PuzzleMaster

Cast Trinity

Posted on Sep 11, 2018 by Gabriel | 1 comments
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It's that time again... Another Cast Puzzle, another adventure. And what an adventure the Cast Trinity is. This is one hell of a challenge, and it's not by accident that it won this year's IPP 38 Jury 1st Prize. One thing that I have to mention though, is that I prefer the look that it had when it was presented at the IPP, with the three distinct colors (copper, silver and gold). It look absolutely gorgeous. Hanayama went for a more subdued presentation, with just one color (bronze) for all three pieces.

Designed by Kyoo Wong, the Trinity, as its name suggests, is comprised of three similar pieces, although at close inspection they each have unique features. At the starting position all three pieces are interlocked with each other, so separating them seems quite a complex task. It's rated by Hanayama as a level 6/6, and I completely agree with them. The design is very elegant, maybe sort of reminiscent to a mixture of the Cast Radix and the Cast Baroq.

The Cast Trinity does have one thing that is quite unusual for a Cast Puzzle, and that's because it has multiple combinations you can make with the three pieces. With that, you're not limited to a unique solution, and that's a good thing. If you mess up the original configuration, it's not like that's the only one you can make. I think this makes it a tad easier than say, the Cast Vortex (one of the hardest Cast puzzles ever, in my opinion). But, it's only slightly easier. It's still a very difficult puzzle to solve.

Just like any other interlocking puzzles of this nature, the Cast Trinity is probably even more difficult to put together. When you're taking it apart, you don't notice the order that the pieces are separated, but putting it back together should follow a certain set of movements. I'm still trying to put it back to its original state, but I'm no closer to it than when I started.

Solution: You can download the solution for this puzzle here.

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Closing Comments:

The Cast Trinity doesn't disappoint in any way. Looking at it, you'll know immediately what awaits you - a great challenge. Maybe the color choosing by Hanayama could've been different, but that's just a minor observation. If you like tough puzzles, you can't go wrong with this one.

Availability: The Cast Trinity is available at PuzzleMaster for $15.99 CAD. Check out the store for others in the Hanayama Cast Series.


Bram's Magic

Posted on Aug 28, 2018 by Gabriel | 1 comments
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Ever since the invention of the Rubik's Cube there have been countless toys that tried to replicate the success it had, all that enthusiasm around it. It's difficult, however, to replicate not only the success but also the era that made it all possible.

Today, we have many distractions, not only in the form of other toys, but other forms of entertainment as well. Many possible Rubik's successors may pass under the radar because not many people knew about them to begin with. This is, in my opinion, what may happen to Bram's Magic. A one of a kind toy/puzzle that may be a victim of today's many distractions and a saturated market.

Put Bram's Magic in the golden 80's and you could've witnessed a major icon being born. Unfortunately, we're in 2018 and Bram's Magic is just another novelty among others. Nevertheless, that shouldn't put you off trying one of the best puzzles I've had the pleasure to play with in the last 10 years. It's that good!

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Bram's Magic is the combination of the brilliant work between two geniuses in the puzzle community, Bram Cohen and Oskar van Deventer. If you love puzzles and you don't know who they are, you probably have been living under a rock for the past 15 years or so. They're two of the most prolific puzzle designers in the world, and this puzzle may be their best work yet.

This lovely invention has everything you could ask for in a puzzle: a challenge; fun to play with; easy to understand; flawless and smooth movement; and most of all, hard to master. And yet, once you pick it up it'll be very hard to put it down. Its mesmerizing twisting movement, combined with the shapes and patterns you can create, make for a very satisfying experience, indeed.

Like any other good puzzle, there's a main goal between all that fun, and that's to try and get one of the sides all white and the other all blue. Sounds simple enough, but that's actually as hard as a puzzle can get. You'll need to understand the puzzle's movements and patterns very well before you can attempt this daunting task. One simple movement and all your previous hard work can be undone in a matter of seconds. You have to predict what a specific movement will do - what shape you must go for in order to get the pattern you want. This is one really tough puzzle... But darn if it isn't fun!

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Closing Comments:

Bram's Magic is so good, a genius couldn't come up with it on his own. That's why it was invented by two geniuses. If you don't like a tough challenge, you can just play with it as a fidget toy... for hours on end. I know I've been having a great time with it. Highly recommend it to anyone, even non-puzzlers.

Availability: Bram's Magic is available at PuzzleMaster for $24.99 CAD. A similar and cheaper version is available for $19.99 CAD, made by ThinkFun.


5x5 Sudoku - Vol.1

Posted on Aug 23, 2018 by Gabriel | 0 comments
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It's been over one hundred years since the first 9x9 magic square puzzles started to be published in newspapers, though the name Sudoku has been in use for just about 30 years. Countless variations have been invented and refined - some crazy difficult, others much more accessible to the masses. The Sudoku variation I've discovered recently is definitely for the more casual puzzle aficionado, but can still offer some challenge for the seasoned puzzler.

5x5 Sudoku is just like what its name suggests. Unlike a classic grid of 9x9 cells, this new variation has a length of only 5x5 cells. The grid is divided into five subsections, or regions, with a central cross, resulting in a visually appealing symmetry.

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The paperback book, authored by Christopher Thomas, is nicely presented with 200 puzzles, each page containing one single large square with a puzzle. However, with a more economical approach, the book could've easily featured 800 puzzles in it. A suggestion for later volumes in the series. I can understand the design choice, though, as you are able to concentrate easily on one puzzle at a time. As this is the first of several planned books, you'll start slow and easy. Expect a higher challenge in the coming volumes. Solutions for each puzzle are provided at the end of the book.

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Like any other Sudoku puzzle, you start with a partially completed grid with eight numbers neatly and sparsely placed on the grid. A well-trained eye will surely notice the well planned symmetry of the starting numbers, as if a beautiful mathematical dance was being carried on between the puzzle and the solver. Only one solution per puzzle is possible.

I've solved almost half of the available puzzles, so far. Even though they're easily solvable within 5 minutes or less, this variation is really fun. With less numbers to think about (you only use numbers from 1 to 5), and with a less crowded grid, you'll breeze through the 200 puzzles in no time. Maybe those 800 puzzles wouldn't be so bad, after all...

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You'll find on the photos that I've not written on the book. I personally don't like to write on the books. I've even made an Excel file on my phone specifically for this book so as to not spoil it. You can also do the puzzles on a paper notebook or something, if you also don't like to write on your books. In the end, you'll find that you can reuse the book and solve all the puzzles again whenever you like, since there are no marks on it that prevent you from doing so again and enjoy it a second, or third, or how many times you want. You can even lend it to a friend. Just don't forget to tell them not to write on it...

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I have no specific strategies to solve a Sudoku puzzle. But then again, I'm a casual when it comes to Sudoku. I like to take my time and discover how to solve the puzzle on my own without thinking too much about special tactics and strategies. I've been playing it for years, and that's how I intend to keep doing it.

Closing Comments:

I was pleasantly surprised by this new Sudoku variation. It's a simple and yet addicting puzzle, great for a short break from your daily life. If you like the classic Sudoku, you're gonna love the 5x5 Sudoku. Can't wait for the next volumes.

Availability: You can find the 5x5 Sudoku vol.1 on Amazon for just £6.99.

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Magnetic Match Rings

Posted on Aug 14, 2018 by Gabriel | 0 comments
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If there's one thing that most of us find fascinating and intriguing at the same time, is magnets. One way or another we marveled at how two seemingly uninteresting objects can attract or repel by way of an invisible force. How can a small object have so much force that it can easily win gravity, the force that keeps all things on Earth from falling into space? This fascination transcends all age groups, and whether you're 4 or 104, the "attraction" we feel by this subject won't get weaker as we age.

Thinking about this topic, Popular Playthings created a game that shows us how fun playing with magnets really is. Packed with 40 different challenges, Magnetic Match Rings is an educational tool that teaches how magnets work, but also how to manipulate them in order to show a specific pattern, improving hand-eye coordination and visual matching skills. If you're a seasoned puzzler and you're looking for a challenge, this is not for you, though. There's no actual difficulty here, just plain science.

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The game is rated as a difficulty level 7/10, but to be honest, I don't know how it can even have a difficulty rating. In order to solve any of the 40 challenges you always have a 50/50 change of getting it right. If the rings are not snapping together, they will absolutely repel each other. There's no other possible outcome. This is supposed to be a fun and educational game, not a puzzle. That's why I don't agree at all with the rating. If you approach it with the correct mindset, you're in for a treat. Otherwise, you're going to be disappointed.

With the rating out of the way, let's get snapping.

The game features 10 colorful ring magnets and a stand with a post that helps keep the rings in place when stacking them. Just choose one of the 40 challenges and start stacking. If the magnets attract, they're going to snap together as a unique object. But, if they repel each other, they will produce a nice effect, as they will float above the other magnets. You can also try to create your own patterns, since the possibilities are way more than just 40.

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Closing Comments:

The Magnetic Match Rings game is a nice and fun way to play with magnets. There are a lot of magnet gadgets on the market today, but this is the first time I've seen one like this. And it definitely deserves your attention. Just don't expect to get challenged by it and you'll have a great time. It's just a fun game to play with.

Availability: You can get a copy of the Magnetic Match Rings at PuzzleMaster for just $16.99 CAD. Check out other interesting games by Popular Playthings.


Spinning Wheels

Posted on Jul 31, 2018 by Gabriel | 1 comments
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Rotational/Rearrangement puzzles are quite common to see. But how many are made by Jürgen Reiche's company Siebenstein-Spiele? This German puzzle manufacturer makes gorgeous puzzles at an affordable price, which in my book is always a plus. Their presentation is always something to contemplate, as they use different wood colors, many times in combination with acrylic, for maximum visual impact.

Spinning Wheels is a very nice puzzle that appears to be rather easy to do, but still can transform into an interesting challenge. Rotational/Rearrangement puzzles use basically the same logic as a Twisty Puzzle (Rubik's Cube), only it's presented in 2D. If you have experience solving cubes and other twisty puzzles this won't be too difficult, but fun is guaranteed.

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The puzzle features four overlapping wheels, each with four numbers, and each sharing two numbers with its adjacent neighbors. The idea is to rearrange the wheels so that each one shows the numbers from 1 to 4 in sequential order and counter-clockwise - Not sure if clockwise is solvable.

If you tried a similar puzzle before, you know that you need to have the wheels properly aligned to have smooth movements, which is not always achievable, since the pieces are a bit loose. To be fair, a puzzle with tight movements also jams, so it's something you have to live with when dealing with mechanical puzzles. Overall, it has a satisfying movement.

As previously mentioned, this is not an easy puzzle to solve. It's rated as a level 9/10. By nature, Rotational/Rearrangement puzzles are always difficult, so that's a given. But in general, as far as this type of puzzle is concerned, it's not the most difficult I've encountered in this category. Took me about half an hour to solve it. If it had a couple more wheels, then it would have been one hell of a challenge. As it is, I'd rate it a 7/10, and not more.

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Closing Comments:

Spinning Wheels by Siebenstein-Spiele is a great introductory puzzle for the Rotational/Rearrangement category. It's challenging enough to prepare you to other, more challenging puzzles. As an added challenge, try to get each of the four numbers in groups, instead of sequentially (like 111, 222, 333, 444).

Availability: Spinning Wheels is available from PuzzleMaster for just $29.99 CAD. Siebenstein-Spiele also has many other interesting puzzles on offer.


Eingeengt 2

Posted on Jul 17, 2018 by Gabriel | 0 comments
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If packing puzzles weren't difficult already, there's another type of puzzles that promise to elevate the difficulty to much higher levels. These are called constrained packing puzzles and, like the name suggests, you are constrained by a limited number of moves as you try to pack the pieces inside the frame in a specific order. Eingeengt 2 is one for the courageous puzzle solver...

Eingeengt 2 was designed by Jean Claude Constantin and, as you might've guessed by now, this is the second design of this type. You can check out my review for that one from six years ago. Back then, I loved the idea and concept of the constrained puzzle, and this time it's no different. It's a really clever design, which defines what a great challenge should be.

The new design features seven pieces, one more than its predecessor, and a different way to constrain the pieces. The acrylic cover of the frame has a shape cut that only lets one piece at a time to be fitted, and even then, you must slide the already fitted pieces around so that it allows for the remaining pieces to be placed. The solution is sequential, and only a careful planned strategy will solve it.

The puzzle is rated as a level 8/10, like its predecessor, but to my experience this one is much more difficult to solve. It's at least a level 9/10, in my opinion. It has a higher number of moves and the one extra piece is enough to exponentially raise the overall difficulty.

Closing Comments:

Despite it's higher difficulty, Eingeengt 2 is a superb puzzle. It's not like many other packing puzzles where the solver attempts to solve it at random. There's a logic solution behind it that must be discovered, and that makes the puzzles quite fascinating. A must for experienced puzzlers.

Availability: Eigeengt 2 is available at PuzzleMaster for $18.99 CAD. Many other interesting puzzles from Constantin are available.


Euro Falle 02

Posted on Jul 3, 2018 by Gabriel | 0 comments
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After having reviewed the first in the series of the Euro Falle puzzles, this time I concentrate my efforts toward the Euro Falle 02, a lovely trick puzzle with a hidden mechanism. Designed by the founder of Siebenstein-Spiele, Jürgen Reiche, this is yet another one of his genius creations, which I'm sure you're gonna love it.

Slightly bigger than its predecessor at 9.4cm x 4.3cm (3.7" x 1.7"), the Euro Falle 02 is still a tiny puzzle, but the challenge it will give you will be anything but that. Even though this is rated with the same difficulty as the first puzzle (7/10), I can definitely assure you that's not the case. It's at least a level above, which I'm sure you'll find out once you discover its solution.

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As mentioned in my previous review, there are at least six different designs for the Euro Falle puzzle, each with a different hidden mechanism that keeps a coin trapped inside. So far, this is only my second puzzle in the series, so the comparisons will have to be made with just the first one, which I already solved.

Design-wise, I prefer the Euro Falle 02, because it has a nicer overall appearance and shape. The difficulty has increased, but so has the elegance of the solution, which is among the best I've seen in any hidden mechanism, not just by a Siebenstein-Spiele puzzle. I really loved the solution. I discovered it by accident, just by inspecting it and fidgeting with it, which will happen naturally if you don't give up on it and keep insisting on studying every detail about it. It's such a clever design.

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Closing Comments:

Euro Falle 02 is a fantastic puzzle. At first sight it looks like nothing moves and it's impossible to remove the coin. However, the beauty lies in discovery and happy accidents (Bob Ross pun). I highly recommend this one, especially if you're into hidden mechanism puzzles. Bravo, Jürgen!

Availability: The Euro Falle 02 is temporarily out of stock at PuzzleMaster, but do check back again soon, as it will surely be back in stock in no time. In the meantime, you can browse other great designs and creations by Siebenstein-Spiele.


Euro Falle 01

Posted on Jun 19, 2018 by Gabriel | 0 comments
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Puzzle Boxes and Trick Puzzles are some of the most fascinating objects you can encounter as a puzzle solver. These puzzles have a secret that needs to be discovered, and it's up to you to find out how they work. One of these intriguing objects is called Euro Falle 01 (translated as Euro Trap), and it's designed by the German Jürgen Reiche and produced by Siebenstein-Spiele.

As the name indicates, this is the first in a series of puzzles that has at least six different versions, each one sporting a different design and opening secret. The goal, as you can guess, is to free the 20c Euro coin from the trap. There's also another 1c coin on the back of the puzzle, just to make your task a little more fun (and possibly, more complicated).

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This is a rather tiny puzzle, measuring just 5.3cm x 3cm (2.1" x 1.2"), which fits perfectly in the palm of your hand. Not much space for complex mechanisms, but don't judge it by its size. Rated as a level 7/10, you'll have to put your thinking hat on. Made with a combination of laser-cut wood and acrylic, the puzzle looks gorgeous even at this size.

Solving this puzzle is a mixture of past experience with puzzles of this type and a bit of luck/cunning. To be honest, I wasn't anywhere near at solving the puzzle when, purely by accident, I found the main mechanism that keeps everything locked. In all fairness, I wouldn't have discovered it if I wasn't so persistent at inspecting the puzzle from all angles, so the luck part played just a small role in the solving process. It was a nice Eureka moment, when I saw how to free the coin, which is what these puzzles are all about.

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Closing Comments:

Euro Falle 01 is a great puzzle that can be solved by anyone with a curious mind. It also keeps me interested to explore the others in this series and to try and solve them. Not bad for a small puzzle.

Availability: The Euro Falle 01 puzzle can be found at PuzzleMaster for just $16.99 CAD. There are also many others by Siebenstein-Spiele to discover.


An Easy One

Posted on Jun 5, 2018 by Gabriel | 0 comments
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If you get a puzzle which goes by the name "An Easy One", you should be very suspicious. It might be the designer wants to have a laugh at your expense. Don't say I didn't warn you...

Designed by the German Jürgen Reiche, An Easy One is a great packing puzzle to test your solving skils, or just to keep your brain in good shape. Similar in concept to the classic Four T's, which has had countless versions over the years (here's one), An Easy One by Siebenstein-Spiele has a different approach, but if you solved the Four T's you can easily solve this one.

With a diameter of 7.8cm (3.1"), the puzzle is rather small, which is perfect if you want to take it with you on your travels, or show it to some friends to torture them. There are five pieces, four identical L-shaped ones and a small square. The idea is to fit all four pieces plus the square inside the frame.

As mentioned above, if you have experience with this kind of puzzles, you already know how the solution should look like. Accomplishing this won't be difficult, but the final pattern is always nice to see when you finally put it all together. This is rated as a level 7/10, but I think in all fairness, it's not that difficult.



Closing Comments:

This turned out to be "An Easy One", after all. Well, maybe for a seasoned puzzler. But if you are new to packing puzzles, don't dismiss it. I really like this type of puzzles, even if it's just to add them to my never-ending collection.

Availability: You can find this "Easy One" at PuzzleMaster for just $14.99 CAD. You can also browse many others by Siebenstein-Spiele.


Svetnashki - Blue

Posted on May 22, 2018 by Gabriel | 0 comments
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It's been 8 years since I first reviewed the original Svetnashki and its other versions, the puzzle that uses polarized light. A simple explanation just doesn't make it justice, though. It was already one of my favorite puzzles back then, and eight years on, it's still an absolute favorite, probably in my top 3. It was invented by Vladimir Krasnoukhov.

What fascinates me in this puzzle is the simple process in which a clear or transparent tile can be transformed into a dark tile by what appears to be a magic trick. When a tile passes through one of the polarized filters in the back of the puzzle, it appears as clear or dark. There's no magic involved, though, just pure science. If you want to know more about the science behind this concept, check out this link.

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Over the years, as I gathered more and more puzzles in my collection, I always found myself returning to this simple puzzle time and time again. The fact that there's no right or wrong solution is also quite appealing. You make your own patterns. There's a couple of simple challenges, though, like having all the tiles appear as clear or all as dark. When you master these two challenges, you can make any type of pattern the 4x4 grid allows. Think the 4x4 grid is too small? You can also get it bigger, in a 6x4 or 6x6.

I already had in my collection the white 4x4 (my first Svetnashki), the bigger 4x4, the double-layer 4x4 and the larger 6x6. Each, a blast to play with. Since blue is my favorite color, I had to have this one as well, and because it's small, it's great to take it with me anywhere. It's a great puzzle to relax.

(Click to Enlarge) - All my Svetnashkis in one place
Closing Comments:

If you still don't have a Svetnashki, please consider your collection incomplete. This is an absolute must-have in any respectable collection. I promise you, you won't be disappointed. Playing with light has never been as fun as this.

Availability: You can find the Svetnashki Blue at PuzzleMaster for just $17.99 CAD. For other versions, check out this link.


Cast Chess - Queen

Posted on May 8, 2018 by Gabriel | 0 comments
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If the King is the most important piece in the game of chess, the Queen is without argument the most powerful. This statement is also true in the Hanayama Cast Chess, as the Queen is, by far, the most challenging one in the small collection of six. If you're solving them one by one, I recommend leaving this one for last.

Although the mechanism in each of the six puzzles is unique, the designs are somewhat similar and differ slightly from one another. This is what makes this Hanayama series so compelling and rewarding. Each puzzle will offer you something different. However, the slightest variation can sometimes mean a different approach when it comes to solving a puzzle...And the Queen stays true to this concept.

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Also, in my opinion, the Queen is one of the most beautiful puzzles of the Cast Chess collection, alongside the Knight. The detail in the crown is simple, but stunning. The shiny silver color makes the design stand out even more.

Compared to the King, the mechanism of the Queen is closer to it than the other puzzles in the series. It also has a spring mechanism, but instead of pushing, you need to pull. There's a couple of extra movements, which is what makes this puzzle much more difficult than the others.

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Closing Comments:

Being harder to solve than any of the other puzzles in the Cast Chess family also means that it's that much more rewarding when you finally solve it. With the collection now complete, I can safely say that these are now my favorite Hanayama puzzles. They're a masterpiece by both Hanayama and the original designer, Marcel Gillen.

Availability: The Cast Chess Queen is available at PuzzleMaster, together with all the others in the Cast Chess series.


Cast Chess - King

Posted on Apr 24, 2018 by Gabriel | 0 comments
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The King - It's the most important piece in the game of chess. Guarding it at all costs is a must if you want to be a great player. But what about as a puzzle piece? Is it also the most important one?

Hanayama has created a superb collection with these six chess puzzles, each representing a different piece of the original game of chess. As a series, the Cast Chess puzzles are all equally impressive and important, as each one has its own secret to discover and open it. Hidden inside, a special coin awaits for you to release it, but only after you find out how the hidden mechanism works.

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Surprisingly, the King is one of the easiest to solve out of all six puzzles. Maybe not that surprisingly, as analogous to the simple movements of the King in chess. Could just be that the designer, Marcel Gillen, wanted to stay true to what each piece represents. Also true to their counterparts in chess is the relative size of the pieces, as the King sits comfortably as the tallest piece in the series.

Without revealing too much about its solution, the King has a spring mechanism that you manipulate by pushing on the top of the puzzle. It's, in fact, one of the first things you notice about it. The rest is just a simple movement and the puzzle is open. Be careful not block your mechanism, because there's a real chance of that happening.

Solution: If you're having trouble with the solution, you can download one here.

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Closing Comments:

As far as puzzles go, the Cast Chess King is not very challenging. But, because it's part of a collection that you don't want incomplete, it's still worth getting. It's a great puzzle for beginners and a great gift for any chess lovers.

Availability: PuzzleMaster is the place to get anything puzzle related, whether it's the Cast Chess King or any other in the Cast Chess series.


N-5

Posted on Apr 10, 2018 by Gabriel | 0 comments
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Jean Claude Constantin makes very good sequential puzzles, many of which require hundreds of steps to solve, and aren't for the easily frustrated puzzlers. However, since not everybody has the patience of angels to solve unending sequences, Constantin made the N-5, a sequential movement puzzle that only require a couple dozen steps to be solved.

Made with four sliding laser-cut wooden plates, the N5 is a small puzzle, measuring just 8cm in diameter. The plates are placed in pairs perpendicular to each other. The top plates have four small mazes that have different paths, navigated by four pins. The goal is to slide the plates until you can free the small metal sphere trapped under them.

The puzzle looks a bit complex at first, but you'll soon find out that it's actually quite easy to solve, especially if you're used to sequential movement puzzles. I counted 22 moves until I could remove the sphere from the puzzle, but it could be even less. It can be solved within five minutes, and within one minute when you know the moves by heart.

I found it a bit more difficult to put the puzzle back to its original state, but I believe it was because I didn't know the moves by heart. Once you do, it's as easy to solve as it is to put it back. The difficulty level is 8/10, but I reckon it should be more about 7/10. The sequential movement is classified as 3-ary, or ternary (three states, as opposed to the binary's two states).

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Closing Comments:

I really liked the N-5 by Constantin. It's an easy puzzle to solve at any time without frustration, but still very fun to play with. Also, with just 20+ moves you can easily set it up for someone else to try it. This is recommended for beginners to practice, because there are bigger versions of this puzzle with much more moves (hundreds of moves).

Availability: You can find the N-5 puzzle at PuzzleMaster for $23.99 CAD. Check out other interesting puzzles by Jean Claude Constantin.


Cast Chess - Bishop

Posted on Mar 27, 2018 by Gabriel | 0 comments
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With half the Cast Chess puzzles already reviewed, it's safe to say that this is becoming my favorite Hanayama series. The Bishop is my latest acquisition, and I absolutely love it. Each of the six puzzles is unique in its design and mechanism, and that's exactly what gets me excited whenever I try another one. My only disappointment so far is that there's only six of them and I'll soon have tried them all. These puzzles were all designed by the French Marcel Gillen.

The Bishop is just as impressive as any other in the Cast Chess series. It's made with polished and shiny metal, which makes it look like a piece from an expensive set of chess, except this one is just a puzzle - A gorgeous puzzle at that.

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From what I experienced so far, the Bishop has the most elegant solution. The top of the piece has a pin attached to a spring, which of course is part of the solution, but I won't give it away. You still have to find out how that pin works with the rest of the mechanism, and it's not as easy as you'd expect. However, when it comes to hidden mechanisms, you shouldn't expect an easy puzzle anyway. There's always something that will surprise you...in a good way.

As far as difficulty goes, the Bishop is the most challenging Cast Chess puzzle I tried so far (I have 4). Even though that pin gives part of the solution away, it's still difficult to work out how it relates to the locking mechanism. The base of the puzzle rotates, but the effect is useless on it own. When you finally solve it, it gives you a rewarding and satisfying feeling that only hidden mechanism puzzles can give you.

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Solution: To download the solution, click here.

Closing Comments:

What can I say? Hanayama never ceases to amaze me. With each puzzle I try from the Cast Chess series, I become more excited for the next. The Bishop has exceed my expectations and it's equally as wonderful as any of the others in this special Hanayama collection.

Availability: The Cast Chess Bishop is available at PuzzleMaster, as well as all the others from the Cast Chess series.


Cast Chess - Knight

Posted on Mar 13, 2018 by Gabriel | 0 comments
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Hanayama certainly knows how to make great puzzles, and the latest Cast Chess series is proof of that. Six puzzles, each representing a chess piece, and all in silver, make up this exquisite collection. Originally designed by Marcel Gillen, Hanayama hasn't disappointed in their version of the French designer's puzzles.

The Knight is yet another wonderful puzzle made by the talented craftsmen at Hanayama, with a clean and polished surface. This is possibly the most beautiful and elegant of the Cast Chess series, in my opinion. It is so well made that it could be mistaken by a decorative object, which only the most astute could find out that this is even a puzzle. It's like a well disguised small safe, as the interior hollow allows you to hide a small coin or any other object of the same proportions.

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The mechanism is similar to the other Cast Chess puzzles, but has its own unique way of opening it. It's like having identical locks, but you need different keys to open them. And there lies the beauty of these puzzles. You might suspect how they are locked, but you have to study them in detail to really find what distinguishes them from the others.

Difficulty-wise, the Knight is about the same level as its brethren. It's difficult enough to have you guessing for several minutes, but not as difficult to provoque a frustrating feeling. It actually has the right amount of challenge that might leave you satisfied once you solve it.

Solution: If you get stuck, click here to download the Solution.

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Closing Comments:

The Knight is my favorite Cast Chess puzzle so far. It's beautiful and challenging, and the hidden mechanism is very well designed. If you like Cast Puzzles, then it's a safe bet you'll love this or any other from the Cast Chess series.

Availability: You can find the Cast Chess Knight and all the others in the Cast Chess series at PuzzleMaster. For more Cast Puzzles, check out this page.


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