Henry Ernest Dudeney/Modern Puzzles/150 - Counter Solitaire

by : $150$

 * Counter Solitaire
 * This simplification of the board of the old game of Solitaire lends itself to many entertaining little pastimes of patience.
 * Copy the simple diagram on a sheet of paper or cardboard and use sixteen counters, numbered and placed as shown.


 * The puzzle is to remove all but one counter by a succession of leaps.
 * A counter can leap over another adjoining it to the next square beyond, if vacant,
 * and in making the leap you remove the one jumped over.
 * But no leap may be made in a diagonal direction.


 * Dudeney-Modern-Puzzles-150.png


 * The following is a solution in eight moves:
 * $5 - 13$, $(6 - 14, 6 - 5)$, $16 - 15$, $(3 - 13, 3 - 6)$, $2 - 10$, $(8 - 7, 8 - 16, 8 - 3)$, $(1 - 9, 1 - 2, 1 - 8)$, $(4 - 12, 4 - 1)$


 * This means that $5$ leaps over $13$ and $13$ is removed, then $6$ leaps over $14$ and $14$ is removed, and so on.
 * The leaps within a bracket count as one move, because the leaps are made with the same counter in succession.
 * It will be seen that No. $4$ makes the last leap.


 * Now try to find a solution, in seven moves, in which No. $1$ makes the last leap.