Scrabble Crown

(Buffalo, New York)

Conrad Bassett-Bouchard started his championship Scrabble game Wednesday with the word "zilch" and finished with the opposite - the $10,000 prize and the title of national Scrabble champion.

The 24-year-old player, from Portland, Oregon, beat 29-year-old Jason Li, of Montreal, in the final round of the five-day 25th National Scrabble Championships played at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center.

Bassett-Bouchard, the tournament's second seed, said he knew luck was with him when he drew a wild-card blank tile and an "s" on his first seven-tile rack. He led for most of the match, winning by a score of 477-350.

Congratulations!