An Obsessive Journey

On my 24th birthday my flatmate gave me a puzzle. It wasn't just any puzzle, it was 'One Tough Puzzle', both in name and in practise. At first glance, the notion that there are 300,000 ways not to solve this puzzle and only one way to complete it, seems rather excessive. There are after all, only nine pieces. Yet, after a few tries, I started to realise just how tough this puzzle really was, and I found myself on a quest to solve it.

I have created this blog, by way of documenting my mistakes and formulating a strategy. I am, though, scared at every moment that someone might come along, ask to have a go and solve it instantly. Something tells me there cannot be a method, and only pure dumb luck in solving this bastard.

Sunday, 25 July 2010

Hearts, Diamonds and Spades


So yesterday I had a specific look at what to do with the clubs, in hope that I would come to some sort of method, or at least by way of considering exactly what you can and can't do with certain pieces. I decided to do the same with the others and discovered that there are:

three inward and four outward diamonds
five of each heart (that certainly put a spanner in this idea)
and five outward and three inward spades.

Add this to my knowing that there are six inward and three outer clubs, and it starts to look like there might be certain rules to abide by. However, the problem is that there isn't a specific rule, no doubt it won't necessarily be that just because there are two extra outward spades that must mean that there will certainly be two spades pointing outward for the finished piece, there could just as well be three outward spades and one inward. I have to say I did struggle a little today, and this formula attempt didn't help at all:


Clearly though, I can never completely ignore it. I managed to be in keeping with the clubs on the attempt below, but there is clearly a problem with diamonds and spades. I think I will only solve this when I know every little detail about every little piece....


Tomorrow I will have to start thinking more about suits together, which are seen together and, more importantly, which are never seen together. My quest goes on...

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