# Mornington Crescent Olympic/Jubilee Edition **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 20, 2012, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mornington-crescent-olympic-jubilee-edition/628844 "2012-07-20T13:00:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [July 20, 2012, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mornington-crescent-olympic-jubilee-edition/628844/1 "2012-07-20T13:00:18Z")
For some reason, reading the current Magic thread (with only a very, very vague knowledge of the game) put me in mind of Mornington Crescent :). As we haven’t had a game for a while, and the Olympics is only a week away, I thought, why not? Since it is an Olympic year and a leap year, obviously all Circle Line stations are wild, and any travel on the Picadilly Line between Heathrow [any] and Earl’s Court gains double points (but may of course take a lot longer than usual and be subject to overcrowding). Any tokens purchased are non-refundable - NO exceptions. Since the Olympics were last held in London in 1948, I propose we stick to the ruleset extant at that time - namely, Brunswuthers’ 6th Edition (including post-war updates) of 1946. Please note however that this of course does not prevent the play of stations built subsequent to that year (according to standard caveat number 3 in said rules - they were designed with the future in mind). Stations demolished or disused since that year will be subject to the usual sub-rules. In addition, in celebration of the Queen’s diamond jubilee, all stations on the Jubilee line must be played while standing to attention and singing (as best you can) the British National Anthem. First verse only will be fine, thanks - we don’t want the game dragging on too long. For those new to MC on this board, the convention is to play your stations in **bold** - it is understood that stations typed without bolding are just being mentioned in passing and do not form part of the actual play. So, I think that’s all clear - let battle commence with what I think is a fairly safe opener, viz: **Oxford Circus**. Oysters at the ready, please mind the doors! ---
**Author:** ![Wargamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/df705f/32.png) [@Wargamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wargamer)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2012, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mornington-crescent-olympic-jubilee-edition/628844/2 "2012-07-20T13:46:34Z")
**Bank** , with a green flag at **Swiss Cottage** , and I think we all know what _that_ means. And I think your idea for an Olympiad game of **MC** is just what the doctor ordered **Dead Cat** , so kudos to you from this colonist! ---
**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:** [July 20, 2012, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mornington-crescent-olympic-jubilee-edition/628844/3 "2012-07-20T16:32:06Z")
Hmm. I now wish I hadn’t opened with Oxford Circus. True, it is a fine outpost in the centre, but it could become dangerously isolated very quickly. With that in mind, I think a swift **Notting Hill Gate** is in order. I don’t like the look of that green flag. I don’t like it at all. Still, early days yet. ---
**Author:** ![Wargamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/df705f/32.png) [@Wargamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wargamer)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2012, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mornington-crescent-olympic-jubilee-edition/628844/4 "2012-07-20T17:53:23Z")
I may surprise you, by doubling back to **Knightsbridge** , removing the green flag, and declaring stirrups. I know this hearkens back to the '77 Bombay Invitational where Kalinnikov unveiled his famous _White Russian Gambit._ I know that he’s fallen into disfavor in the last few decades, as that incident with Lady Greyjayne’s Oyster Card being found in his dirty socks raised questions about the propriety of their partnership, but that was several years in the future back in '77. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2012, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mornington-crescent-olympic-jubilee-edition/628844/5 "2012-07-20T18:27:23Z")
What is with bloody Bank all the time? I do it too, but can we get through one game without some clumsy invocation of Del Rey’s Feint? Never mind, I’m just grumpy because I washed out early of a local rec league tourney they run around here. Anyway, **Alperton** seems like the right play here. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Wargamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/df705f/32.png) [@Wargamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wargamer)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2012, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mornington-crescent-olympic-jubilee-edition/628844/6 "2012-07-20T19:51:20Z")
A classic **Alperton Fork** play by **Cliffy**. I fell afoul of that years ago in a college intramural semifinal. Hmm, I think **East Acton** , while surrendering the short term initiative, does have some long term advantages, if I can just get the game to last long enough. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2012, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mornington-crescent-olympic-jubilee-edition/628844/7 "2012-07-20T20:02:00Z")
I’m really thinking a Zone 2 play here may be the way to go and try to start building up a stack of blue tokens. Bakerloo seems like it may have some influence on the mid-game (remember how George “Lasher” Coombs managed to parlay Bushey and Marylebone into victory at the Essex Open in 1978?) so I gotta go with **Queen’s Park**. ---
**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:** [July 20, 2012, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mornington-crescent-olympic-jubilee-edition/628844/8 "2012-07-20T20:13:25Z")
Then you leave me no choice but to play a backsie on a '36 loop to get to **Farringdon and High Holborn** God save the King ---
**Author:** ![Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7993a0/32.png) [@Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamaika_a_jamaikaiake)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2012, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mornington-crescent-olympic-jubilee-edition/628844/9 "2012-07-20T20:17:03Z")
inb4 **Elephant & Castle** :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2012, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mornington-crescent-olympic-jubilee-edition/628844/10 "2012-07-20T20:25:45Z")
You fell for it! **Goodge Street** , three tokens, and better luck next time. (I got worried when **Saint Cad** mentioned Coombs, but I guess you guys never saw the footage of the '79 Essex semis.) –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2012, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mornington-crescent-olympic-jubilee-edition/628844/11 "2012-07-20T20:45:34Z")
> [@Cliffy](#): > > You fell for it! > > **Goodge Street** , three tokens, and better luck next time. (I got worried when **Saint Cad** mentioned Coombs, but I guess you guys never saw the footage of the '79 Essex semis.) > > –Cliffy Maybe they didn’t. I did. And I read the judges commentary. **Bond St**. Thans for the free tokens. 😉 ---
**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:** [July 21, 2012, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mornington-crescent-olympic-jubilee-edition/628844/12 "2012-07-21T00:26:49Z")
Can’t say I am fan of the early token calls, it rather strikes me as a very post Walcottian style, and we all ( I hope) know how that turned out. ---
**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:** [July 21, 2012, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mornington-crescent-olympic-jubilee-edition/628844/13 "2012-07-21T01:09:14Z")
For what it is worth I am going to take a long slide to \*\*Ealing Common \*\* and indicate leaves on the track, not so much to restrict the Picadilly line, but I need some time as I have a hot buttered crumpet that needs attending to, and she is complaining the butter is starting to solidify. ---
**Author:** ![Wargamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/df705f/32.png) [@Wargamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wargamer)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2012, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mornington-crescent-olympic-jubilee-edition/628844/14 "2012-07-21T01:23:53Z")
Ahhh, **Euling Common** opens up a South of the River play of **Vauxhall**! I’ll take those blue tokens now **Antinor01**. And let this be a lesson to you. (I pass the tokens on to,…ummmm… **Precambrianmollusc** , because I like the cut of his jib.) ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mornington-crescent-olympic-jubilee-edition/628844/15 "2012-07-22T04:04:50Z")
Vauxhall?! Are you even looking at what’s going on in the game?! **Gunnersbury** And if that play isn’t obvious to you then maybe you shouldn’t be playing this game. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mornington-crescent-olympic-jubilee-edition/628844/16 "2012-07-22T05:43:17Z")
So you read the commentary too? I should have known someone would do that. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mornington-crescent-olympic-jubilee-edition/628844/17 "2012-07-22T06:02:45Z")
> [@Antinor01](#): > > So you read the commentary too? I should have known someone would do that. What I don’t understand in that commentary was when it said > [@](#): > > The key move for Theodore Hume was the play on Gospel Oak which forced the favorite Jules Dechutes to play on the Picadily [sic] Line. Didn’t Dechutes have to play on the Picadilly Line after getting the gold token on his previous turn? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mornington-crescent-olympic-jubilee-edition/628844/18 "2012-07-22T07:01:19Z")
Hold on a moment. Wasn’t all play within three weeks of the Olympics (before or after) banned after the debacle in Montreal, back in '76? I know I shouldn’t have to remind you people of these things. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mornington-crescent-olympic-jubilee-edition/628844/19 "2012-07-22T08:17:49Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > Hold on a moment. > > Wasn’t all play within three weeks of the Olympics (before or after) banned after the debacle in Montreal, back in '76? > > I know I shouldn’t have to remind you people of these things. We’re playing Brunswuthers’ rules, not Fotherington. Besides, that only applies to intercontinental, semi-final matches and above. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mornington-crescent-olympic-jubilee-edition/628844/20 "2012-07-22T08:19:04Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > What I don’t understand in that commentary was when it said > > Didn’t Dechutes have to play on the Picadilly Line after getting the gold token on his previous turn? Only on even numbered rounds and if he is currently half way or further through a cup of breakfast tea. (though that can be modified by the number of biscuits remaining in the packet) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mornington-crescent-olympic-jubilee-edition/628844.md?page=2)