The 40th International Puzzle Party in 2020 was cancelled several times because of Covid-19 and was finally rescheduled for Jerusalem, Israel, for August 2023. As much as Kate and Dick Jones like to travel all over the world, the distance to Israel under the uncertain world conditions of these years kept them from attending in person. However, Kate likes to design puzzles for the IPP that capture the theme of the location, and the Star of David gameboard was irresistible.
Jerusalem is one of the very oldest cities in the world, inhabited since around 3000 BC (over 5000 years!) and is the founding center of the world's three major monotheistic, Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Abraham is credited with starting that whole history by reporting conversations with God and passing the belief on through his descendants, the most famous of whom was Solomon, the son of David (whose star emblem is one of the most famous symbols on earth). We are happy to give Solomon name credit herewith for the puzzle.
Each religion has its own name for its God, even while professing there is only one, and that all three are the same entity. From Judaism we get Yahweh; Christians have Jehovah; and Muslims have Allah.
Tracing historically how beliefs arose and spread is an as yet unfinished puzzle for humanity. In recognition of this cosmic conundrum, Kate's design invites all three godly characters to partake of the puzzle titled "Solomon's Trinity". We provide for you here a full-size grid to print and cut out on which to play. If you have no playing pieces to borrow from other games, use coins: a quarter, dime, and nickel (silver) can represent the three deities, and 16 pennies (copper) can serve as the "stones" to fill empty spaces. That's 56 cents altogether.
On the gameboard will be the three deities, each starting from a different numbered circle (numbers 1, 14, 18) in front of their respective palaces. There are 16 "stones" off the board to be placed onto the grid as the deities take turns making moves. The goal of the puzzle is to fill the board. If played as a competitive game for two or more players, the goal is to be the last player able to make a move.
To solve the puzzle: Designate the three deities by type of piece, coin or colored pawn, and place them by their palaces. Have them take turns in that order. Move the first deity along a straight line any open distance to another empty circle. Place a stone (penny) on the now empty circle where this move started.
The next deity moves to an open space on its line, placing a stone on the space it vacated. Continue taking turns with the three characters as long as possible. If a deity is blocked in, it passes until and unless a space opens again when another deity moves.
If a deity is blocked in by only one stone or pawn, with an open space on the same line on the other side of the blocking piece, the deity jumps over that one piece and moves that piece over to where the jump started instead of adding a new stone. Likewise, if the jump was over another deity, that deity moves to where the jump started. When the jump has both a stone and a deity available, it must jump over the stone.
Some careful planning is necessary to get all the stones on the board, once one or two deities are blocked from further moves. If you get stuck, clear the board and start again. It doesn't matter where the deities end up as long as every space on the board is filled.
Who wins?
As a strategy game for two or three or more players, start with the three deities on their palace spaces. Take turns as in the puzzle, with the objective of being the last player able to move.
It is not necessary for the board to be filled when the game ends. There may be spaces that could not be filled before all the deities are blockaded. The last player able to move wins and is declared "deity for a day". If that idea is too irreverent, call it "winner for a day".
With 3 players, each player will move the same deity each time. With two, four, or more players, move the next deity whose turn it is, regardless of what color you moved last time. If you win, it's with whichever deity you happen to be operating.
