Nearly 350 Word Wizards to Vie for $10,000 First Prize at National SCRABBLE® Championship in Dallas August 6-10th

DALLAS, July 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- They will arrive in Dallas from 40 states and several foreign countries, carrying worn dictionaries, secret word lists and customized playing equipment.  They range from 12 to 81 years-old and know thousands of more words than the average person.  These word experts will play 31 intense matches at the 2011 National SCRABBLE® Championship (NSC), which takes place August 6-10 at the Hotel InterContinental Dallas.

Current champion Nigel Richards of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia will defend his title against multiple National and World SCRABBLE® champions as well as young School SCRABBLE® competitors, all vying for the $10,000 first prize courtesy of game manufacturer Hasbro.  "There are 200 official SCRABBLE® tournaments every year," says Chris Cree, co-president of the Dallas-based North American SCRABBLE® Players Association (NASPA), "but the National SCRABBLE® Championship is the one that everyone wants to win. "Players at the expert level memorize the Official SCRABBLE® Players Dictionary and devote hours upon hours to studying obscure words.

One of the highlights of this competition is the continued rise of young players going up against adults and many times emerging the victor. "This year we have 18 players under the age of 20 including 3 National School SCRABBLE® Champions," says John D. Williams Jr., Executive Director of the National SCRABBLE® Association, NASPA's affiliate organization, which runs the School SCRABBLE® Program (www.schoolscrabble.com).  Over a million students in over 20,000 schools have participated.

SCRABBLE® experts and enthusiasts everywhere are encouraged to follow the live online coverage at www.scrabbleplayers.org. SCRABBLE® is a trademark of Hasbro in the United States and Canada.

Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS) is a branded play company providing children and families around the world with a wide-range of immersive entertainment offerings based on the Company's world class brand portfolio.  From toys and games, to television programming, motion pictures, video games and a comprehensive licensing program, Hasbro strives to delight its customers through the strategic leveraging of well-known and beloved brands such as TRANSFORMERS, LITTLEST PET SHOP, NERF, PLAYSKOOL, MY LITTLE PONY, G.I. JOE, MAGIC: THE GATHERING and MONOPOLY.  The Hub, Hasbro's multi-platform joint venture with Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) launched on October 10, 2010. The online home of The Hub is www.hubworld.com. The Hub logo and name are trademarks of Hub Television Networks, LLC. All rights reserved.  Come see how we inspire play through our brands at http://www.hasbro.com. © 2011 Hasbro, Inc.  All Rights Reserved.

SOURCE National SCRABBLE Association