St. Paul’s
And the Devil take the hindmost!
Hm. I’m late to the party on this one, so I’ll at least collect my 2 red tokens.
One of the great heroes in the game, to my mind (despite his crushing, and in my opinion unwarranted, disqualification at Sri Lanka in '89) has always been Brickford. And so I’ll try to continue his good work with a play to
London Bridge
Though in this crowd I wouldn’t be surprised to see a quite cunning answer.
Wish I got in on this earlier, so much prime real estate taken already. 
Oh well, should be a fun challenge anyway. As Yuri Warchiem said back in the '73 Yokohama 500 Series, “When your back’s to the wall you can’t go too wrong with Buckhurst Hill.”
Buckhurst Hill after London Bridge pretty much forces Edgware, doncha think.
Sneaky, the double back to Edgware. Are you trying to start a bidding war for the middle? I don’t think I’ve seen such audacious play outside of schoolyards! Well, I throw down the gauntlets on this my good sir!
Knightsbridge
I’m feeling fairly rusty - I haven’t so much as picked up my copy of Johnston’s Crescent Companion since our last bout - so I’ll start off with Chiswick Park, doubled.
Pretty much. The only other option I saw was Dollis Hill, and you know what happens with that move.
Let’s see…Edgware, Knightsbridge, Chiswick Park, is it? I’ll turn in one of my tokens, and go to Edgware Road (Bakerloo station). And don’t bother trying to respond with a shunt across the Marleybone Flyover to the District line. (Remember, stirrups have been declared.)
hurray… Mudchute!
It hardly ever comes into play these days. They banned the “Pankhurst Crutch” in '77 after that unpleasantness and from them on…it’s a rare move that calls upon it.
Here’s to Mudchute, good on you sir!
I have been studying my Massakaila, as I confess to a weakness in the early mid-game. However, I think Edgware Road opens up the Acton stations, since stirrups are declared. With that proviso:
West Acton
Orrr…
Acton Central?
I will go with my first instinct.
West Acton it is.
There wasn’t a lot of fanfare associated with this move, but I suspect that when this game is done, we’ll see this as a cunning and crucial early turning point that really shaped the course of play.
West Acton? Puzzling, I thought Acton Central was the obvious choice. Well since West Acton is taken, I’m going to declare half-token putsch for Gloucester Street to increase the rider count by 4. Effectively blocking any more moves centered around the Double backs already played.
OK, I am introducing a delay and following Gloucester Street with Gloucester Street. Not trying to start a controversy, but I feel it is the best play at this point.
Hmm - a relapse play so early? Interesting. Obviously this is an experienced crowd, so I’ll throw a little challenge: What year was this follow-up gambit introduced at both the Madras Open and the Malta Invitational: Whitechapel ?
Bonus for mentioning the two players who came up with this move.
The Kashmir Delay Flush as it’s more properly called, was introduced during the rainy season of 1965, when both the Malta Invitational and Madras Open were played simultaneously at the Estate of J. Marcus Covington Kashmir. Boddington was the first player to introduce delay to Whitechapel (Malta). But it was Peppersham who made the spectacular play on a delay at Gloucester (Madras), which looked unbeatable until his diminutive opponent Haversham threw out a return to Earl’s Court.
You’re forgetting that I’ve already claimed a double approach, which, as any schoolchild knows, invalidates any attempt at the Bodlean Roundabout with a Half-Twist.
While you are absolutely correct about the infraction, the Dickson ruling at the 23rd International (an otherwise dull affair) set the precedent that still stands (as far as I know) that a lifting infraction, which is what you describe falls under, clearly must be called immediately, before any further game action takes place. Failure to do so, invalidates any claims.
I also cite Devaney vs. the Oxford Rowing Team, 1994 as further indication.
Except that you are neglecting the Ruling of the 1948 Gathering Of Mornington Officiates, which states clearly and in no uncertain terms, that the Salt Shaker Preempt is not in play when stirrups have been declared until handrails have been achieved or widdershin displacement has been attempted.
I’m a relative novice at this, so please correct me if I err. But after the last play I believe Bond Street would be appropriate at this point. I think there are more conservative moves available but this move is more geared towards early mid-game strategy.
But please continue your erudite discussion of the finer points of relapse play.
You must be northern.
Such vulgarity! I thought this was to be a friendly game!