Abstract 9, 10, 11, 12-Tetrahydrodibenzo [a, b] cyclooctane-9, 12-diol (6) is found to be reluctant to double bond forming elimination. It gives a bridge ether (7) instead. The corresponding diketone (5) reacts with benzyl mercaptan to provide the bis-thioenol ether (8- a. The latter, upon treatment with Raney nickle, gives the desired title diene 1. An alternative approach to 1, based on repeated carbane addition to phenanthrene, is also presented.