing as of 2023.
- Players from the United States have won the tournament on 21 occasions, more than any other country.
- Nigel Richards has won the tournament 5 times, more than any other player.
| Year | Winner | Country |
| 1978 | David Prinz | United States |
| 1980 | Joe Edley | United States |
| 1983 | Joel Wapnick | Canada |
| 1985 | Ron Tiekert | United States |
| 1987 | Rita Norr | United States |
| 1988 | Robert Watson | United States |
| 1989 | Peter Morris | United States |
| 1990 | Robert Felt | United States |
| 1992 | Joe Edley | United States |
| 1994 | David Gibson | United States |
| 1996 | Adam Logan | Canada |
| 1998 | Brian Cappelletto | United States |
| 2000 | Joe Edley | United States |
| 2002 | Joel Sherman | United States |
| 2004 | Trey Wright | United States |
| 2005 | Dave Wiegand | United States |
| 2006 | Jim Kramer | United States |
| 2007 | James Leong | Canada |
| 2008 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
| 2009 | Dave Wiegand | United States |
| 2010 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
| 2011 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
| 2012 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
| 2013 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
| 2014 | Conrad Bassett-Bouchard | United States |
| 2015 | Matthew Tunnicliffe | Canada |
| 2016 | David Gibson | United States |
| 2017 | Will Anderson | United States |
| 2018 | Joel Sherman | United States |
| 2019 | Alec Sjöholm | United States |
| 2022 | Michael Fagen | Canada |
| 2023 | Josh Sokol | Canada |
Collins format
- Started in 2012 but is still ongoing as of 2023 (a total of 10 editions).
- Austin Shin is the only player to have won the tournament 2 times (in 2017 and 2022).
- Players from the United States have won 50% of the Collins Scrabble Word tournaments.
| Year | Winner | Country |
| 2012 | Sam Kantimathi | United States |
| 2013 | John O’Laughlin | United States |
| 2014 | Adam Logan | Canada |
| 2015 | Peter Armstrong | United States |
| 2016 | David Eldar | Australia |
| 2017 | Austin Shin | United Kingdom |
| 2018 | Evans Clinchy | United States |
| 2019 | Jesse Day | United States |
| 2022 | Austin Shin | United Kingdom |
| 2023 | Wellington Jighere | Nigeria |
Canadian National Scrabble Championship
The recognized Canadian national Scrabble competition. Entrants must be invited to play, with invitations only offered to Canadian players with the highest rankings.
- A total of 10 events took place between 1996 and 2018.
- Adam Logan won the tournament a record 5 times.
- Joel Wapnick is the only other player to win the tournament multiple times (2 times).
| Year | Winner |
| 1996 | Eric Tran |
| 1998 | Adam Logan |
| 2000 | Adam Logan |
| 2003 | Joel Wapnick |
| 2005 | Adam Logan |
| 2008 | Adam Logan |
| 2011 | David Boys |
| 2013 | Ron Hoekstra |
| 2016 | Joel Wapnick |
| 2018 | Adam Logan |
UK National Scrabble Championship
Held every year, the UK National Scrabble Championship is considered to be the most prestigious Scrabble tournament in the United Kingdom. Participation is restricted to players who are UK citizens or residents.
- Has taken place annually since 1971, with the exception of 1995, 2020 and 2021.
- As of 2023, there have been 50 editions of the tournament.
- Philip Nelkon and Mark Nyman have each won the tournament 4 times, which is more than any other player.
| Year | Winner |
| 1971 | Stephen Haskell |
| 1972 | Olive Behan |
| 1973 | Anne Bradford |
| 1974 | Richard Sharp |
| 1975 | Olive Behan |
| 1976 | Alan Richter |
| 1977 | Mike Goldman |
| 1978 | Philip Nelkon |
| 1979 | Christine Jones |
| 1980 | Joyce Cansfield |
| 1981 | Philip Nelkon |
| 1982 | Russell Byers |
| 1983 | Colin Gumbrell |
| 1984 | Mike Willis |
| 1985 | Esther Byers |
| 1986 | Viraf Mehta |
| 1987 | Nigel Ingham |
| 1988 | Margaret Rogers |
| 1989 | Russell Byers |
| 1990 | Philip Nelkon |
| 1991 | Phil Appleby |
| 1992 | Philip Nelkon |
| 1993 | Allan Saldanha |
| 1994 | Mike Willis |
| 1996 | Andrew Fisher |
| 1997 | Andrew Cook |
| 1998 | Mark Nyman |
| 1999 | Evan Simpson |
| 2000 | Brett Smitheram |
| 2001 | Mark Nyman |
| 2002 | Mark Nyman |
| 2003 | Harshan Lamabadusuriya |
| 2004 | Mark Nyman |
| 2005 | Wale Fashina |
| 2006 | Jake Jacobs |
| 2007 | Paul Allan |
| 2008 | Allan Simmons |
| 2009 | Craig Beevers |
| 2010 | Mikki Nicholson |
| 2011 | Wayne Kelly |
| 2012 | Paul Gallen |
| 2013 | Paul Allan |
| 2014 | Chris May |
| 2015 | Craig Beevers |
| 2016 | Phil Robertshaw |
| 2017 | Austin Shin |
| 2018 | Edward Martin |
| 2019 | Phil Robertshaw |
| 2022 | Brett Smitheram |
| 2023 | Paul Allan |
UK Open Scrabble Tournament
An open tournament based in the United Kingdom that brought together Scrabble players from around the globe. However, due to its format, winning the title does not make a player become the national champion.
- As of 2023, only four players have ever won the title.
- A total of 13 tournaments have taken place.
- Nigel Richards from New Zealand has won a record 10 tournaments.
| Year | Winner | Country |
| 2008 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
| 2009 | Helen Gipson | Scotland |
| 2010 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
| 2011 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
| 2012 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
| 2013 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
| 2014 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
| 2015 | Paul Allan | Scotland |
| 2016 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
| 2017 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
| 2018 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
| 2019 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
| 2020 | Ed Martin | England |
Brand’s Crossword Game King’s Cup
The competition was seen as a way to promote the use of English and the winner of the tournament was honored with a trophy from the King of Thailand. Attracting up to 8,000 players, it was previously the largest Scrabble tournament in the world.
- The tournament ran from 1989 to 2019, through 33 editions.
- Nigel Richards has been the champion of the tournament 15 times, more than any other player.
- Thailand has had 11 winners, the US has had 3 winners and England has had 2 winners.
| Year | Winner | Country |
| 1989 | Apichit Vichitjitkul | Thailand |
| 1990 | Charles Goldstein | United States |
| 1991 | Mark Nyman | England |
| 1992 | Pakorn Nemitrmansuk | Thailand |
| 1993 | Ong-Arj Charuwan | Thailand |
| 1994 | Sam Kantimathi | United States |
| 1995 | Jakkrit Klaphajone | Thailand |
| 1996 | Charnwit Sukhumrattanaporn | Thailand |
| 1997 | Jakkrit Klaphajone | Thailand |
| 1998 | Joel Sherman | United States |
| 1999 | Mark Nyman* | England |
| 1999 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
| 2000 | Nigel Richards* | New Zealand |
| 2000 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
| 2001 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
| 2002 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
| 2003 | Pakorn Nemitrmansuk | Thailand |
| 2004 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
| 2005 | Panupol Sujjayakorn | Thailand |
| 2006 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
| 2007 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
| 2008 | Suanne Ong | Malaysia |
| 2009 | Pakorn Nemitrmansuk | Thailand |
| 2010 | Pakorn Nemitrmansuk | Thailand |
| 2011 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
| 2012 | Helen Gipson | Scotland |
| 2013 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
| 2014 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
| 2015 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
| 2016 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
| 2017 | Komol Panyasophonlert | Thailand |
| 2018 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
| 2019 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
*These two tournaments were held in January under different sponsorship
Singapore Open Scrabble Championship
The Singapore Open Scrabble Championship was founded in 1998 and boasts a large number of participants. It is designed as an open, non-invitational Scrabble tournament to attract players from different countries.
- Ran every year between 1998 and 2017.
- The most recent champion is Toh Weibin from Singapore (2017 edition).
- Nigel Richards has won the tournament 12 times and is also the only player to win it multiple times.
| Year | Winner | Country |
| 1998 | Michael Tang | Singapore |
| 1999 | Ganesh Asirvatham | Malaysia |
| 2000 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
| 2001 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
| 2002 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
| 2003 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
| 2004 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
| 2005 | Andy Kurnia | Singapore |
| 2006 | Tony Sim | Singapore |
| 2007 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
| 2008 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
| 2009 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
| 2010 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
| 2011 | Aaron Chong | Malaysia |
| 2012 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
| 2014 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
| 2016 | Nigel Richards | New Zealand |
| 2017 | Toh Weibin | Singapore |
Youth Scrabble tournaments
Youth players also have the opportunity to take part in significant Scrabble competitions for their age group. Many participants in these competitions eventually go on to compete at an adult level.
World Youth Scrabble Championships
The global Scrabble tournament for players under the age of 18 years. It has been held as an annual competition since 2006.
- As of 2023, there have been 18 editions of the tournament.
- The tournament has been won by players from 8 different countries
- Syed Imaad Ali from Pakistan is the only player to have won the tournament 2 times.
| Year | Winner | Country |
| 2006 | David Eldar | Australia |
| 2007 | Toh Weibin | Singapore |
| 2008 | Charnrit Khongthanarat | Thailand |
| 2009 | Suanne Ong | Malaysia |
| 2010 | Ker Jen Ho | Malaysia |
| 2011 | Anand Bharadwaj | Australia |
| 2012 | Michael McKenna | Australia |
| 2013 | Moiz Ullah Baig | Pakistan |
| 2014 | Jack Durand | England |
| 2015 | Nicholas Hong | Singapore |
| 2016 | Sanchit Kapoor | United Arab Emirates |
| 2017 | Aabid Ismail | Sri Lanka |
| 2018 | Syed Imaad Ali | Pakistan |
| 2019 | Tarin Pairor | Thailand |
| 2020 | Napat Vatjaranurathorn* | Thailand |
| 2021 | Syed Imaad Ali | Pakistan |
| 2022 | Ali Salman | Pakistan |
| 2023 | Hivin Dilmith | Sri Lanka |
*Player of the tournament. This edition was won by Thailand as it was a team tournament.
North American School Scrabble Championship
Entry is only open to school students from North America. To participate, students must be between 3rd and 8th grade.
- As of 2023, the tournament has taken place 19 times.
- Andy Hoang, Erik Salgado, Jeffrey Pogue, Jem Burch, Matthew Silver, Nathanael Campos, Noah Slatkoff, Walden Giezentanner and Zach Ansell have each won the tournament two times (joint 1st).
- The most commonly represented states/provinces for winners are Connecticut (8 winners), California (7 winners) and North Carolina (6 winners).
| Year | Joint-Winner | State/province | Joint-winner | State/province |
| 2003 | Nick Amphlett | Massachusetts | John Ezekowitz | Massachusetts |
| 2004 | Thomas Bao | California | Eric Johnston | California |
| 2005 | Scott Cardone | Ohio | Asif Rahman | Ohio |
| 2006 | Aaron Jacobs | Massachusetts | Nathan Mendelsohn | Massachusetts |
| 2007 | Aune Mitchell | Connecticut | Matthew Silver | Connecticut |
| 2008 | Logan Rosen | Connecticut | Matthew Silver | Connecticut |
| 2009 | Andy Hoang | North Carolina | Erik Salgado | North Carolina |
| 2010 | Evan McCarthy | New Hampshire | Bradley Robbins | New Hampshire |
| 2011 | Alex Li | Ontario | Jackson Smylie | Ontario |
| 2012 | Andy Hoang | North Carolina | Erik Salgado | North Carolina |
| 2013 | Kevin Bowerman | North Carolina | Raymond Gao | North Carolina |
| 2014 | Thomas Draper | New Jersey | Jacob Sass | Texas |
| 2015 | Noah Kalus | New York | Zach Ansell | California |
| 2016 | Jem Burch | California | Cooper Komatsu | California |
| 2017 | Zach Ansell | California | Jem Burch | California |
| 2018 | Jeffrey Pogue | Connecticut | Noah Slatkoff | Ontario |
| 2019 | Jeffrey Pogue | Connecticut | Noah Slatkoff | Ontario |
| 2022 | Walden Giezentanner | Missouri | Nathanael Campos | Connecticut |
| 2023 | Walden Giezentanner | Missouri | Nathanael Campos | Connecticut |