CHICKEN KIEV
1495 (0): I was hoping to at least dispose of the Mongols on this round, but they have an MPP with the Babylonians, so the time isn't right.
Just to complete our picture of the diplomatic situation, I establish embassies with the Carthaginians, the Romans, and the Americans. Carthage is at 12 spt (and doesn't have a factory), Rome at 16. Washington is at 6 spt

, yet the Americans have heroically built eight city improvements there, not counting the palace.
I boost Pasargadae up to size twenty with worker merges. (I continue merging our core cities up to their maximum useful sizes, at which they're working every available tile, throughout the round, using native workers only).
We get two palace extensions, and I believe the palace is finished.
1500 (1): I begin mining irrigated grasslands near cities which have reached their maximum useful size. (This process too continues throughout the round.)
1505 (2): I get some infantry into Pyongsang and Ningpo.
River Palace now produces 100 shields per turn.
The Russians demand Steel, I refuse, and we're at war. The only attack which follows is against Dakyanus, on the first eastern island, and we repel it easily.
We complete Combustion and start work on Mass Production. We can now do four-turn research at 60%.
1510 (3): I give the Ottomans Electricity to join in the war against the Russians, just as a way of keeping the Russians busy until we have some tanks. Of course this may make it harder for us to end the war honourably, but I don't expect our war weariness to build up much until we invade the Russian mainland--and in truth, our reputation doesn't matter much at this point anyway. Since we're certainly going to take some Russian cities, the question of an exploitative phony war doesn't arise.
A Russian warrior commits suicide attacking a rifleman in Bampur.
Shiraz completes an army, which I'll leave empty for the moment.
1515 (4): I let our expensive deal for dyes and spices with the Carthaginians expire, though I'll probably have to trade for at least one of them again soon.
1520 (5): We take Kharkov after an extensive bombardment, and we're finally undisputed masters of our home island. Despite the bombardment we lose two cavalry in defeating the garrison of two infantry, since it's a hill town.
I get the last of our empty cities garrisoned. I think this may reduce the chance that other civs will join Russia's war against us, since the AI views empty cities as a sign of vulnerability.
1525 (6): We take Vologda, on the second eastern island, with a mixed force shipped over from Buto. The garrison consists of a rifleman and two spearmen, and we suffer no losses.
An oil source migrates from one spot in our empire (Ghulaman) to another (Erdenet).
We abandon Kharkov and found Meshed on an adjacent tile.
We discover Mass Production and start work on Motorized Transport.
1530 (7): Three cossacks and a knight attack Dakyanus, but we now have six infantry in the town and we defeat the assault without loss.
1535 (8): I send saltpetre and 48 gpt to the Carthaginians for spices.
1540 (9): The slow buildup for the invasion of Russia continues. We now have a lot of artillery, cavalry, and infantry concentrated around Persepolis, with transports to carry it all in Meshed, but it still makes sense to wait until we have some tanks.
Shiraz completes another army, and we get the Pentagon message.
1545 (10): Russian ironclads are blocking both of the coastal tiles adjacent to Dakyanus, so luxuries aren't getting through, and the people of the town are unhappy. The AI isn't usually this bright.
