Henry Ernest Dudeney/Puzzles and Curious Problems/193 - Square Table-Top/Solution

Puzzles and Curious Problems by Henry Ernest Dudeney: $193$

Square Table-Top

The illustration represents a $7 \times 7$ piece of veneer which has been cut into a number of pieces,

of which the shaded pieces are unusable.

A cabinet maker had to fit together the remaining $8$ pieces of veneer to form a small square table-top, $6 \times 6$,

and he stupidly cut that piece No. $8$ into three parts.

How would you form the square without cutting any one of the pieces?

Solution

Attractive and elegant.

Sources

• 1932: Henry Ernest Dudeney: Puzzles and Curious Problems ... (previous) ... (next): Solutions: $193$. -- Square Table-Top
• 1968: Henry Ernest Dudeney: 536 Puzzles & Curious Problems ... (previous) ... (next): Answers: $355$. Square Table Top