Most North American players use only the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary (OSPD) as their reference. This makes it difficult for New Zealand players who are used to double dictionary using both OSPD and Chambers (also known as SOWPODS).

Internet Scrabble Club (ISC)

"The ISC is the best place on the Internet to play Scrabble in a relaxed friendly environment. You can compete at your own level in English, French, Romanian, Italian, or Dutch while meeting new people and making friends from around the world." So says the introduction to this site based in Romania. I am inclined to agree, having tried my hand at all three options presented here.

To play on ISC you download the software from the ISC site and follow the instructions on the site. Everything is pretty self-explanatory. Quite a few Kiwis play on this site and there are players from all over the world. There is a rating system. You can choose which dictionary reference and challenge rule you want to use. There are robots that can be played if you pay a small annual subscription fee. That fee also enables you to review games and find out what you missed.

I am there most nights from around 10.30pm until late. My handle is KiwiFlo, so get in touch with me if you need help on accessing the site or playing games there.

  Marldoom

I enjoy Marldoom because many of the top Scrabble players play there as well as the less proficient. There is also a ratings system so you can track your progress. You can also automatically track remaining tiles here which you can't do on Networdz. The downside is that the usual interface is difficult unless you are able to use the Java application BobGrid (see below). There are also not many players on line after 10.30pm as most of the rest of the world is asleep - but that is a problem for any on line Scrabble.

To play on Marldoom you need a telnet application or be able to use Java. Telnet is a standard part of Windows, and you can download other telnet applications that are better than telnet.  The Doom home page contains instructions for accessing Marldoom.  Once you have had an initial look and got your own password I suggest that you then use BobGrid to access Marldoom if your system supports Java. It provides a graphical interface as well as things like shuffling the tiles.

Marldoom also has a couple of robots to play against if you are unable to get a game with anyone at the time you log on. They can be fiendishly difficult to play.

Scrabulous

Scrabulous is the best website where you can play Scrabble online for free.

Besides regular Scrabble, you can also play Scrabble via email or get an adrenaline rush playing Blitz Scrabble!

At Scrabulous we have something for all Scrabble lovers. So register now! It's free, easy, and barely takes a minute.

Networdz is a shareware game for Windows. You need to download the program and a dictionary file before you can play. You can meet other players through using chat programs to access IRC channels or you can play with someone you know by emailing and arranging a time to play.

Networdz can also be used to play against the computer when not on line. It is an excellent program with a good graphical interface. Unfortunately you cannot automatically track tiles. You can set Networdz to play different levels to match your skill and it is excellent for learning new words painlessly.

Networdz can be downloaded from the following site:

http://www.scrabbleon.org/

These sites also contain instructions for setting up and playing Networdz on line.

A dictionary including all of the new words from the Collins Initiation Kit is available for download here.

More Useful Sites

• Scrabble Australia