# Has it been that long since our last Mornington Crescent? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [December 9, 2009, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-it-been-that-long-since-our-last-mornington-crescent/520615 "2009-12-09T19:15:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**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:** [December 15, 2009, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-it-been-that-long-since-our-last-mornington-crescent/520615/121 "2009-12-15T14:36:30Z")
Haha! **Putney Bridge**! ---
**Author:** ![Wargamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/df705f/32.png) [@Wargamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wargamer)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-it-been-that-long-since-our-last-mornington-crescent/520615/122 "2009-12-15T14:44:05Z")
[miserable] **South Acton** , and my humiliation is almost complete. [/miserable] ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Skeezix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aca169/32.png) [@Red\_Skeezix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Skeezix)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-it-been-that-long-since-our-last-mornington-crescent/520615/123 "2009-12-15T16:41:27Z")
Dead Cat seems to think that they are onto something, so I’m going lend a helping play to Wargamer, to get them out of that quagmire. From the 1909 Jerusalem, Mornington On The Mount Open Secular Tourney, **Greenwich**. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-it-been-that-long-since-our-last-mornington-crescent/520615/124 "2009-12-15T17:20:37Z")
> [@Red\_Skeezix](#): > > From the 1909 Jerusalem, Mornington On The Mount Open Secular Tourney, **Greenwich**. I know I should wait until the 8th day of Hanukkah for this play, but I’ll jump the gun a little: **Golders Green** ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-it-been-that-long-since-our-last-mornington-crescent/520615/125 "2009-12-15T17:55:13Z")
> [@Dead\_Cat](#): > > Haha! **Putney Bridge**! Smokin’ hot. Nice play. . ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-it-been-that-long-since-our-last-mornington-crescent/520615/126 "2009-12-15T18:28:22Z")
I must say, if I were in this game I’d be very wary of Wargamer right now, despite his moaning. He looks to be maneuvering himself into Variswama’s position from the '49 All-Worlds. ---
**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:** [December 15, 2009, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-it-been-that-long-since-our-last-mornington-crescent/520615/127 "2009-12-15T18:37:13Z")
Wasn’t the '49 Worlds the one where snuggling was permitted though, because reigning champion Buster Brindley refused to play otherwise? AFAIK, it has not been permitted in any recognised Escalator-Class event since, and is therefore of questionable use as a precedent with respect to the modern game. That notwithstanding, I think I can circumvent any difficulties with a timely **Victoria**. This puts everyone except **Wargamer** in knip, and thus (following Porringer’s Convention) I get another turn. Hence, **Upton Park**. ---
**Author:** ![Normal\_Phase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Normal\_Phase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Normal_Phase)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-it-been-that-long-since-our-last-mornington-crescent/520615/128 "2009-12-15T18:58:29Z")
I’ve been waiting days for this opportunity, and **Dead Cat** just played right into my hand. Knip, my left butt cheek. I claim Woman’s Prerogative as first female in the thread and move **Bayswater** for five green tokens and exclusive rights to the District Line for two turns or three days, whichever is shorter (Kingsley, 2005). And before the rest of you start nattering at me that Woman’s Prerogative has been obsolete since 1992, please keep in mind that I am also American, and hence impervious to ironic jokes, class-based insults, and most importantly, the Gouge-Rivers rules, Northern variant. Oh, and the rest of you are out of knip, too. Check your Highsmith. ---
**Author:** ![Wargamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/df705f/32.png) [@Wargamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wargamer)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-it-been-that-long-since-our-last-mornington-crescent/520615/129 "2009-12-15T19:21:16Z")
With a helping hand from **Red Skeezix** , I’ll complete the Acton cycle with **East Acton**. This completes the Acton Cycle, as has probably been appearent to everyone for the last 50 moves or so. I will drop my last two gold tokens to throw us firmly into the Early Late Game. MC in 31. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Skeezix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aca169/32.png) [@Red\_Skeezix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Skeezix)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-it-been-that-long-since-our-last-mornington-crescent/520615/130 "2009-12-15T19:33:48Z")
> [@Normal\_Phase](#): > > I’ve been waiting days for this opportunity, and **Dead Cat** just played right into my hand. Knip, my left butt cheek. I claim Woman’s Prerogative as first female in the thread and move > > **Bayswater** > > for five green tokens and exclusive rights to the District Line for two turns or three days, whichever is shorter (Kingsley, 2005). And before the rest of you start nattering at me that Woman’s Prerogative has been obsolete since 1992, please keep in mind that I am also American, and hence impervious to ironic jokes, class-based insults, and most importantly, the Gouge-Rivers rules, Northern variant. > > Oh, and the rest of you are out of knip, too. Check your Highsmith. No surprises from a known colonial usurper such as yourself! Quoting Kingsley at us now, eh? I always suspected that Kingsley was an Anti-Elitist Codswallater. Well, since we are playing the pre 2006 variant, I will invoke the _Droit de seigneur_ , and revoke your right to district exclusivity. First nights and all? ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Skeezix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aca169/32.png) [@Red\_Skeezix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Skeezix)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-it-been-that-long-since-our-last-mornington-crescent/520615/131 "2009-12-15T19:39:22Z")
Also, a wise swami once foretold that a return to **Bayswater** was always an appropriate play. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-it-been-that-long-since-our-last-mornington-crescent/520615/132 "2009-12-15T20:02:02Z")
I’m no sure if we’re at \*\*East Acton \*\*now, or if the protest by Red Skeezix puts us back to **Victoria**. Either way, I’ll say two things: 1. This just goes to show you the frigging mess Kingsley made of exclusivity, which was introduced in the post-war period for the purpose of speeding up gameplay. Prior to the introduction of exclusivity rules, players in bad position could force near-endless shunting from line to line in an effort to stall. The nadir of that era was of course the 1948 Olympic team trials, when Argentina and the Soviet Union played for nearly eighteen days without getting any closer than Piccadilly Circus, as the Soviets used seven hundred and eighty-six shunts, more than half in and out of Victoria, to effectively stop play until the Argentines finally walked out in protest, were disqualified, and were banned from Olympic play until Mexico City in 1968. Now, however, the rule’s being turned on its head. Kingsley’s variant completely misses the point and allows a player in third position or later to invoke exclusivity to BLOCK progress in the game; we’ve seen it at the last two European finals. God alone knows what they were thinking, but I know it’s going to come up in the 2011 committees and hopefully they’ll change it. 1. I was a fool to think Icould hit MC in 7 when I did. The quality of play here is too high. I could whine about collusion but, ah, that’s part of the game. Since I don’t know where we are exactly I’m trying to figure out a move legal from either position. Let me see… Holy crap, I can play **Marble Arch**. Now things are looking sweet. Out of tokens, though. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-it-been-that-long-since-our-last-mornington-crescent/520615/133 "2009-12-15T22:28:20Z")
Ah. “There was all summer in a stroke by Woolley,” 'twas said, and that move was redolent of the great man at his best. However, I do believe that leaves me in equipoise, which means a little touch of **Liverpool Street** is in order. Some call it playing to the gallery, but I think of it as post-modern, myself. There’s an interesting sui-mate possibility, but that’s of interest only to problemists, not for practical play. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Wargamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/df705f/32.png) [@Wargamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wargamer)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-it-been-that-long-since-our-last-mornington-crescent/520615/134 "2009-12-16T01:47:27Z")
Wellafter my Acton debacle, there is no way I’m cracking open the Eulings. So I will watch 324 passengers pile out of the Tube clown car at **Oxford Circus**. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Skeezix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aca169/32.png) [@Red\_Skeezix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Skeezix)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-it-been-that-long-since-our-last-mornington-crescent/520615/135 "2009-12-16T03:55:54Z")
Mr. RickJay, its only collusion if it benefits both parties. At this point in my strategy, having Mr. Wargamer in play in the Actons is key to my impending victory. So I would refer to it as strategic help, and not collusion. It’s not my time to play yet it is half-way to that point so I will call for a track reversal, everybody switch seats and sandwiches. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-it-been-that-long-since-our-last-mornington-crescent/520615/136 "2009-12-16T05:11:45Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Holy crap, I can play **Marble Arch**. Now things are looking sweet. Out of tokens, though. Oh, for God’s sake, don’t be so modest, Rick! We can all see that you’ve clearly got us locked into both Bond Street and Baker Street, seeing as you’ve invoked both the Irregular Brigade and the Rule. Just announce General Princip and let us do as we may, you sly dog! ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-it-been-that-long-since-our-last-mornington-crescent/520615/137 "2009-12-16T06:12:01Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > I’m no sure if we’re at \*\*East Acton \*\*now, or if the protest by Red Skeezix puts us back to **Victoria**. Either way, I’ll say two things: > > 1. This just goes to show you the frigging mess Kingsley made of exclusivity, which was introduced in the post-war period for the purpose of speeding up gameplay. Prior to the introduction of exclusivity rules, players in bad position could force near-endless shunting from line to line in an effort to stall. The nadir of that era was of course the 1948 Olympic team trials, when Argentina and the Soviet Union played for nearly eighteen days without getting any closer than Piccadilly Circus, as the Soviets used seven hundred and eighty-six shunts, more than half in and out of Victoria, to effectively stop play until the Argentines finally walked out in protest, were disqualified, and were banned from Olympic play until Mexico City in 1968. > > Now, however, the rule’s being turned on its head. Kingsley’s variant completely misses the point and allows a player in third position or later to invoke exclusivity to BLOCK progress in the game; we’ve seen it at the last two European finals. God alone knows what they were thinking, but I know it’s going to come up in the 2011 committees and hopefully they’ll change it. I haven’t seen a better summary of the Kingsley fiasco. You should consider publishing, or at least an editorial piece in the Modern Mornington Votarist. ---
**Author:** ![Wargamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/df705f/32.png) [@Wargamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wargamer)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-it-been-that-long-since-our-last-mornington-crescent/520615/138 "2009-12-16T15:48:54Z")
I need to put a spoke in **RickJay** ’s wheel, as my Acton mess has put him in a prime spot. Hmmm… This spot reminds me of the Greater Spokane Open in '74, held in conjunction with the Worlds Fair that year. let me set the scene: … 134 Lissevetsky **Acton East** (???) …(here we find 137 pages of discussion of why Lissevetsky was an idiot. And I still insisted on **Acton East.** One day, my name will appear with Lissevetsky’s, and as we all know, that’s not a good thing.) 135 Fornham **Marble Arch** (!) … (Another 78 pages of Journigan slobbering ALL OVER Fornham. Of course, that’s not a surprise considering they were caught _in flagrente delicto_ in the Edinburgh Red Light Invitational in '78.) 135-A Lissevetsky **Oxford Circus** … (97 more pages of “Isn’t Fornham simply GRAND!!”) 136 Collier **Aldsgate** (!!) … (and finally 5 pages of distilled analysis.) Journigan, _1974 MC Classic Reports_, Schuster & Rowe, pp. 614-931 (inclusive) Of course **Malacandra** ’s play of **Liverpool Street** interrupted that series, but I think I can salvage the position AND put a crimp in **RickJay** ’s fuse with a cross-shunt to **Aldsgate East**. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-it-been-that-long-since-our-last-mornington-crescent/520615/139 "2009-12-17T00:11:33Z")
Which I shall deftly counter with **Kew Gardens** … ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-it-been-that-long-since-our-last-mornington-crescent/520615/140 "2009-12-17T03:54:44Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > Which I shall deftly counter with **Kew Gardens** … Oh, don’t think I don’t see what you did there. 🙂 “I am His Highness’ dog at Kew. Pray tell me, sir, whose dog are you?” - Alexander Pope A reference to Pope Close, **Wimbledon** , to which you’ve forced me? Clever, clever, clever! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-it-been-that-long-since-our-last-mornington-crescent/520615.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-it-been-that-long-since-our-last-mornington-crescent/520615.md?page=8)