# A friendly game of Mornington Crescent **URL:** \ **Category:** Thread Games\ **Created:** [December 29, 2020, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-friendly-game-of-mornington-crescent/929179 "2020-12-29T14:45:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2021, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-friendly-game-of-mornington-crescent/929179/61 "2021-03-02T22:02:21Z")
Do you take us for some uneducated hayseeds from Derbyshire? Clapham Junction, my Aunt Fanny. You fail to account for the recent opening of the Emirates Air Line Cable Car in 2012. Recent rulings from Hoskins and James make it fair play under International Rules. **Emirates Royal Docks** and since it’s in the Special Zone, all Holiday Rules are now suspended for the remainder of play. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2021, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-friendly-game-of-mornington-crescent/929179/62 "2021-03-03T12:44:46Z")
I’m sorry gentlemen, but we have to suspend the rules momentarily because the ladies of the Geographical Circle of the Lyceum Club have reached a simultaneous point in their collective menses and need to make an emergency stop. It’s best not to discuss this any further. **Ruislip Gardens** has a suitable feminine hygiene cache. ---
**Author:** ![CardboardBoxx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardboardboxx/32/7079_2.png) [@CardboardBoxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CardboardBoxx)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2021, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-friendly-game-of-mornington-crescent/929179/63 "2021-03-03T13:01:52Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > **Ruislip Gardens** has a suitable feminine hygiene cache My what a blunder. 🥶 Mornington Crescent in 5, but I won’t bother playing. I’ll just leave it as an exercise for the reader. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2021, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-friendly-game-of-mornington-crescent/929179/64 "2021-03-03T14:27:36Z")
I see what you’re hinting at, just like Lord Issacs’ play at the 1926 Reading Invitational. **White City** ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2021, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-friendly-game-of-mornington-crescent/929179/65 "2021-03-03T14:32:43Z")
It might be possible to delay the inevitable for just a few turns **Gloucester Road** ---
**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2021, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-friendly-game-of-mornington-crescent/929179/66 "2021-03-03T15:42:52Z")
Or perhaps even derail it entirely:: **Heathrow Terminals 2&3** I realize Covid dominated the news in 2020, but did no one else watch the Dutch team fall apart during the semi-finals at the World Championship last year? ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2021, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-friendly-game-of-mornington-crescent/929179/67 "2021-03-03T16:06:32Z")
Oh yeah, and they were doing so well, too. When they played Parsley Green, you could just hear the groans from the viewers. I’ll not make that mistake. **Chiswick Park** ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2021, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-friendly-game-of-mornington-crescent/929179/68 "2021-03-03T16:23:57Z")
Point of order - since Heathrow to Chiswick crosses three zone boundaries, do we need to wait two turns before reversing direction? I’m afraid I’ve lost track of the recent quarterly platform updates from Westminster. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2021, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-friendly-game-of-mornington-crescent/929179/69 "2021-03-03T16:26:59Z")
Only one turn per the 3RD '19 update. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2021, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-friendly-game-of-mornington-crescent/929179/70 "2021-03-03T17:08:04Z")
Oh good - in that case I will essay a taradiddle with **East Finchley**. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2021, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-friendly-game-of-mornington-crescent/929179/71 "2021-03-03T17:17:47Z")
> [@Dead\_Cat](#): > > Oh good - in that case I will essay a taradiddle with **East Finchley**. Look, technically you can do that, but it’s not really in the spirit of the rules. I would point out that during the 1987 Asian Championship Final, Oh Byung-hun played East Finchley and it resulted in a a controversy that caused a brawl that put a dozen people in the hospital and made several grandmasters quit the game for life, and really wasn’t entirely solved until the Buenos Aires Summit of 1991, at which point they instituted Rule 924(b)(iii)(c) which says you can play East Finchley after Chiswick Park but your mother will be disappointed in you. I’ll use my Travelcard Jump here and send the play to **Burnt Oak** in the hopes we can make this a little more civilized. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2021, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-friendly-game-of-mornington-crescent/929179/72 "2021-03-03T17:36:21Z")
Thank you for the Jump. It has turned the heat down a bit. Speaking of the Summit, precedent allows me to call: **Dollis Hill** ---
**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2021, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-friendly-game-of-mornington-crescent/929179/73 "2021-03-03T18:13:02Z")
Dollis Hill? I’m assuming you’re sacrificing the additional points you could earn by declaring Rounders now in exchange for the positional advantage. There’s something to be said for having all your options available to play at any time. I would do the same myself if the opportunity presented. Almost half of Suarez’s “The Thinking Player’s Guide to Mornington Crescent” is devoted to positional play where he advocates passing on Rounders for this very reason. Unfortunately, the other half of the guide seems to be personal anecdotes about how he defeated various world champions and the poor sportsmanship they exhibited following. I know play is to me now, but I’ll take a Pass option. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2021, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-friendly-game-of-mornington-crescent/929179/74 "2021-03-03T21:11:12Z")
So we’re at _Dollis Hill_, and the on deck player has passed. It reminds me of one of the Cold War exchanges in Helsinki. 71? 73? It must have been an odd year since the home side was in yellow. I believe Chernikov played _Elstree & Borehamwood_ to great consternation by all concerned. It lead to an international incident about the use of punctuation in the second Over. I think the consensus was to declare Thameslink to be forbidden during all normal play, with the obvious exception on the Queen’s birthday and in leap years. Let’s not go down that path. **Barking** ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2021, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-friendly-game-of-mornington-crescent/929179/75 "2021-03-03T21:24:14Z")
It was '73. I had to write a paper on the Helsinki matches. You recall correctly, Thameslink was indeed forbidden in match play. What you did not recall was that the National Rail Exception will allow me to skip to: **Marleybone** ---
**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2021, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-friendly-game-of-mornington-crescent/929179/76 "2021-03-04T13:40:25Z")
Barking → Marleybone. I think that’s the first time in the 21st century I’ve seen anyone attempt the Canis Major gambit. You lot are certainly keeping everyone on the defensive. Let’s go somewhere nice and safe… **Arsenal** ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2021, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-friendly-game-of-mornington-crescent/929179/77 "2021-03-04T16:56:17Z")
It might be pronounced Marleybone, but we spell it Marylebone. No matter - we already agreed to forgive typos, so no penalty incurred. This time. Seems to me I can slip in a cheeky **Bayswater** , which could be a useful inpost later on. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2021, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-friendly-game-of-mornington-crescent/929179/78 "2021-03-04T19:15:15Z")
Can I call dyslexia on the Marylebone faux pas? Fortunately, your move opened up the Circle Line, which will allow me to play: **South Kensington** ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2021, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-friendly-game-of-mornington-crescent/929179/79 "2021-03-04T21:21:56Z")
Good on you for leading us to the Circle Line. It really is undervalued in mid-game positional play. If anyone is interested in studying some really clever positional play they should study some of O’Conner’s games in the late 80’s with the Scottish Boys. He spent years developing Circle Line play with two and three station shunts until Miller showed how to defeat it by transfer to Holborn or Russell Square. Anyways, back to the game. I believe **Tower Hill** is open. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2021, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-friendly-game-of-mornington-crescent/929179/80 "2021-03-04T21:57:34Z")
It is raining and not the strawberry season, so as this is still despite all side remarks and appearances to the contrary a friendly game as per the OP, it seems the right time to move to **Wimbledon** , opening the interchange between the London Underground and Tramlink. I think I know where this is leading to (he mumbled gleefully). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-friendly-game-of-mornington-crescent/929179.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-friendly-game-of-mornington-crescent/929179.md?page=5)