Komol Panyasophonlert, 31, does
not speak a single word of English
But he reads the dictionary for six hours a day to remember words
He is ranked third in the world at scrabble and has banked £30,000
He learned how to play from a tatty handbook he found at his
home
He is one of the world's best scrabble players but this brainbox
cannot speak a word of English.
Thai wordsmith Komol Panyasophonlert, 31, is ranked third in the
world after memorising 90% of the entire language.
He learned how to play from a tatty handbook he found lying around
at home when he was 14 and trains by reading the dictionary for six hours a
day.
Lost for words: Thai wordsmith Komol Panyasophonlert, 31, is
ranked third in the world at scrabble despite not speaking a word of English
Genius: He has memorised 90% of the entire English language by
reading the dictionary for six hours a day
But remarkably, Komol can only utter a handful of words in broken
English, can't string a sentence together and relies on Google Translate for
written communication.
He said: 'Scrabble isn't really
about speaking fluently and knowing grammar. It's more about logic, memory,
maths and being able to outsmart your opponent.
'People are surprised that I
can't speak English but being able to remember words is the most important
thing.
'I've also learned the techniques
of the game along the way. So now i know enough to play it very well.
'Plus, I train hard. Before
competitions I spend all my free time reading the dictionary. In bed, in the
bathroom, on the train - nearly every waking moment.'
Komol, who lives at home with his
parents, has banked more than £30,000 in prize money in competitions around the
world since he started playing.
The computer programmer
(pictured, left, in competition) earned how to play from a tatty handbook he
found lying around at home when he was 14
Komol can only utter a handful of
words in broken English, can't string a sentence together and relies on Google
Translate for written communication
The computer programmer, from
Bangkok, Thailand, has flown to South Africa, the U.S., the Czech Republic,
Poland, Nigeria, India and Malaysia in his scrabble career.
Many opponents are older than
Komol, and he believes that he still hasn't reached his peak, which will give
him a even bigger advantage as he continues to improve.
He added: 'If it's near to a
major competition like World Scrabble Championship, I will spend a lot of my
free time reading the dictionary.
Yes including reading the
dictionary in bed, too.
'I love travelling to the
international tournaments. And it's great having a hobby that I can have fun
with and make money from.
One of the Scrabble awards won by Komol Panyasophonlert
Many opponents are older than Komol, and he believes that he still
hasn't reached his peak, which will give him a even bigger advantage as he
continues to improve.
One of his awards and a file
photo of scrabble
'Furthermore, this game
challenges me in many kinds of ways. Like how many words I know in the
dictionary, how well you can manage to play your tiles to get you the most
advantage in each turn.
'Plus, there's the challenge of outscoring the opponent. It all
requires a lots of skill like thinking, calculating, memorizing and
concentration. That's why it's so challenging and why so many people like to
play.
'I will keep going until I reach
my dream of being the world number one.'
Komol is ranked third in the world by WESPA, the World
English-Language Scrabble Players Association, behind an Australian and a New
Zealander.
The world's best Scrabble players
remember more than 100,000 words - double the average person's
vocabulary.
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