Forum fun time!

Start from top left hand corner down to bottom right hand corner (but I stand to be corrected)

I don't think you can have more than one on the same diagonal either Dreamtime, I remember doing this a long time ago and I think I've just worked it out again

This was passed down some 40 years ago. No Google in those days. I made this as it's not easy trying to explain where to place the eight draughts, but please don't just look, give it a good try first. You have a look, Old Lincolnian, you said you had seen it before but did you find it still hard?

Could the next two lines be....? 1 1 1 1 3 4 1 1 1 3

Confucius say 'sometimes it is better to remain silent and appear a fool than open mouth and confirm same'. Translation 'I don't know'.

OK, to get my own back for those who've posted difficult puzzles... You have 12 red numbered snooker balls. One of them is a bit lighter or heavier than the other eleven but you don't know which ball or weight. You have a set of scales that will accept any number of balls on either side in a cloth bag (ie you can't move them closer to the centre of the scales). Someone else puts the balls on the scales at your request (so you can't handle them). You are allowed 3 weighings of the balls to work out which ball and whether it is lighter or heavier than the others.

Headed in the right direction, Helen, but had to give up and cheat (look it up!).

I think I have got it Helen but I won't give it away yet!

Dad told me the snooker ball problem when I was 15 and offered me 50p when I solved it. Took me till I was 21 and he refused to pay up! I've solved the chequers one. I was on the right track from the start but couldn't get number 8 to fit for ages.

HI Dougie I think it took me about ten minutes as I knew generally what it should look like. It's the type of thing we used to get given to do after exam time at school. The Tower of Hanoi was another one but not very practical to do on paper and also of course the old favourite of pronouncing "ghoti"

No Rob... the next line has 6 digits as does the next and the next and the next, but then we have 8 digits coming along. As a reassurance, no mathematics required!

I think I have got it Helen but I won't give it away yet!

Tried the numbers one when first uploaded and it looked to be going out of proportion. First 6 digits, then 7 digits, then a run of 8s, but just seen it's not mathematical. Mine is, so must be wrong but will submit this as next number - 176303. PS. Think I may have cracked the snooker balls, while waiting for a yes or no on the numbers one.

If I were still playing snooker at the Victoria billiard club, which I'm not because a) I haven't picked a cue up for over 15 years, and b) that snooker club had been demolished when I last visited Coventry, I'd be complaining to Big Ron the manager. I'd be saying to him "Oi, we're three reds missing, come on, you know the official rules of snooker, there should be fifteen reds in the rack. And what's all this 'ere numbering the balls nonsense? We're playing snooker, not American pool." And Big Ron would have given us a proper set of balls, so the contingency of one of the reds being a duffer, weightwise, would never have arisen.

211213 312213 ?