Futoshiki #4

Saturday October 21, 2006

The Guardian Futoshiki number four is published today. After only one week, the Futoshiki Challenge has changed from being simply:
‘be the first to solve the puzzle’
to the unexpected:
‘see how many different solutions you can come up with’
to the confusing:
‘see who’s the first to spot the reprint of last week’s puzzle’.

I emailed The Guardian about this, as did a lot of other people who have commented on this site. From the feedback I’ve received, the same email went out to everybody. It’s been quoted already in comments on another post, but here it is again:

As many of you have pointed out there have been multiple solutions to the new Futoshiki puzzles we have been publishing in the Saturday paper. We compounded the error by publishing the puzzle number two twice in preceding weeks. Our puzzle scribes are now working on a new batch with a single solution, and the first of these will be published on Saturday October 28.
apologies and best wishes
Helen Hodgson
(Assistant Readers’ editor)

I’m intrgued about the puzzle scribes. How many do you think they have working for them and is this a recent recruitment drive?

The challenge is still on. Feel free to post single solutions to today’s puzzle, multiple solutions to today’s puzzle, more feedback you may have received from The Guardian and anything else Futoshiki related…

Filed under |

Aha! No.4 has a unique solution and is very easy taking only a few minutes to do.
45213
14325
51432
23541
32154
So that’s 2 easy puzzles and 2 identical puzzles with multiple solutions so far. We are promised something new from next week so was this week’s rushed out or did someone go through a pile of puzzles ‘lying about’ to find one with a unique solution? Was a hapless journalist told to set one? I imagine easy puzzles are easier to set.

Steve    21 October, 11:09 AM   

Futoshiki no. 4 appears to have only one valid solution:

45213
14325
51432
23541
32154

This week’s puzzle also has ‘©KANDOUR LTD’ printed alongside it.

Simon Maxwell    21 October, 11:19 AM   

Steve is this week’s winner, with Simon a close second.

Kandour Ltd – I think they publish ‘unofficial’ biographies of celebrities. People like Hugh Grant and Robbie Williams. Maybe they’re trying to branch into the puzzle market.

Stephen    21 October, 11:41 AM   

Can someone please upload a scan of this weeks’ puzzle to the site if possible?

I’m just getting into Futoshiki so would like to have a go at the puzzle!

Thanks,

Chris

Chris    23 October, 10:08 AM   

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