2

There's a matches riddle that I can't quite solve. Given the following layout (a 4 matches plus sign connected to a 8 matches square):

 __|__
 __|__
|     |
|__ __|

I need to transform this into exactly 3 squares by moving 5 matches only. It's driving me crazy, so if you know how to solve this, please share.

Bill Cook
  • 29,244
Maayan
  • 23

2 Answers2

5
__|__
  |__ __
  |     |
  |__ __|

__|__
  |__ __
  |   __|
   __ __|

__|__
  |__ __
  |   __|
     |__|

__|__
  |__|__
      __|
     |__|

__
__|__
  |__|
      __|
     |__|

 __
|__|__
   |__|
       __
      |__|

Or do you mean?

   __|__
   __|__
  |     |
  |__ __|

   __|__
   __|__
  |__   |
  |   __|

   __|__
   __|__
  |__|  |
      __|

   __|__
   __|__|
  |__|  
      __|

   __
   __|__
   __|__|
  |__|  
        |

   __
  |__|__
   __|__|
  |__|
Bill Cook
  • 29,244
  • 1
    it seems like there are 2 missing matches in your answer... And yes it should be exactly 5 moves. – Maayan Oct 14 '11 at 00:51
  • I miss interpreted your post. I think this fixes it. – Bill Cook Oct 14 '11 at 01:04
  • the second one is the correct one. Thanks! I was trying to solve this for a long time but kept missing this solution. Was this the result of trail and error, or did you come up with a way to systematically solve this? – Maayan Oct 14 '11 at 01:44
  • 1
    Realizing you can only move 5 sticks really limits which ones you can move. Like creating a new square from nothing would use up 4 moves! Also, you can't get exactly 3 squares if two of them share a side. Keeping these things in mind really limited what could be done. I'll leave both answers up. The other one is a nice puzzle too :) – Bill Cook Oct 14 '11 at 01:55
0

By moving only three matches (the right hand of the plus sign and the two parallel matches below it), you can write a $4$, a $0$ and a $1$ : you get your three squares and you economize two moves !

Evargalo
  • 2,593