Much has been written and said of the apparently unorthodox game play of Arthur Chu, the defending champion of the long-running quiz show “Jeopardy!”
It’s been the talk of talk radio, social media and the round-the-clock news networks. As CNN reported, “Breaking from the typical game-playing strategy of going through one category from top to bottom, Chu jumps all over the board – throwing his opponents off with his unpredictability – and upping his chances of finding the prized daily doubles early on.”
Some have been critical of Chu’s strategy – going so far as to call him a mad genius and a villainous, perhaps greedy, champion.
My question is this: Where were you people during Chuck Forrest’s reign of terror? A look at his games and you’ll see this is really nothing new.
Back when you had to relinquish your championship crown after five straight wins, Forrest won more than $70,000. He later won the 1986 tournament of champions and racked up an extra $100,000 for his efforts.
Forrest has since played in reunion-style invitational tournaments. He was seen just a few weeks ago in the Battle of the Decades – and – spoiler alert — his bounce-around strategy helped him advance in said tournament.
In page 130 of “The Jeopardy! Book”, published a few years after Forrest won more than $170,000, Forrest said, “I bounced around the board. That throws people off because you know where you’re going, where to look on the board, and the other players can’t move their heads to keep up with you.”
Does this sound familiar when you speak of Chu’s current winning streak? At the end of the day, I would not be surprised if Chu picked up a copy of “The Jeopardy! Book” at his nearest library, read the first-person account of Forrest, put that strategy to work and end up making a fortune.