Henry Ernest Dudeney/Puzzles and Curious Problems/256 - Catching the Prisoners

by : $256$

 * Catching the Prisoners
 * Make a rough diagram on a sheet of paper, and use counters to indicate the two warders (marked as $W$) and the two prisoners (marked as $P$).


 * Dudeney-Puzzles-and-Curious-Problems-256.png


 * At the beginning the counters must be placed in the squares shown.
 * The first player moves each of the warders to an adjacent cell, in any direction.
 * Then the second player moves each prisoner to an adjoining cell;
 * and so on until each warder captures his prisoner.
 * If one warder makes a capture, both he and his captive are out of the game, and the other player continues alone.


 * You may come to the conclusion that it is a hopeless chase, but it can really be done if you use a little cunning.