Deloping

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Delope (French for "throwing away") is the practice of deliberately wasting one's first shot in a pistol duel, an attempt to abort the conflict. The Irish code duello forbids the practice.

Contents

Notable uses

In fiction

In game theory

Deloping may be the best strategy for a duellist with lower accuracy than both his opponents in a truel (against rational opponents) when he is given the first fire. Both opponents will recognize each other as the biggest threat and aim at each other and so leave the deloping shooter unharmed.

Notes

  1. Fleming, Thomas (2000). "Chapter One: A General Nurses His Wounds". Duel: Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr and the Future of America. Perseus Books.
  2. Reilly, Robin. William Pitt the Younger. New York, 1978: 358–359.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Swain, Claudia (September 4, 2013). "Guys Trying to Get Themselves Killed: John Randolph and Henry Clay". Boundary Stones. Washington, DC: WETA-TV.
  4. 1 2 Lloyd & Campbell (August 1855). "Duels and Duelling". United States Review. Vol. V: Democracy. New York, NY: John A. Gray. p. 116 via Google Books.
  5. "The Literary Gazette and Journal of Belles Lettres, Arts, Sciences". H. Colburn. 1829. Retrieved February 9, 2020.

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