Puzzle

62 entries in Match & Matchbox / Match / Puzzle
Creators Title Comments & References Year Source Page AA Categories
Streichholz-Rätsel layout puzzle
 		Feb. 1899
Die Zauberwelt (Vol. 5 No. 2)
31
Talmi Bellachini Ein Streichholzscherz burning a match with its head down without burning oneself
 		Apr. 1899
Die Zauberwelt (Vol. 5 No. 4)
62
To Lift Three Matches with One
1902
The Modern Conjurer
301
A Bridge of Matches
1902
The Modern Conjurer
314
Friedrich "Fritz" Hügli Wer nimmt das letzte Streichholz? puzzle, 15 matches on table 1, 2 or three can be removed at each turn, last one loses
 		1930
Zauberkunststücke
13
Friedrich "Fritz" Hügli Das Geldstück unter dem Streichholz bar bet, two matches balanced on matchbox and on coin, coin has to be removed
 		1930
Zauberkunststücke
14
Foscola Ein Streichholzscherz how to hold a burning match upside down for thirty seconds
 		Mar. 1941
La Baguette Magique (Issue 3)
7
Danny Morris, Doc Hurwitz Betcha word play bet with a coin and three matches
 		Nov. 1942
The Phoenix (Issue 22)
93
7 kleine Tricks am Tisch
  • bet with matches
  • balancing a pencil
  • balancing three coins
  • balancing a glass on the table
  • coin penetrates filled beer glass and tabletop
  • magnetized cigarette
  • balancing a pencil, different method
 		Sep. 1942
Hokus Pokus (Vol. 4 No. 9)
3
Richard Himber Paper Match Throwing match landing on the side, bar bet
 		Feb. 1943
The Phoenix (Issue 28)
118
Albert Cohn Betcha holding a burning paper match upside down for 50 seconds
 		Apr. 1943
The Phoenix (Issue 32)
132
John R. Boyko, John McCormick Blitz-Match winning game
Related to
  • correction on page 154
 May 1943
The Phoenix (Issue 36)
149
L. Vosburgh Lyons Match Puzzle eleven matches, triangle
Related to
  • page 171 for the solution
 July 1943
The Phoenix (Issue 40)
167
Tom Fitzgerald A Cute Betcha match balancing on edge of a match, everything is covered under a glass, removing match without touching anything
 		Feb. 1944
The Phoenix (Issue 53)
217
Match Puzzle
Feb. 1947
The Phoenix (Issue 120)
484
George G. Kaplan The Fifteen Match-Sticks Puzzle game/puzzle
 		1948
The Fine Art of Magic
279
Harold J. Kelly Match Monte fifteen matches in three row, variation on game of NIM, see p. 566 for notes by Fitch Cheney
 		June 1949
Hugard's Magic Monthly (Vol. 7 No. 1)
549
Will Baffel The Girl with the Eggs puzzle with matches
Also published here June 1951
The Phoenix (Issue 232)
929
Martin Gardner Two Puzzles
  • arranging seven cigarettes so they all touch
  • arranging four matches into a square that becomes smaller and smaller
Related to Mar. 1958
Ibidem (Issue 13)
5
Martin Gardner Puzzle Solution: Matches arranging four matches into a square that becomes smaller and smaller
Related to Mar. 1959
Ibidem (Issue 16)
10
Martin Gardner Stick Up bar bet with bent paper clip and paper match, creator unknown
 		Oct. 1959
Ibidem (Issue 18)
7
John Murray 20-16=7 match puzzle
 		Dec. 1960
The New Phoenix (Issue 352)
237
Dr. William Weyeneth Denksportaufgabe für Fortgeschrittene puzzle with matches
 		1965
Hokus Pokus (Vol. 26 No. 5)
81
Match Puzzle see p. 144 for solution
Related to
  • p. 172 for George Blake suggestion
Also published here 		Nov. 1967
The Pallbearers Review Vol. 1-4 (Vol. 3 No. 1)
132
George Blake Match Up climax for match puzzle in which matches are in both fists head up and down
Inspired by
  • item in Magigram, Nov/Dec 1967
 Apr. 1968
The Pallbearers Review Vol. 1-4 (Vol. 3 No. 6)
174
Match Layout Puzzle shown to Martin Gardner by Persi Diaconis
Also published here July 1968
Ibidem (Issue 33)
30
Ken De Courcy Part one - Match Puzzles chapter intro
 		1971
At the Drop of a Match
4
Tantalising Cocktail layout puzzle
 		1971
At the Drop of a Match
4
Upstream - Downstream layout puzzle with fish
 		1971
At the Drop of a Match
5
Martin Gardner Fish Layout Puzzle
Variations Aug. 1974
The Pallbearers Review Vol. 9-10 (Vol. 9 No. 10)
776
, Alex Elmsley, Tony Faro, Ed Schuman Festive Fun a coin puzzle by Alex Elmsley and by Tony Faro, logic puzzles, making smoke powder by burning a striking surface, match problems by Tony Faro, medium card revelation, a number puzzle by Ed Schuman and how to stick a bottle on a wall

 		Dec. 1975
Pabular (Vol. 2 No. 4)
192
Karl Fulves Things Equal "Math Trix"
match puzzle
 		Oct. 1975
The Pallbearers Review Vol. 9-10 (Vol. 10 No. 12)
1058
Cerilla-X match is marked on one side and thrown on the table, mark side is up, gag or bar bet
 		1975
Magia en el Bar
75
Karl Fulves Routined Magic match puzzle, then coin penetrates upwards through table into match box, example for routining two things
 		1977
The Magic Book
27
Fred Robinson, Bob Hamilton Where There's Smoke
  • bar bet with a match box
  • matchbox and coin, divine if heads or tails, stooge
  • match in hand, matchbox balanced on back of the hand, box is tossed and match ignited
  • remove flame from lighter to light cigarette, gag
 		June 1978
Pabular (Vol. 4 No. 10)
588
Fred Robinson, Peter Wentworth, Wally Boyce Where There's Smoke
  • jumping match
  • match puzzle, breaking it with one hand
  • puzzle, match head falls off
 		Aug. 1978
Pabular (Vol. 4 No. 12)
609
Willy "Tex Williams" Peter Jack Le Dair und die Zündhölzer some puzzles with matches from Jack Le Dair's "Tricks of a Trouper"
 		1978
Hokus Pokus (Vol. 39 No. 3)
82
Streichhölzer collection of thirteen bar bets and puzzles with matches
 		Mar. 1980
Intermagic (Vol. 7 No. 1)
21
William H. McCaffrey Die verheirateten Streichhölzer story illustrated with matches
Also published here
  • Genii, July 1977
 Nov. 1980
Intermagic (Vol. 7 No. 3)
118
Primitive Calculator puzzle with matches
 		1981
Interlocutor (Issue 45)
178
Euclid's Triangle No. 10, puzzle, forming eight triangles with six matches
 		1981
Self-Working Table Magic
15
Squaring the Square No. 11
 		1981
Self-Working Table Magic
16
Four Square No. 12
 		1981
Self-Working Table Magic
16
The Roman Equation No. 13, roman numbers, changing point of view
 		1981
Self-Working Table Magic
17
A Fish Story No. 14, match puzzle, fishes has to swim in other direction by moving some matches
 		1981
Self-Working Table Magic
17
Tipsy Cocktail No. 15, match puzzle, glass with four matches and an olive inside, moving two matches to remove olive from glass
 		1981
Self-Working Table Magic
18
The Little House No. 16, Ann Ten, match Puzzle
 		1981
Self-Working Table Magic
19
World's Strongest? No. 17, lifting a matchbox with two fingers on a cigarette box, first and little finger
 		1981
Self-Working Table Magic
19
Will Baffel Die Eierfrau puzzle with matches
Also published here June 1981
Intermagic (Vol. 8 No. 2)
73
Stephen Tucker Star of Wonder match puzzle as revelation of star sign with ESP symbols
 		Dec. 1982
Spell-Binder (Vol. 2 No. 20)
390
Rudolf Braunmüller Kuriositäten
  • 1. Einsteins Theorie
  • 2. Das Siebener-Problem
  • 3. Das 7-Streichhölzer-Problem
 		Oct. 1987
Intermagic (Vol. 13 No. 1)
22
Milbourne Christopher Ein Taschentrick layout puzzle with matches, ends with appearing matches
 		1997
Intermagic (Vol. 21 No. 2)
79
Matching Matches
  • "Dot Com - Tricks and stunts with numbers"
equation with matches
 		1998
The Fine Print (Issue 8)
246
Streichhölzer puzzles and impromptu effects
 		1999
Intermagic (Vol. 23 No. 2)
69
Martin Gardner Three Drop Task
  • Martin Gardner's Corner
challenge of dropping match or cork so they stand in impossible conditions
 		Dec. 1999
Magic (Vol. 9 No. 4)
92
The Giraffe Puzzle match layout puzzle, see page 62 of next issue for solution
Also published here
  • Martin Gardner article in Games magazine, Oct. 1997
 2000
Charlatan (Issue 4)
48
Martin Gardner Match Ace layout puzzle
 		2002
Latter Day Secrets (Issue 7)
264
Karl Fulves Match Maker layout puzzle about making words out of matches
 		2006
Prolix (Issue 2)
94
Karl Fulves Squarersville layout puzzle
 		2007
Prolix (Issue 3)
153
Roberto Giobbi The Matchstick Routine layout puzzles
  • First Part
  • Second Part
  • Third Part
  • Bonus Part
 		Oct. 2007
Genii (Vol. 70 No. 10)
18
Pekka Gunst Reindeer Puzzle match puzzle
 		2010
Secret Agenda (Issue May 28)
159
Matches matchstick puzzle
 		2016
Hidden Agenda (Issue May 14)
138