Previewing Word Cup 2026
The field is set for Word Cup 2026. All the dust has settled. The tentatives are no longer tentative; they've all hopped off the fence in one direction or the other. The entrants list is official, and it features 44 players in total - 28 in Division 1 and 16 in Division 2.
The stage is set, too. Williamsburg, VA is poised to play host to our big summer championship. Our venue, the 4-star Williamsburg Lodge, will be rolling out the red carpet for us. Everything is in place; everything is lined up and ready to go. All that's left now is to get down to it and play this thing.
In the coming days, we'll all be making the trek to Williamsburg, cobbling together some combination of planes, trains, and automobiles and finding our way to coastal Virginia. Friday is registration day, when we'll look forward to seeing all of your smiling faces for the first time (as well as Early Bird day, for those sickos among you for whom 31 games isn't enough Scrabble). Then, on Saturday morning, the main event gets underway.
The format is simple and elegant, as always - everyone plays 31 rounds, and whoever wins the most games wins. We'll crown our champions midday next Wednesday. We've got two deep divisions of CSW players, a capable Word Cup directing team running the show, and me in the CSW director's chair, fully prepared to field all your questions about repeats and firsts and table assignments and all that good stuff. We've also got a great staff at the Williamsburg Lodge ready to meet our every need.
We'll do our best to provide live coverage so that all of y'all out there throughout the Scrabble world can follow along. For starters, we've got the inimitable Christian and Andrew Kay on staff, producing a world-class stream so that viewers can tune in and watch all 31 rounds. On top of that, we'll have our live coverage page up and running all week long, providing all the stats and standings you could ever ask for. Plus, I'll be posting various social media and blog updates throughout the event, just to give you all a little extra color.
Without further ado: Let's do this! To everyone playing this upcoming week in Williamsburg, I wish you good luck. To all others, following from afar, I hope you enjoy the show.
Next stop, Word Cup.