I've got another one... just trying to solve it myself. 
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Right, I'll split this into two puzzles. The second part is a challenge and - even if you can solve it - extremely hard to show how you solved it. But it's a good brain workout.
Desert Solitaire - Easy Mode: 1 Point
You know how normal peg solitaire works? Jump a peg over another and the first is removed? Well desert solitaire works similarly except the aim is to reach a certain point out in the desert.
You start with a horizontal line which marks the edge of the desert:
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beneath this line you can place pegs wherever you want. Using the jumping rules of solitaire, your aim is to jump a peg out as far as FOUR holes into the desert.
I've attached the solution for TWO holes: first, jump the red peg out to reach the red x (that's the solution for ONE hole), then jump the blue peg left, then up over the red peg to reach the blue cross. Note that you can't place blue pegs where the red pegs started: they have to start from empty holes!
Reach hole FOUR to win the quiz.We can move on to the next quiz when somebody solves the easy mode...Desert Solitaire - Hard Mode: 3 Points!
Reaching the fourth hole is quite easy, but reaching the fifth is difficult. If you can reach hole FIVE, and demonstrate how it's done, you win 3 additional points, as well as much kudos for your presentation skills. I tried it and ended up with a very colourful mess.
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All this effort for one point heh... see attached diagram. Then get ready for some jumping...
(terminology is moved peg, direction, peg jumped over)
Lie with passion and be forever damned...Comment
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Sooner or later i'm going to get some more points....Comment
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Mayhem, that looks right to me.
This puzzle was in one of the exams for my degree (the module was Game Theory). That was question 3a, in 3b we had to find the solution to classic Solitaire in the least number of moves (memorised during revision), and in 3c we had to do the same thing except end up with the pegs in the shape of a palm tree.
That paper must have been a nightmare to mark.Comment
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As I'm off out shortly, here's an easy one for those looking to tide over...
Lateral thinking - 1 star
Take nine matchsticks, and without bending, breaking or crossing them over, make 7 triangles.Lie with passion and be forever damned...Comment
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