# Anyone for a game of Mornington Crescent? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [February 1, 2011, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-for-a-game-of-mornington-crescent/569786 "2011-02-01T15:23:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Scuba\_Ben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Scuba\_Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scuba_Ben)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-for-a-game-of-mornington-crescent/569786/141 "2011-05-31T17:29:18Z")
If I understand the stirrups rule correctly in the 2011 European Summer Time expansion pack, **Waterloo** actually _prevents_ a stirrups reversal well into the early mid-game. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-for-a-game-of-mornington-crescent/569786/142 "2011-05-31T18:35:27Z")
> [@Precambrianmollusc](#): > > Well seam Tapioca started a little fire, time follow Hew, Pew, Barly McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble and Grubs classic with a preemptive dousing on > Monumnet Nitpick: The Trumpton Fire Brigade never actually puts out fires. **Wood Green** All aboard the Skylark! ---
**Author:** ![Precambrianmollusc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/precambrianmollusc/32/63_2.png) [@Precambrianmollusc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Precambrianmollusc)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-for-a-game-of-mornington-crescent/569786/143 "2011-05-31T19:39:44Z")
Niting the pick, Gorden Murray was the winner of the 1962 Chigly divisional finals, which he won using Hew, pew etc play. He subsequently named the Trumpton fire brigade after those fine players. I am in a holding pattern on the Northern so am pending a feint. ---
**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:** [June 1, 2011, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-for-a-game-of-mornington-crescent/569786/144 "2011-06-01T11:49:55Z")
Somewhere, there exists film of Gorden going crazy at the tournament organiser for spelling his name as “Gordon” on the trophy - but I don’t think it’s on YouTube as yet. Anyway, back to the game - I believe this is an opportune moment to play **Queensway** , which gives me two Royal Assents to use later in the game. ---
**Author:** ![notquitekarpov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@notquitekarpov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notquitekarpov)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-for-a-game-of-mornington-crescent/569786/145 "2011-06-01T17:35:14Z")
With Royal Asssents being called down, I think that allows me to play\*\* Charing Cross\*\*, earning me two Royal Assents too, on the basis of the derivation "Chère Reine Crox’. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-for-a-game-of-mornington-crescent/569786/146 "2011-06-01T19:51:14Z")
> [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](#): > > um… Mornington Crescent I believe. No such luck. You forgot to Mind The Gap. ETA: \*\*New Cross Gate \*\*in order to achieve full reciprocity with the scrum on the Northern Line. ---
**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:** [June 1, 2011, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-for-a-game-of-mornington-crescent/569786/147 "2011-06-01T20:29:32Z")
Yes! The Smithington gambit strikes again. **Canada Water** ---
**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:** [June 2, 2011, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-for-a-game-of-mornington-crescent/569786/148 "2011-06-02T13:56:52Z")
**Colindale**. Sweeeeet! ---
**Author:** ![Precambrianmollusc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/precambrianmollusc/32/63_2.png) [@Precambrianmollusc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Precambrianmollusc)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-for-a-game-of-mornington-crescent/569786/149 "2011-06-02T14:14:47Z")
Hmmmm, I don’t see a clear exit strategy , Tappet suggets it would be best to shop around for a Green Token at **Tottenham Court Road** ---
**Author:** ![notquitekarpov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@notquitekarpov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notquitekarpov)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-for-a-game-of-mornington-crescent/569786/150 "2011-06-02T14:28:09Z")
The problem with that is that staying on the Northern Line for two plays allows me to reverse, and as there is currently a “police incident” underway in Watford, that allows me to invoke the Emergency Services cut-off ruling (sub-section 27.6 for those that do not recall the Convention decision). Now I play \*\*Rickmansworth \*\*, all tokens have to be returned and we are no longer in stirrups. Smithington’s Gambit was invented prior to the Convention ruling for these cases, so the old man cannot be blamed for any of this. ---
**Author:** ![Scuba\_Ben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Scuba\_Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scuba_Ben)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-for-a-game-of-mornington-crescent/569786/151 "2011-06-02T16:27:39Z")
The Emergency Services ruling enables me to take the long haul to **Heathrow Terminal 5** , dropping a captured Flyer onto the fourth rank. If all goes according to plan, I should be able to promote it to Dragon in a few turns. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-for-a-game-of-mornington-crescent/569786/152 "2011-06-03T12:23:50Z")
Then I’d better switch over to **Shepard’s Bush**. Under the Voldranai Rectification of the 1864 Slough Accords, a dragon can NOT eat any tokens from the Central Line. ---
**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:** [June 3, 2011, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-for-a-game-of-mornington-crescent/569786/153 "2011-06-03T14:59:35Z")
Sorry, **Scuba\_Ben** , but between **Hypno-Toad’s** switch to Shepard’s Bush and my playing of **Euston Square** It looks like your Flyer is getting demoted to Walker status. So much for that Dragon. ---
**Author:** ![notquitekarpov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@notquitekarpov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notquitekarpov)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-for-a-game-of-mornington-crescent/569786/154 "2011-06-03T16:26:37Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > …a dragon can NOT eat any tokens from the Central Line. Whilst you are absolutely correct here, **Hypno-Toad** , remember \*\*\*all \*\*\*tokens have been returned following my reverse into Rickmansworth, so it is (currently) a moot point. In any case, it seems the dragon may be a transitory beast given the excellent co-operative negation play here and so may be doubly moot. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Precambrianmollusc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/precambrianmollusc/32/63_2.png) [@Precambrianmollusc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Precambrianmollusc)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-for-a-game-of-mornington-crescent/569786/155 "2011-06-03T22:44:21Z")
When playing North of the border a moot is an excellent play when trying to keep dragons or elephants out of a small fortress or castle defensive play, and that nicely leads us into another northern line one stop translation to Kennington ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-for-a-game-of-mornington-crescent/569786/156 "2011-06-03T22:57:26Z")
Normally, this situation would allow me to end this right now, but due to the reconsideration of the Fensterman Decision and the voiding of the Rail Strike Card, the best I can do is **Aldwych** ---
**Author:** ![Precambrianmollusc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/precambrianmollusc/32/63_2.png) [@Precambrianmollusc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Precambrianmollusc)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-for-a-game-of-mornington-crescent/569786/157 "2011-06-03T23:28:36Z")
> [@Johnny\_Q](#): > > Normally, this situation would allow me to end this right now, but due to the reconsideration of the Fensterman Decision and the voiding of the Rail Strike Card, the best I can do is **Aldwych** Ahhh the joy of MC, where victory seams so close, but is often so far away. Henceforth to **Cockfosters** [/QUOTE] ---
**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:** [June 8, 2011, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-for-a-game-of-mornington-crescent/569786/158 "2011-06-08T14:48:57Z")
This is such a tough game, I can fully understand the long pauses between moves, as each player contemplates their best strategy. It could be foolish of me to break the silence, but I believe I may have spotted an opportunity. Only time will tell whether this is a brilliancy or a blunder. Anyway: **Liverpool Street**. Just in case anyone has forgotten, main line stations are wild in this variation. ---
**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:** [June 8, 2011, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-for-a-game-of-mornington-crescent/569786/159 "2011-06-08T14:53:53Z")
I see you’ve jumped to the Metropolitan line. You realize as per the Greater MC society meet of 1987, I can start reclaiming those Violet Tokens. **Barbican** Hopefully, we can wrap this up before the thirteenth, when \*\*Bricker \*\*regains eligibly, and he wipes the floor with us. ---
**Author:** ![notquitekarpov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@notquitekarpov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notquitekarpov)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-for-a-game-of-mornington-crescent/569786/160 "2011-06-08T17:27:35Z")
**Earl’s Court** has surely got to be the right move in this position. I pick up a blue token, and drain all oyster cards with balances over £5 at the cost of declaring stirrups. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-for-a-game-of-mornington-crescent/569786.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-for-a-game-of-mornington-crescent/569786.md?page=9)