Todays trivia is all about a panel show game known as "Mornington Crescent".

This game was first made popular by the Radio 4 show "I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue" in 1978 and has been played in every season since then. (It is mooted that its origins belong slightly further back, perhaps being named after another station, Finchley Central).

The radio show has been hosted for a long time by the late Humphrey Lyttelton. Now run by Stephen Fry, Jack Dee and Rob Brydon.

The Tube Station

The game was named after a tube station on the Northen Line in Zone 2. First opened in 1907, and later closed in 1992 for refurbishment. It then faced the real prospect of remaining closed forever until a concerted campaign was launched by fans of the game to have the station reopened. This campaign was successful and in 1998 it was reopened.

A English Heritage plaque commemorating the late Willie Rushton, one of the longest running contestants on the Radio 4 panel show has been mounted inside the station.

Introduction to the Rules

The game is classified as a complex strategy game played traditionally on the London Tube map. (There have been mootings of playing the game on other city metro maps, but these are generally folly.) It is suitable for two or more players and can be played anywhere. Having access to a tube map may be considered a useful reference unless the blind variant is played.

There is an adjudicator who will decide whether moves are valid and will ensure the orderly procession of turns.

The basic concept is that players take it in turn making moves which bring them close to the end goal of Mornington Crescent. The player who lands on Mornington Crescent (and it being considered a valid move) will win the game unless of course they are playing the reverse variant in which case players attempt to perform the opposite, starting at Mornington Crescent and moving towards the start.

A Cavalcade of Rules, Variants, Versions, Stratagems and Protocols

For the more advanced players there are a plethora of additional rules that can be applied to the game. Traditionally on the radio show a particular ruling is indicated which players need to be aware of when they make their moves.

From the archives at least 76 specific rules have been identified. They range from the cunning and devious to the outright silly.

Some examples of rules which make for interesting play:

hugo’s 2nd stratagem

Moves across consecutive rows are prohibited unless you’re in Knip.

north london rules

Contraflows are inverted, and to avoid Triangulation, Dollis Hill will be wild.

simplified version

Stovold’s Defence is still allowable during Forward Triangulation, but Back Doubling may only be attempted after a Northern Approach.

Knip and Huffs

We would be remiss in our duties if we did not include special mention to some of the moves and concepts that make up the game:

Huff - Landing on a huffing station allows the previous player (the huffer) to huff the current player, thereby reversing order of play until another huff is performed. This of course voids the 7th rule.

Knip - The player is required to miss a go as a result of lateral shifting. There are exceptions to this (hugo's 2nd stratagem being one case)
Strike Move - Players can knock their opponents out of position (only in Devonshire variants)
Stymie - To prevent a players move by blocking their passage (See Boxing in for more detail)
Back Doubling - Only possible after the Northern Approach