The Cast Chain is a cast-metal puzzle from Hanayama’s Huzzle Cast series, designed by Dutch inventor Oskar van Deventer. It is made up of three linked pieces that move like the links of a chain. You have to separate them and then join them again in their original form.

• BrandHanayama
• SeriesHuzzle Cast
• DesignerOskar van Deventer
• MaterialCast metal
• Pieces3
• DifficultyLevel 6 of 6 (Hanayama scale)

Design

The three pieces have play between them and move quite freely, just like a real chain. That mobility is deceptive: it feels as if separating them is just a matter of finding the right angle, but the assembly does not come apart easily. It is a disentanglement puzzle that calls for touch and precision rather than force, and in which putting the pieces back together is just as interesting as separating them.

Van Deventer is one of the most prolific designers of mechanical puzzles and has created numerous models for Hanayama, including the H&H and the Möbius.

What level it suits

Hanayama places it at level 6, the top of its scale of 1 to 6. It is intended for experienced solvers who have already completed several level 4 and 5 puzzles and are in no hurry: it usually takes several sessions.