Puzzle 129 - Matches

There are three piles of match sticks with 11 matches, 6 matches and 7 matches in them. Now you need to move the matches from one pile to another pile such that all of them have 8 matches each. 

But there is a condition - you can add as many matches to a pile as it already contains. For example if a pile has 3 matches, you can add only 3 matches to it - no more, no less. 

You are allowed such three moves.

How will you move the matches?

(The puzzle is borrowed from the book "The Moscow Puzzles" by Boris Kordemsky) 

Answer :

• First you move 7 matches from first pile and add it to the last pile. 
• Now you have 4 - 6 - 14 matches in the piles
• Next you move 6 matches from last pile to middle pile.
• Now you have 4 - 12 - 8 matches in the three piles.
• Lastly you move 4 matches from middle pile to first pile. 
• You have 8 - 8 - 8 matches in the piles.