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The Portrait in the Three Caskets (illustration)
FILE No.193Unsolved

The Portrait in the Three Caskets

Difficulty ★★☆about 5 minLogic PuzzleAssumptionsContradictions
Of the sayings on the gold, silver, and lead caskets, only one is true. Which casket holds the portrait?

Case Record

Of three caskets (gold, silver, and lead), only one contains a portrait. Each lid has an inscription.

  • Gold casket: "The portrait is in this casket."
  • Silver casket: "The portrait is not in this casket."
  • Lead casket: "The portrait is not in the gold casket."

Of the three inscriptions, exactly one is true.

Your question

Which casket holds the portrait?

Case Files

Diagram

The inscriptionsItemDetailGold"The portrait is in this casket"Silver"The portrait is not in this casket"Lead"The portrait is not in the gold casket"Exactly one statement is true.
Diagram

Hints

If you get stuck, open the hints one at a time, in order.

Open hint 1

Assume the portrait is in the gold casket and check whether each inscription is true or false.

Open hint 2

Check the silver and lead cases the same way.

Open hint 3

In which case is exactly one inscription true?

Solve It

Your question

Which casket holds the portrait?

Choose the answer closest to the truth.

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The Truth

The silver casket

The answer is "The silver casket."

If the portrait were in the gold casket, the gold and silver inscriptions would be true, making two true, which does not fit. If it were in the lead casket, the silver and lead inscriptions would be true, again two.

If it is in the silver casket, the gold inscription is false and the silver inscription is false, and only the lead inscription is true, which satisfies "exactly one is true."

Count true statements for each locationPortrait inGoldSilverLeadTrueGold○×○2Silver××○1Lead×○○2Only the silver casket gives exactly one.
Diagram of the solution

Key Points

  • Examine the whole from one assumption
  • Narrow down with the condition "exactly one"
  • Check all three cases

Why people get fooled

Because many people think too much about the meaning of the words and do not split into cases.

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