# Mornington Crescent question **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [September 23, 2010, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mornington-crescent-question/554794 "2010-09-23T17:52:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mornington-crescent-question/554794/261 "2010-10-07T18:31:01Z")
> [@Dead\_Cat](#): > > Anyway, I continue to apply pressure to terminuses with **Ealing Broadway**. Almost the least of my worries. **Amersham** and I’ll take the distance bonus now, NOT carrying it forward. Again: this play does NOT carry forward distance. ---
**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:** [October 7, 2010, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mornington-crescent-question/554794/262 "2010-10-07T18:51:06Z")
> [@Dead\_Cat](#): > > Well, all I can say is thank goodness **Scuba Ben** posted so soon after I did, probably without seeing move - I re-ran my Meta-Analysis program and it seems that after my Morden, **Bricker** had MC in one! I must be more careful next time - I forgot that Tudor Court Rules had appeared earlier in the game, which threw all the calculations off. A lucky escape. > > Anyway, I continue to apply pressure to terminuses with **Ealing Broadway**. Ooh, I forgot that those rules had shown up too. All my sims just went out the window. And with **Bricker** ’s claiming the distance bonus, all signals are open. I’ll go for the long-haul route all the way to **Upminster Bridge** , forcing a labour slowdown. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mornington-crescent-question/554794/263 "2010-10-07T19:01:14Z")
> [@Scuba\_Ben](#): > > And with **Bricker** ’s claiming the distance bonus, all signals are open. I’ll go for the long-haul route all the way to **Upminster Bridge** , forcing a labour slowdown. A labour slowdown? Fine. You’re hurting yourself just as much as everyone else. **Upney** , vulnerable. ---
**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:** [October 7, 2010, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mornington-crescent-question/554794/264 "2010-10-07T19:05:46Z")
Bricker, have you played in the Mid-Atlantic or US national tourneys? That move was bloody inspired, especially given open signals and a labour slowdown. You’re probably going to win, but it’ll be a well earned victory. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mornington-crescent-question/554794/265 "2010-10-07T19:19:34Z")
> [@Scuba\_Ben](#): > > Bricker, have you played in the Mid-Atlantic or US national tourneys? That move was bloody inspired, especially given open signals and a labour slowdown. You’re probably going to win, but it’ll be a well earned victory. You’re too kind, sir. No, my only ranked tournament play was in London, in '93 and '96. I placed fifth overall at the '93 Imperial War Museum Invitational and in fact, if you’ll look at the Life magazine photo spread, in the two-pager with Nigel Horner and Brian Willetts, you can totally see the back of my head in the front line; I’m holding my trophy out like an idiot. In 1996 there was a spot of unpleasantness concerning a move in the third round and what color tokens were called, and … well, suffice to say I did not finish in the rankings then. ---
**Author:** ![Wargamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/df705f/32.png) [@Wargamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wargamer)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mornington-crescent-question/554794/266 "2010-10-07T19:27:09Z")
Damn you **Bricker** , you’ve put me in the knip with that **Upney** move! Well, things have gone from bad to worse. Not much hope for me now. ---
**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:** [October 7, 2010, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mornington-crescent-question/554794/267 "2010-10-07T19:45:07Z")
If you don’t loose you head a Thomas Becket defense may hold off the inevitable taxi ride through Knightsbridge, prehaps a last shout from Southwark? ---
**Author:** ![Wargamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/df705f/32.png) [@Wargamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wargamer)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mornington-crescent-question/554794/268 "2010-10-07T19:57:53Z")
Hmmmm…that might work, but I would need a Jubilee line play before doing that. But I do like the way you’re thinking there **Precambrianmollusc**. ---
**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:** [October 7, 2010, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mornington-crescent-question/554794/269 "2010-10-07T20:11:17Z")
Without giving too much away, Brickers agressive strategy has left some gaps in his defense. Almost certainly some of those gaps are traps, prehaps talking a sail with some cheap whisky might help clarify things? ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mornington-crescent-question/554794/270 "2010-10-07T21:12:52Z")
I like the way you’re thinking, but now it’s time for me to delurk, decloak and decouple in one fell swoop: **Barbican**! (My hat’s off to **Scuba Ben** for factoring anticongruency into his sim so quickly, but ironically I have to take this occasion to call _Hats On_, except for ladies. I won’t insult anyone’s intelligence by explaining why. 😃 ) ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mornington-crescent-question/554794/271 "2010-10-08T00:07:18Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > I like the way you’re thinking, but now it’s time for me to delurk, decloak and decouple in one fell swoop: > > **Barbican**! > > (My hat’s off to **Scuba Ben** for factoring anticongruency into his sim so quickly, but ironically I have to take this occasion to call _Hats On_, except for ladies. I won’t insult anyone’s intelligence by explaining why. 😃 ) Good play.Obviously I can’t block everything, but at least I can foce you to take the long way: **Rayners Lane** , transfer stations blocked. And doubled, while I’m at it. ---
**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:** [October 8, 2010, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mornington-crescent-question/554794/272 "2010-10-08T00:39:26Z")
**Embankment** , redoubled, and I do believe that puts the Thames ferries into play. ---
**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:** [October 8, 2010, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mornington-crescent-question/554794/273 "2010-10-08T00:47:13Z")
My goodness, sparkling play gentlemen, bravo all around, ---
**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:** [October 8, 2010, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mornington-crescent-question/554794/274 "2010-10-08T01:50:18Z")
**East Finchley** , removing half of the red tokens (but I won’t tell you which half), and opening Tower Bridge. While you may think that opening the bridge would not affect the London Underground, it does in fact have a knock-on effect, and may indeed require some reverse shunts. ---
**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:** [October 8, 2010, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mornington-crescent-question/554794/275 "2010-10-08T13:08:46Z")
Once Tower Bridge is raised, there are only two good replies. I’ll take the farther option: **Putney Bridge**. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mornington-crescent-question/554794/276 "2010-10-08T13:30:17Z")
> [@Scuba\_Ben](#): > > Once Tower Bridge is raised, there are only two good replies. I’ll take the farther option: **Putney Bridge**. I’ve spent the last 20 minutes pouring over Post-It notes and muttering, “If I do _this_, he’ll do _that_…” and I find there’s just too many possibilities in play. So let’s close the map up a tad. **Hatton Cross** , redoubled in turn. ---
**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:** [October 8, 2010, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mornington-crescent-question/554794/277 "2010-10-08T13:49:57Z")
**Tottenham Court Road** , with a double sideways-shift that closes all Bakerloo Line stations North of the river for essential maintenance. This move also gives **Scuba\_Ben** ALL the tokens, but - he cannot legally place them anywhere! ---
**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:** [October 8, 2010, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mornington-crescent-question/554794/278 "2010-10-08T14:32:56Z")
Re-redoubled and a token monopoly. Curiouser and curiouser. This is playing out similar to something I’d expect under Resort practice. So I’ll have one of whatever **Dead Cat** is drinking. I could cash in the tokens to refresh my Oyster card and haul tail to Heathrow, which would certainly be a good reverse from Hatton Cross to Tottenham. But the **Croxley** spur is more likely to free up token conversion and placement. **Croxley** it is. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mornington-crescent-question/554794/279 "2010-10-08T15:15:09Z")
“The time has come,” the Walrus said, “To talk of many things…” **White City** , a depot station. ---
**Author:** ![Wargamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/df705f/32.png) [@Wargamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wargamer)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mornington-crescent-question/554794/280 "2010-10-08T16:24:25Z")
I’ll trade a blue token for Zone 5 transfer to **Hounslow West**. I think you will be able to grok the possibilities inherent in the system. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mornington-crescent-question/554794.md?page=13) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mornington-crescent-question/554794.md?page=15)