Can you solve GCHQ's Christmas Puzzle

Geekery
1

660Ɨ608 70.8 KB

If so then follow this linkon the BBC or go straight to the GCHQ website (on second thoughts maybe best for Pap not to go there)

  • Yes, simple
  • No, too fecking hard
  • Get myself spied on? Not bloody likely
  • Get lost, Iā€™m being bizness

0 voters

1 Like
2

I make fucking puzzles all day everyday, thisā€™ll be a piece of piā€¦

ā€¦what dafuq is that?

3
  • Each square is either black or white. Some of the black squares have already been filled in for you.
  • Each row or column is labelled with a string of numbers. The numbers indicate the length of all consecutive runs of black squares and are displayed in the order that the runs appear in that line. For example, a label ā€œ2 1 6ā€ indicates sets of two, one and six black squares, each of which will have at least one white square separating them
  • Complete the grid with a black pen
4

Worked out how to do it, but canā€™t do it now. Will complete at home.

5

Itā€™s going to be a QR code, I know that much.

So Cherts, me olā€™ BA mucker, whatā€™s going to be your methodology?

6

My attention span hasā€¦

7

Methodology (or at least the way that I would approach it):

Start by finding all the columns and rows in which the total of black squares plus spaces between the blocks is equal to 25, with each space being only a single square. For example, the fourth row up from the bottom is 1 3 1 3 10 2, which adds up to 20. There are six blocks, so there must be five spaces, each of which can be only one square. Furthermore, the black blocks must start and end at the edge of the square. Even with no blocks already filled, this row fills itself.

Thatā€™s as far as Iā€™ve looked yet - looks like itā€™s been a popular puzzle, as GCHQā€™s web site seems to have stalled! But once youā€™ve done all the rows and columns which are as easy as the one Iā€™ve dissected, the rest will begin to take shape. This may, of course be overly optimistic, but youā€™ll only find out if you attempt to do it.

If I can get onto their web site at some point I may well have a go - I assume it can be done online.

8

Double agent.

9

Originally posted by @Goatboy

Double agent.

Donā€™t know what you meanā€¦ :lou_lol:

10

Originally posted by @Fowllyd

Originally posted by @Goatboy

Double agent.

Donā€™t know what you meanā€¦ :lou_lol:

Sneaky.

11

Fowllyd gets my vote for new site intellectual. Even if heā€™s blagging it, he sounds impressive.

12

Itā€™s Picross with a 25x25 grid.

13

2 Likes
14

Thatā€™s how I started and, believ me, itā€™s not very simple after that.

Knowing itā€™s a QR code makes it slightly simpler too as 3 of the corners are filled in already.