THE ALPHABEATER

CAN you crack the Alphabeater? It’s a tough twist on our popular Alphapuzzle, designed to stretch your mental muscles to the limit. Each grid number below represents a letter or a black square. As in Alphapuzzle, every letter of the alphabet is used. But now you have to complete the grid too! Use the given letters and the given black squares below the main grid to start.

To add to the fiendish fun, Alphabeater is ‘rotationally symmetrical’. In other words the grid is the same if you turn the page upside down.

So, for example if there is a six-letter word Across which starts in the top left corner, there will be a corresponding six-letter word Across which ends in the bottom right corner square.

Every black square has a symmetrical ‘twin’ but the ‘twin’ may not always share the same number. This can help identify other black squares. Of course if the centre square is black it has no corresponding ‘twin’. Solution on Monday.

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