                                1DIF: The Game


1DIF (pronounced one-diff)  is a variation on the widely-played Scrabble (tm) 
board game.   All the normal Scrabble (tm) rules apply with the following two
exceptions.

A player  is  permitted   to pick up  one or more  tiles  from the board  and 
exchange them for the same number of tiles in his/her rack.  If only one tile 
is exchanged in this way, called a 1DIF ("one-difference"),  then that player 
is allowed to continue his/her turn in the normal Scrabble (tm) manner.    If 
more than one tile is exchanged (DIFFED), then the turn ends.  Diffing a tile 
or tiles *must* create a valid word, even if the player's turn is to continue 
(after a 1DIF).

Of course, if all seven tiles in a player's rack are diffed,  this does *not* 
constitute a bingo (only emptying the rack does, as normal).      The premium 
letter and word squares may *not* be reused under diffed tiles. Diffing blank 
tiles is permitted, and this is a good way to acquire and recycle them.

Diffing two tiles is,  naturally,  called a 2DIF,  three tiles a 3DIF, and so 
on. Just a little nomenclature to round things out.



Example 1:
                        (before turn)

The board:              MAIMING          Player's rack: BRECBOL
                              R
                              A
                              I
                              N

    -------------------------------------------------------------
                        (after turn, before draw)

                           C
The board:              MAILING          Player's rack: M
                           O  R
                           B  A
                           B  I
                           E  N
                           R

Player has picked up second M in MAIMING, substitued L from rack, placed M in 
rack. This is a 1DIF, so player continues turn. (Note that the "intermediate"
play, MAILING, is, and *must* be a valid word.)     Player then places COBBER 
from rack vertically through the L just diffed to form CLOBBER.  Player has M 
left in rack. Player draws six more tiles to end turn. 




Example 2:
                        (before turn)
                          S
The board:              A COOT           Player's rack: UISARAG
                        GRAND
                        A R
                        I F
                        N

    -------------------------------------------------------------
                        (after turn, before draw)

                          S GIAOURS
The board:              A COAT           Player's rack: (empty)
                        GRAND
                        A R 
                        I F 
                        N   
                            
Player has exchanged (1diffed) an A in his rack for the O on the board above 
the D in GRAND. This allows player to now form the bingo GIAOURS. Player now 
draws seven to end turn with big score.



Example 3:
                        (before turn)

The board:              MASKING          Player's rack: AAEEIMR
                           I  
                           N  
                           E  
                              

    -------------------------------------------------------------
             (after turn, no draw because 7 letters in rack)

                           
The board:              MAILING          Player's rack: REMAKES
                           I  
                           N  
                           E  
                           
Player has diffed SK from board for IL from rack,      leaving him/her with a 
probable bingo on next turn. This turn ends since 2 letters have been diffed.                           



1DIF changes the feel of Scrabble (tm) in at least two ways. It opens up the 
board greatly and makes for higher scoring games. It also introduces new 
vistas of strategy. Scrabble (tm) as traditionally played is about 2/3 word 
construction skill and 1/3 strategy. 1DIF redresses the balance; it is about 
even in these two elements. 

Try it and see! Please report your observations and comments to me. Thank 
you.

Both the concept and the name  1DIF  are (pd)-marked, that is,  placed in the
Public Domain for unrestricted use by any and everyone. Please give me credit 
as the author, though.

Note: the WORDY package by the same author now (ver. 3.70 and above) contains 
a 1DIF utility to generate 1DIF word lists from an OSPD2-compatible list.



M\Cooper
3425 Chestnut Ridge Rd.
Grantsville, MD 21536-9801
--------------------------
E-mail: thegrendel@aol.com


Scrabble (tm) and OSPD (tm) are trademarks of the Milton Bradley Co., Inc., a
subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc.

WORDY (pd) and 1DIF (pd), both the words and the concepts,   have been placed 
in the Public Domain by the author and are unrestricted.
