Patches #228 divides a 7×7 board into six rectangles. Four clues specify an area; the other two specify a shape.
This is an earlier Patches puzzle. Latest Patches Answer: #240 (Nov 12)
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Reveal Hint #1Hint #1
The 15-cell patch is a tall rectangle near the upper middle. Factor 15 before choosing its width.
Reveal Hint #2Hint #2
The square clue near the top right occupies a 3×3 area.
Reveal Hint #3Hint #3
The 12-cell patch fills rows 6–7, columns 2–7. Use the leftmost column to fit the smaller strips.
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Patches #228 Solution
Patches: 3 (3×1) from R1C1 to R3C1; 15 (5×3) from R1C2 to R5C4; 9 (3×3) from R1C5 to R3C7; 4 (4×1) from R4C1 to R7C1; 6 (2×3) from R4C5 to R5C7; 12 (2×6) from R6C2 to R7C7.
How to Solve Patches #228
Patches #228 covers its 7×7 board with these six rectangles. Row and column ranges include both endpoints.
- 15-cell clue at R1C4: rows 1–5, columns 2–4; 5×3 = 15 cells.
- square clue at R2C7: rows 1–3, columns 5–7; 3×3 = 9 cells.
- 3-cell clue at R3C1: rows 1–3, columns 1–1; 3×1 = 3 cells.
- 6-cell clue at R5C7: rows 4–5, columns 5–7; 2×3 = 6 cells.
- tall clue at R6C1: rows 4–7, columns 1–1; 4×1 = 4 cells.
- 12-cell clue at R7C4: rows 6–7, columns 2–7; 2×6 = 12 cells.
The 15-cell rectangle is five rows tall and three columns wide. The upper-right square is 3×3. On the left edge, the three-cell strip sits above the four-cell tall strip. The six-cell rectangle fills the middle-right area, and the twelve-cell rectangle spans the bottom two rows from column 2 onward. Areas total 49 cells. Every patch contains exactly one original clue, and the square and tall clues retain their shape requirements. Unnumbered clues stay unnumbered in the image.
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