The traditional ‘Matchstick Puzzles’ ask you to move matchsticks to increase or decrease the number of squares in the puzzle. My puzzles are slightly different.

Here are four puzzle squares where you simply need to take away sticks to leave the given number of squares. All the squares you leave must touch even just at a corner. Two things to notice. The puzzles go neatly 5, 10, 15, 20 squares and if you are artistic you might like to aim for symmetrical solutions.

3 x 3 Puzzle  Remove four sticks to leave 5 squares.

4 x 4 Puzzle  Remove six sticks to leave 10 squares.

5 x 5 Puzzle  Remove ten sticks to leave 15 squares.

6 x 6 Puzzle  Remove sixteen sticks to leave 20 squares.

A pencil and paper might be needed. If you are an experienced puzzler you will solve the four puzzles easily. The answers are shown below - just to prove they can be solved.

Answers