Tangram is one of the most famous and also the oldest puzzles. The goal of the puzzle is to create a given shape using all seven flat pieces. Only the contour is always entered, so it is necessary to correctly assemble the individual pieces. There are seven pieces. Two large triangles, two small, one medium, one square and a trapezoid. Interestingly, there are about 6,500 solutions. In Chinese, the puzzle is called qi ch’iao T’u, which can be translated as ingeniously cut seven parts.
In the case of the tangram, this is one of the oldest puzzles ever. The first documented book of tans (assignment of individual tasks) is dated to 1813. At that time, this puzzle was already a very popular prank in China. It is said that the puzzle has a thousand-year history.
The puzzler was brought to America by the captain of the merchant ship Trader M. Donnaldson in February 1816. He acquired a pair of tan books called Sang-Hsia-k’o when his ship was anchored in the Cantonese port. He brought the books to Philadelphia, and the first tan books published in America were based on these Chinese originals.
The puzzle eventually arrived in England, where it became a really fashionable affair. The mania then spread very quickly to other European countries. During World War I, the puzzle was popular among soldiers on both sides.
Tangram rules
The goal is to build an image when we only know its outline.
All parts must be used when folding, no part must be left out.
The individual parts must lie side by side on the base. They must not be laid on top of each other. They touch the edge, or at least the corner.
The parts can be inverted as desired.
Solutions: