PAPER DECISION STUDIES

Peg Solitaire — Foundations: read the board before moving

Four starting positions, then four separate answer sheets. The IDs match the online studies.

Playfield's classic version uses a full five-by-five grid of holes, not the traditional cross-shaped board. Jump one peg horizontally or vertically over exactly one adjacent peg into the empty hole immediately beyond. The jumped peg is removed. Finish with exactly one peg anywhere on the board; the classic version does not require a centre finish. Diagonal jumps and jumps over longer runs are not allowed.

Printing and using this pack

Use Print or Save as PDF. The first page contains instructions, the next four pages contain the tasks, and the remaining pages contain answers. An answer may continue onto another page. Check your print preview before choosing a page range. Print only the challenge pages if you want to keep answers separate.

Write a move and a reason before consulting the key. Rows count from the top and columns from the left. Four in a Row and Reversi diagrams state whose turn it is. The full online comparison includes all legal first moves; the answer sheets include the complete first-move comparison or a checked route.

Return to the online collection

CHALLENGE · peg-01

One legal jump to finish

Identify a legal orthogonal jump: occupied source, occupied middle, empty landing. Finish with one peg.

○R1C1○R1C2○R1C3○R1C4○R1C5○R2C1○R2C2○R2C3○R2C4○R2C5○R3C1○R3C2○R3C3●R3C4●R3C5○R4C1○R4C2○R4C3○R4C4○R4C5○R5C1○R5C2○R5C3○R5C4○R5C5

My move or route: __________________________________________

My reason: ________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

playfieldarcade.com/practice/peg/peg-01/ · Personal, family and classroom printing permitted.

CHALLENGE · peg-02

The middle peg matters

Identify a legal orthogonal jump: occupied source, occupied middle, empty landing. Finish with one peg.

○R1C1○R1C2○R1C3○R1C4○R1C5○R2C1○R2C2○R2C3○R2C4○R2C5○R3C1○R3C2○R3C3○R3C4○R3C5○R4C1○R4C2●R4C3○R4C4○R4C5●R5C1●R5C2○R5C3○R5C4○R5C5

My move or route: __________________________________________

My reason: ________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

playfieldarcade.com/practice/peg/peg-02/ · Personal, family and classroom printing permitted.

CHALLENGE · peg-03

Count the work remaining

Starting with 4 pegs, how many jumps would a one-peg finish require? Find a route that actually makes all of them.

○R1C1○R1C2○R1C3○R1C4○R1C5○R2C1○R2C2○R2C3○R2C4○R2C5○R3C1○R3C2○R3C3○R3C4○R3C5○R4C1●R4C2●R4C3○R4C4●R4C5○R5C1○R5C2●R5C3○R5C4○R5C5

My move or route: __________________________________________

My reason: ________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

playfieldarcade.com/practice/peg/peg-03/ · Personal, family and classroom printing permitted.

CHALLENGE · peg-04

A count is not a plan

Starting with 5 pegs, how many jumps would a one-peg finish require? Find a route that actually makes all of them.

○R1C1○R1C2○R1C3●R1C4○R1C5○R2C1○R2C2○R2C3○R2C4●R2C5○R3C1○R3C2●R3C3○R3C4●R3C5○R4C1○R4C2●R4C3○R4C4○R4C5○R5C1○R5C2○R5C3○R5C4○R5C5

My move or route: __________________________________________

My reason: ________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

playfieldarcade.com/practice/peg/peg-04/ · Personal, family and classroom printing permitted.

ANSWER · peg-01

One legal jump to finish

Every jump removes exactly one peg, so a one-peg finish needs 1 jumps. Every legal first jump is evaluated. A successful continuation is verified by a complete finishing route; a no-finish conclusion exhausts all remaining legal branches. The route below is one verified finish; its last peg may be anywhere on this classic board.

Checked route

Jump R3C5 → R3C3 over R3C4.

○R1C1○R1C2○R1C3○R1C4○R1C5○R2C1○R2C2○R2C3○R2C4○R2C5○R3C1○R3C2●R3C3○R3C4○R3C5○R4C1○R4C2○R4C3○R4C4○R4C5○R5C1○R5C2○R5C3○R5C4○R5C5

Full starting diagram and all comparisons: playfieldarcade.com/practice/peg/peg-01/

ANSWER · peg-02

The middle peg matters

Every jump removes exactly one peg, so a one-peg finish needs 2 jumps. Every legal first jump is evaluated. A successful continuation is verified by a complete finishing route; a no-finish conclusion exhausts all remaining legal branches. The route below is one verified finish; its last peg may be anywhere on this classic board.

Checked route

Jump R5C1 → R5C3 over R5C2.
Jump R5C3 → R3C3 over R4C3.

○R1C1○R1C2○R1C3○R1C4○R1C5○R2C1○R2C2○R2C3○R2C4○R2C5○R3C1○R3C2●R3C3○R3C4○R3C5○R4C1○R4C2○R4C3○R4C4○R4C5○R5C1○R5C2○R5C3○R5C4○R5C5

Full starting diagram and all comparisons: playfieldarcade.com/practice/peg/peg-02/

ANSWER · peg-03

Count the work remaining

Every jump removes exactly one peg, so a one-peg finish needs 3 jumps. Every legal first jump is evaluated. A successful continuation is verified by a complete finishing route; a no-finish conclusion exhausts all remaining legal branches. The route below is one verified finish; its last peg may be anywhere on this classic board.

Checked route

Jump R4C2 → R4C4 over R4C3.
Jump R4C5 → R4C3 over R4C4.
Jump R5C3 → R3C3 over R4C3.

○R1C1○R1C2○R1C3○R1C4○R1C5○R2C1○R2C2○R2C3○R2C4○R2C5○R3C1○R3C2●R3C3○R3C4○R3C5○R4C1○R4C2○R4C3○R4C4○R4C5○R5C1○R5C2○R5C3○R5C4○R5C5

Full starting diagram and all comparisons: playfieldarcade.com/practice/peg/peg-03/

ANSWER · peg-04

A count is not a plan

Every jump removes exactly one peg, so a one-peg finish needs 4 jumps. Every legal first jump is evaluated. A successful continuation is verified by a complete finishing route; a no-finish conclusion exhausts all remaining legal branches. The route below is one verified finish; its last peg may be anywhere on this classic board.

Checked route

Jump R3C5 → R1C5 over R2C5.
Jump R1C5 → R1C3 over R1C4.
Jump R4C3 → R2C3 over R3C3.
Jump R1C3 → R3C3 over R2C3.

○R1C1○R1C2○R1C3○R1C4○R1C5○R2C1○R2C2○R2C3○R2C4○R2C5○R3C1○R3C2●R3C3○R3C4○R3C5○R4C1○R4C2○R4C3○R4C4○R4C5○R5C1○R5C2○R5C3○R5C4○R5C5

Full starting diagram and all comparisons: playfieldarcade.com/practice/peg/peg-04/