Dollis Hill? Well since there has not been a move in over 48 hours (paralyzed by fear of what I'll pull out of my hat next, I bet) I can go and move to Baker Street under paragraph 27, subsection 4-D-X-Robinson. Elementary, my dear Watson.

Quite a good move, but I can one up you on that.
If you have indeed blocked the central line, then I can use a classic East Caimbridge Gambit to take both Paddington and Edgware Road, as well a put one purple counter on Hammersmith.

What are house rules on hop-stepping, by the way?

Time for the Shinjuku Switcheroo, as of course popularised by Sawaguchi in the '88 Tokyo finals. I'll spend 15 points to swap the position of my blue marker with that of my red marker, thus enabling me to move direct to White City and block all shunts on the Central Line until the third castle is captured. Leaves me Knidded for a turn, of course, but a small price to pay.

With green tokens southwest of the yellow zone, and a new player in Brixton, it seems I have no choice but to make my escape through Seven Sisters and travel via National Rail to Elephant & Castle.

Likely to land me in a Van Dyke Scandal and earn me a yellow card, I know, but I don't see any other options. One would almost think that Pieguy and Mysterial were conspiring to force my hand. Almost.

Well, if it's not too late to join in, I believe I will start on Brixton.

So I shall begin by placing my green tokens southwest of the yellow zone and proceeding direct to Knightsbridge. This pushes Artell out to Dollis Hill, I believe, and puts AnnaBee in Spoon until her triple exclusion expires.

In truth, I may seem daft for what I say,
But given time I hope to prove my worth.
With Piccadilly gone my plans must change,
I move to Baker Street, with all due haste.

You read that right, it's Vostokk's Iambic Pentangle Gambit, ladies and gentlemen. This makes all travel within the boundaries of the Circle line take twice as long for the next two moves. Have fun at Piccadilly Circus, Artell.

-Phobos

Argh, outsmarted myself. AnnaBee on Earl's Court, nakkel on West Ham, and now Matthew72 on Richmond... a classic Rumpton Collapse, just like Lord Withers in '82. I guess that means I'm out of the game. I knew I should have gone for Swiss Cottage...

Oh, well. At least I have the satisfaction of knowing the entire Piccadilly Line is out of service for the rest of the game.

hS, bowing out gracefully

I'm not so wet behind the ears as to fall for such an obvious baited hook, Artell. I make for Notting Hill Gate and Interchange to the Central Line, which I can then take straight to Liverpool Street using the Trans-City Bypass.

Try this for size, then:

With Artell right behind me I can use the Carvington accelerator, and power up to Paddington - which gives me a Olber's Quintet of Circle, District, Bakerloo, Hammersmith and - of course - National Rail.

You know what that means. King's Cross St. Pancras is now out of the game - and I'm sitting pretty at Warren Street (Third Exeter Slide - look it up, folks).

hS

I've not a clue what I'm doing. But, there's no harm in giving it an earnest try, right?
If it isn't too late, I'll be starting off at Richmond.

Oxford Circus! I can now play my first trump and move straight to Piccadilly Circus. The net is closing, ladies and gentlemen. This reminds me of the European championship game between Sundvall and Baker in Copenhagen '56, actually, except I'm not going to fall for the Bakerloo Trap. I call for someone else to make a move for Bakerloo so we can block Nakkel.

I chose Upminster because although it doesn't allow for a quick start, it's suitable well entrenched for my purposes. However with all of you on the other end of the map, it looks like I'm in the clear to use Danson's Corollary and move quickly along the line into Barking, while at the same time using the National Rail to move above ground and take West Ham.

Risky, I know, but there's since none of you are on the Hammersmith or Jubilee lines I'll be fortified long before you arrive.

... I invoke the Westmoorland/Rashbold projection and move at double-speed up the Victoria line, changing to the Bakerloo at Oxford Circus.

hS

I've been around the Underground once or twice before, after all. For old times' sake, I'll be starting in Bayswater on the Circle Line, which of course means I can use the Interchange Rule whenever I want to after this turn.

If I hadn't started where I did, I'd never have been able to pull off the Stanmore "Misstep" through use of the Globe Contingency, thus taking Harrow-on-the-Hill while my worthy adversaries are busy on the Thames.

The Sardoky Rule was never meant to be used that way, and you know it. Still, I'll concede that technically my occupation of Vauxhall doesn't count for the purposes of Sardoky, so you can have this one.

hS

I have to admit I didn't expect you would realize the opportunity. Luckily I had a backup plan and I can reduce the penalty to only one if I can cross the Thames within a single move, which I naturally can. Vauxhall.

Since Pimlico is now occupied, I can invoke the Westminster Compromise and instantly take Victoria and Vauxhall from the Coach Station. Flanked, Artell! That's a two-turn penalty, if I recall the Marksman Tide Variation correctly.

hS

I see Phobos has fallen for the Heathrow Triangle. A classic newbie mistake. Since I'm in Wimbledon, I can invoke the Gatwick Exception and play Pimlico, since as you all know it's the closest position on the second farthest line, and it's Thursday.

Then I take West Ruislip, and under the Oyster Card Exception, immediately move to Victoria Coach Station. From where, you are no doubt thinking, I'll have a devil of a time getting to Victoria Underground... or will I?

hS

Because I will. I'll play your game, you rogue.

I'll be starting at Heathrow Terminals 1, 2, 3. I imagine I've probably just stepped off my flight.

Let it be known that I have no idea what I am doing, and that I am perfectly happy that way. I also think that Artell is bluffing with his twenty-two moves. Maybe under ideal circumstances, but these circumstances are anything but ideal.

Onward!

-Phobos

I can see this is some sort of game about the London Underground, and I'm guessing the goal is to make a loop.

I call Earl's Court, in honour of Neverwhere.

Upminster? Are you going for the Cambridge Northeastern Gambit?

Wimbledon.

I do hope we get more players to make things interesting. This board position would allow for a Mornington Crescent within fifteen plus minus five if we were playing 1978 International Rules. Twenty-two since this is 2005, I believe?