No Mornington Crescent yet?

[Giles]

Wahat? A new game forum and no thread with Mornington Crescent in it? So let's start one.

I'll make it easy for the newbies (who include myself) with a very orthodox opening gambit:

Bank

[GorillaMan]

Are diagonals in play? Being a leap year, this becomes significant, thanks to Thwaite's Paradox. Either way, I'll opt for safety with Leytonstone.

[silenus]

Have we decided to keep it at the Novice level for a bit? Just to hook the punters? Works for me.

I'll keep it linear with a simple counter-clockwise masse and play


King's Cross

[Revenant Threshold]

You haven't mentioned a rules system, so I assume you're using Wellesby's Standard Forced.

I'm all for newbies keeping up, but we don't want them just to learn the safer moves.

Finsbury Park

[GorillaMan]

OK, we'll keep this reasonably simple: I'm sure the novices can see the logic behind a transitional interchange via Hatton Cross.

[Giles]

GorillaMan's move is at a level of subtlety a bit out of my range, while silenus's is perhaps too obvious. Yes we're using Wellesby's Standard Forced, but with the 1967 addendum to deal with the World Cup fiasco of that year.

I'll aim to a middle ground in difficulty:

Shepherd's Bush

(and to clarify, I mean the station on the Hammersmith and City line).

[silenus]

Not having my copy of the rule book here at school, I'm having to operate from memory. But IIRC, since I am a Colonial, that gives me an early opening to play Kilburn. Or was that disallowed in international play after the Australian Open of '94?

[ArizonaTeach]

Originally Posted by Giles

Shepherd's Bush

(and to clarify, I mean the station on the Hammersmith and City line).

Well, of course you did. We're not all amateurs here.

Interesting move, silenus, but this basic play is bringing me down some.

Let's separate the wheat from the chaff here. Wimbeldon Park beyond Chalk Farm.

And yes, I know what you're thinking, and no, I don't acknowledge the Bavarian Addendum.

[GorillaMan]

Originally Posted by Giles

I'll aim to a middle ground in difficulty:

Shepherd's Bush

(and to clarify, I mean the station on the Hammersmith and City line).

Careful doing that, there's a danger of a Dollis Hill loop coming out of this situation. But if we're acception Kilburn(?!), then I'm pulling us around to Temple.

[tanstaafl]

Are the standard trans-Atlantic variants allowed? If so I'll live dangerously and go with Aldwych.

[Giles]

Originally Posted by tanstaafl

Are the standard trans-Atlantic variants allowed? If so I'll live dangerously and go with Aldwych.

Very dangerously: I'm not sure that former stations are allowed in the rules. But I've actually caught trains to Aldwych in the distant past, so I think I might concede the point.

An appropriate response might be:
Canada Water

[hybrid_dogfish]

Well, taking into account last night's lunar eclipse:

Dollis Hill

(I assume it unneccesary to mention the effect this will have on those thinking about using the Cockfosters Inversion (Snitterington et. al. 1946), even at this beginners level of play.)

[E-Sabbath]

Canada Water?

I've got to wonder about that. Was it finished? I picked up the rules in '90, and it was only a proposed stop, then.

Well, clearly, the logical answer is Thamesmead. That should stop any fancy transfers at all.

[Szlater]

Are we allowing horizontal decamping?

If so, Alperton.

[Scuba_Ben]

If we're using the 2007 ruleset, without horizontal decamping, I think I can move from Thamesmead to Terminal 4... causing the previous player to miss a turn in transit.

[Giles]

Originally Posted by Scuba_Ben

If we're using the 2007 ruleset, without horizontal decamping, I think I can move from Thamesmead to Terminal 4... causing the previous player to miss a turn in transit.

Or spend forever in passport control and customs -- so:

Custom House

[silenus]

Then I will offer the Rutherford Gambit, Revised, and play Marble Arch.

BTW, I've always felt that Horizontal Decamping was a bit of a cheat. Flashy, but lacking in substance.

[pulykamell]

Hmm...Let's see, Wellesby's Standard Forced, no horizontal decamping, and Rutherford Gambit from Custom House to Marble Arch. That sounds really familiar--isn't that the same play Deep Tube played against William Wigglesworth in the 2004 Man v. Machine Mornington Crescent exhibition? IIRC, and it's been awhile since I've read the annotations and analysis, Custom House to Marble Arch opens up the White City - Appleton - Harrow-on-the-Hill line of play, with a serious positional advantage to Deep Tube. I'm not going to tread new ground here and try to outplay a grandmaster, so I'll just play Wigglesworth's tested response: Marylebone.

[Liberal]

Someone played a Holshauser and no one called Remmy. Therefore, I'm entitled to a Fair Pitch in Round Style which I will eschew in favor of a Woolsey-Brighton, as is my right. There can be no further progress without a proper Bleamsteshyre from the third player in sesqueue.

[silenus]

Originally Posted by Liberal

Someone played a Holshauser and no one called Remmy. Therefore, I'm entitled to a Fair Pitch in Round Style which I will eschew in favor of a Woolsey-Brighton, as is my right. There can be no further progress without a proper Bleamsteshyre from the third player in sesqueue.

Since when? My recollection is that it's the 4th player, not the 3rd. Has there been a new Addendum published that I missed?

[Scuba_Ben]

Originally Posted by silenus

Since when? My recollection is that it's the 4th player, not the 3rd. Has there been a new Addendum published that I missed?

I think the addendum is under review for the 2008 Summer rulebook (Welsh-language edition). Perhaps you heard of that change while following the responsa for that edition?

I was going to play Baker Street, but I believe I'm stuck on an empty Oyster card.

[Giles]

Originally Posted by Scuba_Ben

I was going to play Baker Street, but I believe I'm stuck on an empty Oyster card.

I think we're playing pre-Oyster-card rules, so I'll take your Baker Street, jump over the turnstiles, and run down to

Great Portland Street

[Wargamer]

Well, since this is my first stab at an International Game, this former colonial will essay

Stamford Brook.

I will admit, however, that my unlearned play does contradict Lothian's Paradox. However, I think I can wiggle out of any trouble with a cross-river transition.

[Freudian Slit]

Originally Posted by Wargamer

Well, since this is my first stab at an International Game, this former colonial will essay

Stamford Brook.

I will admit, however, that my unlearned play does contradict Lothian's Paradox. However, I think I can wiggle out of any trouble with a cross-river transition.

I saw what you did there!

Don't think you're making it any easier on the rest of us.

Forsythe's Lodge

[Wargamer]

Oh dear, I now realize where I might have gone wrong! I forgot the '55 Trans-Canada Championship Coup.

Hmmmmm.

Perhaps I can rescue the situation with a quick

South Acton?

[Giles]

Originally Posted by Freudian Slit

I saw what you did there!

Don't think you're making it any easier on the rest of us.

Forsythe's Lodge

I don't there's ever been a Tube station of that name, so I think we just have to reverse the previous three moves, go up one escalator, and down one lift. I think that takes us to

Russell Square

[hybrid_dogfish]

Originally Posted by Giles

I don't there's ever been a Tube station of that name, so I think we just have to reverse the previous three moves, go up one escalator, and down one lift. I think that takes us to

Russell Square

Which makes it a simple hop to Gunnersby

[silenus]

Which makes Surrey Quays a prudent move, if only to avoid an unduly messy mid-game. We wouldn't want a repeat of Mumbai now, would we?

[hybrid_dogfish]

Originally Posted by silenus

Which makes Surrey Quays a prudent move, if only to avoid an unduly messy mid-game. We wouldn't want a repeat of Mumbai now, would we?

Indeed not, and with that in mind i think Swiss Cottage will neatly avoid the whole mess that is Chisingwold's Gambit.

(Incidentally, did anyone happen to catch the end of the Semi-Regional Bi-Annuals from Penistone this year, I hear that Swarthithoff's unorthodox play of the DLR was a joy to watch, unfortunately I missed it due to some geese.)

[GorillaMan]

That's not cricket! You've pushed me into a rather unpleasant Perivale twist.

[Wargamer]

As even an unlettered lout like me knows Arsenal is the remedy for the Perivale Twist.

[GorillaMan]

Arsenal only postpones the inevitable collision, as you will see later. But meantime I'll go for broke with Harlesden.

[Wargamer]

Yes, it may postpone the inevitable, but it also allows a Waterloo variant to shift the tide, as Dollopsby demonstrated in the '04 Commonwealth Invitational.

Unless of course, anti-clockwise is not in effect.

[GorillaMan]

South of the river? That unlocks diagonals, doesn't it? Woo hoo!!!! I'll pick up pace now, with Morden!!!

[silenus]

Anti-clockwise has been in effect since the third move, I believe. Which means I can extend and play Kew Gardens, as per Grogham et al in the '57 Regionals in Sydney.

[Liberal]

Well then, since Sydney rules apply — which ought to have been invoked before Dollis Hill — I am going to spend my Domesday. I shall place half of it in Durham and half of it in either Middlesex or Cumberland. Guess wrongly at your peril.

[Wargamer]

I'll throw caution to the winds and say South Wimbeldon.

[silenus]

Which would lead one to naturally play Shepherd's Bush, but that option was played long ago. Defaulting to Riscanton's Option, I'll play Barking.

[Giles]

That brings in play the Roding Valley set of gambits -- I'll go for

Barkingside

(Or is that too obvious?)

[Antinor01]

I'm not sure I'm allowed to do this (I only have an old copy of the rules) but I'm going to go with Holland Park

I'm basing that choice on the decision during the 1948 regionals, where it was declared a legal move.

[GorillaMan]

Yup, still legal. It was threatened during the Helsinki Conference last year, but they kept it in because of the need for removing anticompetitive habits in the central Asian leagues.

Moorgate.

[MovieMogul]

Originally Posted by GorillaMan

Yup, still legal. It was threatened during the Helsinki Conference last year, but they kept it in because of the need for removing anticompetitive habits in the central Asian leagues.

I believe it was Shelley (or was it Keats?) who said, "Finns again? Begins again!"

Bank

[The Stafford Cripps]

A collective sigh of relief that North Weald is no longer available in this situtation. The alternative is a far more palatable Archway (Fotheringham B's sententiousness notwithstanding).

[Antinor01]

Originally Posted by G. Odoreida

A collective sigh of relief that North Weald is no longer available in this situtation. The alternative is a far more palatable Archway (Fotheringham B's sententiousness notwithstanding).

In your excitement at avoiding North Weald, you completely overlooked the fact that I can now select Earl's Court for a double score.

[Liberal]

Invocation of Bank without a Yatchet two turns before a double score allows me to play a rare Welsh Mynyddoedd, for which I choose Carnedd Llewelyn. Since the Prince is not in residence, I'm pulling out my Ty Coch. If you hear bagpipes, you have gone beyond Betws Garmon and will suffer the vision of a naked Duchess of Cornwall. Be forewarned.

[GorillaMan]

We're not fooled, Liberal, although I applaud the attempt to bluff a Trojan Inkman call. Upton Park.

[silenus]

The old Carnedd Ploy, eh? You must think you are Cunning McCunningsford from Cunningshire. But Sydney Rules apply, as you yourself have admitted, and since it's tomorrow there, that means Goodge Street becomes playable as an Encumbrance, and your postion becomes rather untenable.

[Hostile Dialect]

I'm going to invoke the Pythagorean Exemption from the 1988 Manchester Conference and jump to Warren Street, bringing us to an exciting endgame.

[GorillaMan]

Not so fast!!! Didn't Pranton's Gambit demonstrate that I can release Gunnersbury?

[silenus]

Pranton, Pranton.......ah, there it is. A quick scan of the precis seems to indicate that GorillaMan is indeed correct. That kicks us out of regular play and into Open Tournament Rules, doesn't it? In which case, according to the manual, the next play is a mandatory Cockfosters, with Descending Tram Exchange enabled and all Britrail transfers wild.

Oh, boy!