The results of a recent Chess tournament between five close rivals is described below:
Dale finished before Alex. Emery finished after Bailey. Alex finished before Chris. Emery finished after Dale. Bailey finished before Alex. Dale finished after Bailey. Chris finished before Emery.
Who finished where?
Hint
Try rewriting each statement so that they are all 'finished before' statements instead.
Answer
Bailey won …
… then Dale, Alex, Chris, and Emery.
Reasoning
By placing the person who finished higher to the left, we have:
Dale finished before Alex (Dale > Alex)Emery finished after Bailey (Bailey > Emery)Alex finished before Chris (Alex > Chris)Emery finished after Dale (Dale > Emery)Bailey finished before Alex (Bailey > Alex)Dale finished after Bailey (Bailey > Dale)Chris finished before Emery (Chris > Emery)
From (1) and (3):
Dale > Alex > Chris
Adding (7):
Dale > Alex > Chris > Emery
Adding (6):
Bailey > Dale > Alex > Chris > Emery
Which is the final placing for all the players, and can be double-checked with the remaining clues.
?
Puzzle 19
Using exactly four straight lines, without taking your pen off the (virtual) paper, can you join all nine dots?
Note: this puzzle is not interactive, and cannot be clicked.
A Charming Puzzle, Twentieth Century Standard Puzzle Book, A. Cyril Pearson.
Answer
Start from the top left dot, and go past the top right dot, and then diagonally down to the bottom left dot, back up to the top left dot, and diagonally down to the bottom right dot.
??
Puzzle 20
Can you find a word that begins with the letter I …
… and by the addition of the letter A becomes another word that is pronounced the same?
