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The complete letter from Games and Puzzles.
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Games & Puzzles,
P.O. Box 23,
Godalming,
Surrey GU8 4AH
19th May, 1981 |
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A. Snowie Esq.,
R.R. 1 Kamloops B.C.,
Canada V2C 1Z3
Dear Mr. Snowie,
Your letter to AHC publications has only just been passed
on to me and I hope you haven't given up all hope of a reply.
The chessboard dissection you mention was produced by
Theydon Games – a firm about which we now know nothing.
Games & Puzzles magazine published the pieces and a solution
(in Issues 67 and 70). According to the puzzles Editor of the
day there is one 'basic' solution which included within it a
3 by 7 rectangle which can then be rotated 180 to give a second
solution.
Your extension of the puzzle is interesting but as to what
is and what is not commercial – I confess myself nonplussed.
It seems to me that many fine puzzles are repeatedly turned down
and many unoriginal repetitions keep turning up. At the moment
puzzles manufacturers are rare in our part of the world – there
is a flood of oriental matter which is just a cheap re-make of
old stuff.
Pentangle, in England, represent the top end of the market
but I would not be optimistic – unless the formation of the cube
from the flat 'chessboard' has some peculiar property.
However, there is no reason why you should not pursue the idea
- you can take out a patent if you wish – it is the form of the
object which is covered, not its originality! It is expensive
and may not be worth the return. There is no foolproof way of
covering an invention and in this case it may be worth the risk
to send it to reputable firms.
What I am not clear on is, given that the board's squares are
cubes, how the other faces are coloured – if they are at all?
Does each piece bear the same colouring on the opposite face, and
are the edge faces patterned at all?
I will make the puzzle up myself and see what it looks like.
It may be possible to publish a version in our new puzzles
magazine, TOP PUZZLES, where we have a 'do-it-yourself' page.
Just a thought – does your version, when turned into the 4-cube
have a chessboard pattern on each face – can that be done?
I'd better stop now, in the hope that this answers the points
in your letter, and head for the cubes and the black paint!
With very best wishes.
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Yours,
Trevor Truran,
Puzzles Editor
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