This Minima Is NOT Minimal

Minima Tokyo aka Jammed Coin - Tom and Team are BACK!

Minima Tokyo aka Jammed Coin from Frederic Boucher and Ars Aenigma

I'm back from the IPP recently held in Assisi, Italy and, as expected, promptly caught the lurgy in the airport and have been sneezing and spluttering for a few days. I'm rather sleep-deprived because Mrs S says it's like sleeping next to a swamp monster and she keeps punching me in the ribs to stop the awful gurgling and swallowing noises. Now, there's an image you didn't need! I had an incredible time catching up with old and new friends. Some of them I have communicated with for ages but never actually met. I did manage to buy one or two new toys and was delighted to be given a few as gifts as well. Mrs S asked whether I had many to bring back and I admitted to a few but didn't tell her how many for fear of murder. It is customary to take a photo of your haul before travelling home, and I managed to take this pic (only to realise that there are one or two more that were not included)

Don't tell her about this lot!

Today is a review of the Jammed Coin/Minima Tokyo that won a "top ten vote getter" award at the IPP.

When Tye offered Frederic Boucher's latest sequential discovery Minima puzzle up for sale last year (he had taken it to the Tokyo IPP), I jumped at the chance and received it in November. I hadn't actually realised that this had been produced by Tom Messina and his team at Ars Aenigma (they have begun producing again after their incredible mentor, Eric Fuller, died). I had actually been expecting this to be one of Tye's incredible creations like the Jammed Gem Again, but when it arrived I saw that it had been created from beautiful wood and was blown away by the quality. I still have Eric's Jammed Gem in my pile of puzzles to solve as I have not managed to even find the first move! All of these designs by Frederic are incredible challenges.

The Minima Tokyo/Jammed coin is a typical Minima puzzle having a 2x2x3 box with various openings and several pieces inside. But, different to usual, the aim is not to pack it, the aim is to remove the coin from where it is held captive, sandwiched inside a single cubie. Having admired it for a while, I set to trying to solve it before Xmas last year and delightedly performed the obvious first steps - unscrew the bold in one face which allows a domino piece to be removed. From this, a rod can be removed, and the remaining pieces now slide around inside the box.

First piece out and coin revealed

At this point you can properly admire the beautiful workmanship from Tom. The box is absolutely perfect, made from Walnut and Maple, and the internal pieces are a very vibrant Padauk. There remains three pieces captive inside, and they are able to slide about. One can even rotate. 

Here I got stuck! Just 3 moves in and I could get no further. I read Allard's review repeatedly in the hope that he might have given something away, but there's not even a vague clue there. After 5 months of attempting nothing new, I spoke to Allard about it at the last MPP and all he would say was that Tom was carrying on Eric's amazing tricks. Well that was singularly unhelpful. Every week or so I would pick it up from my desk and have another look. Nothing ever changed. I do know a few of Eric's tricks and tried to find something familiar inside the box, but nope, nothing, nada, nyet.

This puzzle was actually entered in the IPP design competition this year and was available for everyone to play with. The solution was there as well, but I was very careful not to look at it or to watch others solve it. At one point I did look up and saw someone with a LOT of pieces. This renewed my determination to solve the damned thing! It's such a shame that I'm rubbish at puzzles!

A few days ago, I restarted and did my usual few moves. At this point I got my torch and magnifying glass out and had a look at what I had. I did notice one anomaly that gave me a small clue of what might be needed. After a bit of fiddling in a way that I hadn't done before, I suddenly made a huge discovery. Another piece or two came out with a rather fancy move. YESSSSS! Except I was stuck again. But now I knew the kind of things that might be needed. The next move occurred in an unexpected direction to reveal the true woodworking mastery of Tom and team. Amazing! 

After those first well-hidden moves, the sequence continued with a series of tools and working out how to use them. The discoveries come quickly, and each step leads to another after a bit of thought. The Aha! moments are wonderful before the final tool is found to release the coin from its prison. Amazing!

Coin is now un-jammed.

I doubt whether these will be released again, so you should keep an eye on the various auction sites. Frederic has done it again, designing an incredible puzzle, and teaming up with Ars Aenigma is absolutely perfect - it's only fitting that Eric's protégés continue his legacy. Thank you, Tye for the opportunity. I hope that you enjoyed the gift puzzles that I sent back from IPP for you.