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Puzzle #216: Can you play the game and win?

Can you solve this week’s logic puzzle, Game of stones? Plus the answer to puzzle #215

5 April 2023

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#216 Game of stones

Set by Daniel Griller

Let’s play a game, dear reader. I have placed three stones on a number line: one on 0, one on 20 and one on 40. You and I shall take the game in turns; on a turn, a player picks up one of the two outer stones and places it on a whole number between the other two stones. The game continues until the stones occupy three consecutive whole numbers, whereupon no further moves can be made, and the game ends. The player who made the final move is the winner.

As …

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