Logic Masters Deutschland e.V.

This year, Wachtel, Wechtel, Wochtel and Wuchtel have taken on the task of creating the birthday puzzle for Rainer, and as expected, things go haywire for the lively lads. Wichtel himself has to intervene and bring some order into the planning.

"There must be a Japanese sum, it is generally known that you can do the most with it," he says authoritatively. "But in addition to the usual numbers 1-9, we'll also add another 2, another 3 and then an X=10, because of the nice product these three numbers make."

"Yes, but a few slitherlinks must be laid on top of that, because nothing beats a well-kept slitherlink," Wachtel exclaims. "The slitherlinks may cross each other, but they must go straight ahead at the intersections," growls Wechtel. "And the slitherlinks can then also separate the sums, just like the black fields normally do. You save space and can write a number in each field," says Wochtel happily. "But then we need four slitherlinks so that each of us can make our favourite slitherlink," says Wuchtel.

But Wichtel urges moderation: "4 slitherlinks are far too many, they don't even fit into the diagram. Can't you limit yourselves to 2 slitherlinks? Team up in pairs (Team Yellow and Team Blue) and create a slitherlink for each team. Some of you divide the diagram lengthwise into two equal halves, the others crosswise, and everyone uses their own favourite rules for the hints on their half.

Then you mark all the fields on the Japanese sums where your hints fit exactly. Team Yellow marks these fields yellow, Team Blue marks them blue, and if the hints fit for both teams, then you make them green."

Everyone agrees and goes straight to work.

All the best and have fun with it, Rainer!