Key Takeaways
- GCHQ’s annual Christmas card features seven festive brainteasers to test code breaking, maths, and analysis techniques.
- The puzzles are designed to be solved in groups, encouraging teamwork and different ways of thinking.
- The card features designs by schoolchildren and is available for download from GCHQ.gov.uk.
- The puzzles are intended to inspire the next generation to explore STEM subjects and consider careers in cybersecurity and intelligence.
- Answers to the puzzles will be published on December 10th.
Introduction to the Challenge
A warning from the spies at GCHQ: a robber is on the loose, intent on stealing Christmas presents. Luckily, he won’t find it easy. The robber’s target is a house with a large number of rooms, each of which has a letter, which are linked to each other by colored doors and arrows. He can’t go through the same-colored door twice in a row, and can’t move against any arrows. Eventually, the robber is caught by the police. How was he acting? This is just one of the seven festive brainteasers featured in GCHQ’s annual Christmas card, designed to test code breaking, maths, and analysis techniques.
The Puzzles
The seven knotty questions have been set by GCHQ’s in-house puzzlers, designed to challenge puzzlers to think creatively and analytically. One question asks puzzlers to scan the card for ‘a special seven-letter word’ which has no repeated letters and no letters which are next to each other in the alphabet. Another invites them to crack a code that begins “PIGMIHM DRP MHSIAMA QDMPM MBNDQ UITL-FMQQML …” and, notes the question, contains lots of four-letter words. The two hyphenated words are highlighted in red, as is “four-letter”. These puzzles are designed to suit different skill sets, with some requiring analytical minds and others requiring creative leaps of perseverance.
The Design Competition
More than 500 pupils took part in the competition to design a Christmas card imagining what GCHQ looks like on Christmas Day. Their entries were judged by GCHQ’s director, Anne Keast-Butler, and the agency’s “chief puzzler”, Colin. Three winning designs were chosen, submitted by Haoran, a year 8 student from Wilson’s school in London, Mariia, who is in year 10 at the Henry Beaufort school in Winchester, and year 12 pupil Amelie from South Wilts grammar school in Salisbury. The winning designs are featured in this year’s Christmas card, which is available for schools and members of the public to download from GCHQ.gov.uk.
The Importance of Puzzles
Puzzles are at the heart of GCHQ’s work to keep the country safe from hostile states, terrorists, and criminals. Challenging teams to think creatively and analytically every day is essential to the agency’s mission. The director, Anne Keast-Butler, hopes that this challenge will inspire the next generation to explore STEM subjects and consider the rewarding careers available in cybersecurity and intelligence. Who knows – some of these talented schoolchildren might be solving GCHQ’s own puzzles in the future. With over 140,000 downloads last year, the agency knows that these puzzles bring people together over the festive period.
The Solution
The answers to the puzzles will be published at 9pm on Wednesday, December 10th. Until then, puzzlers are encouraged to work in groups and use different ways of thinking to reveal the final Christmassy message. Colin, the chief puzzler, notes that puzzle-solving is often better as a team effort and more fun, too! Whether you’re a seasoned puzzler or just looking for a fun and challenging activity to enjoy with friends and family, GCHQ’s Christmas card is the perfect way to get into the holiday spirit. So, gather your team and get ready to take on the challenge!