126 Geometrical Problems
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- IMPROVISED CHESSBOARD
A good cutting-out puzzle in as few
as two pieces is not often forthcoming.
Here is one that I think cannot fail to
interest readers. Cut this piece of
checkered linoleum into only two
pieces, that will fit together and form
a perfect chessboard, without disturb-
ing the checkering of black and white.
Of course, it would be easy to cut off
those two overhanging white squares
and put them in the vacant places,
but this would be doing it in three
pieces.- THE PATCHWORK CUSHION
A lady had twenty pieces of silk, all
of the same triangular shape and size.
She found that four of these would fit
together and form a perfect square, as
in the illustration. How was she to fit
together these twenty pieces to form a
perfectly square patchwork cushion?
There must be no waste, and no allow-
ance need be made for turnings.- THE DAMAGED RUG
A lady had a valuable Persian rug
12 feet by 9 feet, which was badly
damaged by fire. So she cut from the
middle a strip 8 feet by 1 foot, as
shown in the illustration, and then
cut the remainder into two pieces that
fitted together and made a perfectly