Yeshan Jayasuriya  (18), a student at S. Thomas’ College and an avid and competitive scrabble player who jointly holds the Guinness World Record for the highest scrabble score achieved in 24 hours by two players. Yeshan and Lakshan Wanniarachchi attempted and achieved this feat back on the 10th and 11th Day of November in 2012. Playing 224 games, they set the world record during their 184th game in which they scored a combined tally of 196,525.

How long have you been playing Scrabble and what made you pursue it further as a competitive player?

I started playing scrabble 9 years ago when a teacher in school asked me to play in the U10 scrabble tournament in school. I hadn’t heard of the game then but one of my mother’s uncles, Mr. Shirley De Silva played competitive scrabble and I started playing against him. He was one of the best players in Sri Lanka and I could never beat him at the time, so I just continued trying to improve simply to be able to beat him.

How did the whole breaking the world record idea come up? Did you know Lakshan before?

I’ve known Lakshan since I was about 13, or even before that. We heard that a couple of Australians had set this record and we just thought that we’d give it a shot. Initially we didn’t think that we would be able to break it, but after the first practice session it seemed like we stood more than a fair chance of breaking the record.

Do you recall any exciting moments from your record-breaking game?

Definitely the most exciting moment was when we broke the record. The end was also quite exciting because there were so many people gathered at Bayleaf Restaurant and Lakshan and I will always be grateful to all those who turned up as well as those who helped us out without who we wouldn’t have been able to break the record.

Do you prepare in prior to a scrabble game/tournament? How?

There is no preparation I do immediately prior to the tournament. They are normally held on Sundays and I just watch football matches the previous night. It is quite relaxing and helps me keep calm, which is vital for performance.

What future plans do you have? Any national/international tournaments lined up?

Sri Lanka will be hosting the Colombo Scrabble Festival this year of which the Sri Lanka open international is a part. This is most likely to be the next international tournament that I will be playing in.

Finally, to be a great scrabble player, what are some attributes which a person should possess?

Firstly, a sound knowledge of English would be a significant asset, as would the ability to concentrate and perform well under pressure, because most games come down to key decisions made in tense situations. But, ultimately it is perseverance and a continued interest in the game that is key, especially in long-term success.

By Migara Wijesinghe