The inaugural Manx Scrabble Championship is set to take place next month and it comes with its own fair share of controversy.

The international tournament will be the first rated Scrabble tournament in Britain to use CSW-21, the new ‘expurgated dictionary’.

There was heated debate around the world when the owners of the rights to the game-name ‘Scrabble’ - Hasbro (North America) and Mattel (everywhere else) - announced the removal of 419 three to eight-letter ‘slur’ words from the official dictionary.

These include derogatory words which range from the offensive, to the racist and homophobic.

Opponents of the ban have questioned the decision and claimed that people who were assumed to be insulted were not consulted.

They argued that words on a Scrabble board are not played with any context so should not be considered harmful, and that many words still allowed are not exactly ‘family-friendly’.

In January 2022, the Association of British Scrabble Players (ABSP) announced they would maintain good relations with the World English-speaking Scrabble Players Association (WESPA) by removing the chosen words from the list of allowable Scrabble words.

The change took place on Tuesday.

The first official event using the cut dictionary will be the Inaugural Manx Scrabble Championship at the Sefton Hotel on May 7 and 8.

Whether they agree with the decision or not, players ranging from beginners to experts will play 15 games in three divisions.

The event is both WESPA and ABSP rated.

Local players, including novices, are welcome to sign up.

Entry details are available at https://manxscrabble.wordpress.com

You must register by next Thursday, April 28.

The tournament is supported by Visit Isle of Man and the Steam Packet Company.

The fee for non-ABSP members has been reduced from £97 to £77 and includes beverages, finger lunches, a simple buffet dinner, and wonderful cash and non-cash prizes.

Grand Master Wayne Kelly will run a free workshop on Friday, May 6 at 7pm for anyone interested in learning tactics for winning at Scrabble, as ‘there is more to it than words and spelling’.

Places are limited and bookings are essential by emailing [email protected]

Children must be accompanied by a parent or carer.

You can also watch experienced Scrabble players practising nearby.

Details about local Scrabble clubs, supported by Manx Lottery Trust, the Prospect Hotel and Southern Befrienders, can be found on the website.

You can also join the ABSP and find out what the ‘expurgated words’ are.