{"format":"murdoku-puzzle/1","id":"court","version":1,"difficulty":"medium","level":5,"size":{"rows":8,"cols":8},"languages":["en","hu","de","fr","es","it","nl","pl","pt","ro","ca","cs","fi","vi","tr","el","ru","uk","ar","ko","ja","zh-Hans","zh-Hant"],"defaultLanguage":"en","title":"The Recess","tagline":"An assize court in the English provinces · November 1952 · twenty minutes behind a closed door","author":"mathace","concept":"Murdoku – Manuel Garand (murdoku.com); unofficial fan-made case","created":"2026-10-05","story":"Lewes, November 1952. The trial of a country solicitor accused of poisoning his partner had lasted nine days, and on the tenth morning Judge Vivian Ashcombe was expected to sum up. At eleven o'clock he called a twenty-minute recess and withdrew to his chambers, where the sealed exhibits of the case were kept in the old safe. The doors of the building stayed locked: both counsel, the clerk, two jurors and two members of the public were somewhere on the floor of the court. When the recess was over, the judge did not come back – he lay beside the open safe, and one exhibit was missing.","rules":{"standard":["Every row and every column holds exactly one person. As soon as you place someone, cross out their whole row and column.","“Beside” = directly left, right, above or below, and in the same area. Squares with objects (the safe, the flagpole, the scales of justice, the desk, the potted plant, the lectern, the tables, the water cooler, the pillar, the coat rack and the clock) cannot be occupied; the chairs and the benches can.","Directions refer to rows and columns, not to the same line: “exactly one row north of him was a woman” = the person in the row directly above is a woman, in any column.","The murderer was alone with the victim: nobody else was in that area."],"special":[]},"roleNames":{"court":"court","juror":"juror","public":"public","victim":"victim"},"personGroups":[{"id":"court","name":"The court","persons":["A","B","C","V"]},{"id":"jury","name":"The jury","persons":["D","E"]},{"id":"public","name":"The public","persons":["F","G"]}],"map":{"groups":[],"gaps":[],"areas":[{"id":"Judge's Chambers","cells":[[1,1],[1,2],[1,3],[2,1],[2,2],[3,1],[3,2]],"fill":"#e2d6c4","pattern":"carpet","labelAt":[1,2],"name":"Judge's Chambers"},{"id":"Dais","cells":[[1,4],[1,5],[1,6],[2,3],[2,4],[2,5],[3,5]],"fill":"#efe2cb","pattern":"planks","labelAt":[2,5],"name":"Dais"},{"id":"Jury Box","cells":[[1,7],[1,8],[2,6],[2,7],[2,8],[3,7],[3,8],[4,7]],"fill":"#e6dcef","pattern":"boards","labelAt":[2,7],"name":"Jury Box"},{"id":"Corridor","cells":[[3,3],[4,1],[4,2],[4,3],[5,1],[6,1],[7,1],[8,1],[8,2],[8,3],[8,4]],"fill":"#dcdad4","pattern":"tiles","labelAt":[6,1],"name":"Corridor"},{"id":"Counsel Tables","cells":[[3,4],[3,6],[4,4],[4,5],[4,6],[5,3],[5,4],[5,5],[6,4]],"fill":"#ece7dd","pattern":"marble","labelAt":[3,4],"name":"Counsel Tables"},{"id":"Public Gallery","cells":[[4,8],[5,2],[5,6],[5,7],[5,8],[6,2],[6,3],[6,5],[6,6],[6,7],[6,8],[7,2],[7,3],[7,4],[7,5],[7,6],[7,7],[7,8],[8,5],[8,6],[8,7],[8,8]],"fill":"#f1dfcc","pattern":"planks","labelAt":[6,5],"name":"Public Gallery"}],"objectTypes":{"bench":{"occupiable":true,"name":"bench","icon":""},"chair":{"occupiable":true,"name":"chair","icon":""},"clock":{"occupiable":false,"name":"clock","icon":""},"cooler":{"occupiable":false,"name":"water cooler","icon":""},"desk":{"occupiable":false,"name":"desk","icon":""},"flagpole":{"occupiable":false,"name":"flagpole","icon":""},"lectern":{"occupiable":false,"name":"lectern","icon":""},"pillar":{"occupiable":false,"name":"pillar","icon":""},"plant":{"occupiable":false,"name":"potted plant","icon":""},"rack":{"occupiable":false,"name":"coat rack","icon":""},"safe":{"occupiable":false,"name":"safe","icon":""},"scales":{"occupiable":false,"name":"scales of justice","icon":""},"table":{"occupiable":false,"name":"table","icon":""}},"wallTypes":{},"objects":[{"cell":[1,1],"type":"safe"},{"cell":[1,4],"type":"flagpole"},{"cell":[1,6],"type":"scales"},{"cell":[1,7],"type":"chair"},{"cell":[2,2],"type":"desk"},{"cell":[2,6],"type":"chair"},{"cell":[2,8],"type":"chair"},{"cell":[3,3],"type":"plant"},{"cell":[3,5],"type":"lectern"},{"cell":[3,7],"type":"chair"},{"cell":[4,4],"type":"chair"},{"cell":[4,5],"type":"table"},{"cell":[5,1],"type":"cooler"},{"cell":[5,4],"type":"table"},{"cell":[5,5],"type":"chair"},{"cell":[5,7],"type":"bench"},{"cell":[6,3],"type":"bench"},{"cell":[6,8],"type":"pillar"},{"cell":[7,5],"type":"bench"},{"cell":[7,8],"type":"bench"},{"cell":[8,4],"type":"rack"},{"cell":[8,8],"type":"clock"}],"wallFeatures":[],"extras":[],"cellSize":46},"persons":[{"id":"A","name":"Annis","gender":"F","role":"court","color":"#c62828","avatar":{"bg":"#1b2a33","skin":"#f3d3b5","hair":"#7a4a2a","style":"bun","shirt":"#f4efe6","glasses":true,"robe":"#1b1b1b"},"clue":"She was at the Counsel Tables.","job":"counsel for the prosecution","avatarSvg":"","solverRole":"court","constraints":[{"type":"area","areas":["Counsel Tables"]}]},{"id":"B","name":"Bramwell","gender":"M","role":"court","color":"#2e7d32","avatar":{"bg":"#35607a","skin":"#f1c8a5","hair":"#d9d4cc","style":"slick","shirt":"#f4efe6","robe":"#2b2b2b","mustache":true,"mustacheColor":"#d9d4cc"},"clue":"He was in a corner of his area.","job":"counsel for the defence","avatarSvg":"","solverRole":"court","constraints":[{"type":"corner_of_area"}]},{"id":"C","name":"Cecil","gender":"M","role":"court","color":"#1565c0","avatar":{"bg":"#5d4037","skin":"#e4b998","hair":"#3a2a1c","style":"short","shirt":"#2f3b4c","glasses":true,"bow":true,"beard":true},"clue":"The pillar was somewhere in his row. He was not beside a bench.","job":"the clerk of the court","avatarSvg":"","solverRole":"court","constraints":[{"type":"row_has","obj":"pillar"},{"type":"not_beside","obj":"bench"}]},{"id":"D","name":"Dorcas","gender":"F","role":"juror","color":"#6a1b9a","avatar":{"bg":"#3d2a5a","skin":"#f6d8c0","hair":"#8a8278","style":"bun","shirt":"#4a5a7a","glasses":true,"necklace":true},"clue":"The lectern was somewhere in her row.","job":"a juror, a schoolmistress","avatarSvg":"","solverRole":"juror","constraints":[{"type":"row_has","obj":"lectern"}]},{"id":"E","name":"Erasmus","gender":"M","role":"juror","color":"#e65100","avatar":{"bg":"#2f4858","skin":"#e7b98f","hair":"#e8e4dc","style":"bald","shirt":"#5d6b3a","mustache":true,"mustacheColor":"#e8e4dc"},"clue":"The desk was somewhere in his column.","job":"a juror, a retired major","avatarSvg":"","solverRole":"juror","constraints":[{"type":"col_has","obj":"desk"}]},{"id":"F","name":"Frederica","gender":"F","role":"public","color":"#00838f","avatar":{"bg":"#ad1457","skin":"#f0cdb0","hair":"#d9b464","style":"curly","shirt":"#6e2c4b","earrings":true,"scarf":"#c62828"},"clue":"Exactly one row north of her was somebody sitting in a chair.","job":"the accused's sister","avatarSvg":"","solverRole":"public","constraints":[{"type":"rel_any","dir":"N","exact":1,"on":"chair"}]},{"id":"G","name":"Gilchrist","gender":"M","role":"public","color":"#ad1457","avatar":{"bg":"#00695c","skin":"#f1c8a5","hair":"#b7482c","style":"short","shirt":"#8b7a5a","cap":true,"beard":true},"clue":"He was sitting on a bench. Somebody else in his area was beside the pillar.","job":"a reporter of the county newspaper","avatarSvg":"","solverRole":"public","constraints":[{"type":"on","obj":"bench"},{"type":"with_beside","obj":"pillar"}]},{"id":"V","name":"Vivian","gender":"M","role":"victim","color":"#1b1b1b","avatar":{"bg":"#5a2a2a","skin":"#f3d3b5","hair":"#e8e4dc","style":"slick","shirt":"#f4efe6","robe":"#8b1a1a","mustache":true,"mustacheColor":"#e8e4dc"},"clue":"The victim. He was found in the Judge's Chambers, beside the safe – alone with the murderer.","job":"the judge","avatarSvg":"","solverRole":"court","constraints":[{"type":"area","areas":["Judge's Chambers"]},{"type":"beside","obj":"safe"}]}],"victim":"V","murderer":"B","solution":{"B":[1,3],"V":[2,1],"D":[3,7],"A":[4,4],"F":[5,8],"C":[6,6],"G":[7,5],"E":[8,2]},"walkthrough":[{"place":["V","F"],"cand":{"A":[[4,4],[4,6]],"B":[[1,3],[1,7],[4,3],[4,6],[4,7],[8,5]],"C":[[6,3],[6,4],[6,6]],"D":[[3,4],[3,6],[3,7]],"E":[[1,2],[4,2],[7,2],[8,2]],"G":[[7,5]]},"text":"Vivian was found beside the safe in the Judge's Chambers, at R1C2 or R2C1. Three statements fix a line at once: the pillar (R6C8) is in row 6, so Cecil is in row 6; the lectern (R3C5) is in row 3, so Dorcas is in row 3; the desk (R2C2) is in column 2, so Erasmus is in column 2 – and Vivian is not at R1C2: Vivian is at R2C1. Gilchrist was sitting on a bench – all four benches (R5C7, R6C3, R7C5, R7C8) are in the Public Gallery – and somebody else in his area was beside the pillar: at R5C8, R6C7 or R7C8. Annis was at the Counsel Tables, Dorcas is in row 3, Erasmus in column 2. R6C7 lies in Cecil's row, and Cecil himself cannot be there: it is beside the bench at R5C7. Bramwell was in a corner of his area, and none of the three squares is one: the Public Gallery continues above and below R5C8 and R7C8 (the pillar's square belongs to it), and R6C7 lies inside it. So it is Frederica – but at R7C8 the person exactly one row north of her would be in row 6, which has no chair at all. Frederica is at R5C8."},{"place":["G","A"],"cand":{"B":[[1,3],[1,7]],"C":[[6,3],[6,6]],"D":[[3,6],[3,7]],"E":[[1,2],[8,2]]},"text":"Rows 3, 5 and 6 belong to Dorcas, Frederica and Cecil, so Gilchrist's bench is neither R5C7 nor R6C3, and R7C8 is in Frederica's column: Gilchrist is at R7C5. Frederica's statement now speaks about row 4: the person there was sitting in a chair, and row 4 has only one chair, at R4C4. Annis was at the Counsel Tables, whose squares outside rows 3, 5 and 6 are only R4C4 and R4C6 – so she is the person in row 4, and she was the one sitting in that chair: Annis is at R4C4. Rows 2, 4, 5 and 7 and columns 1, 4, 5 and 8 are now taken."},{"place":["E","B"],"cand":{"C":[[6,6]],"D":[[3,6],[3,7]]},"text":"Who is left for rows 1 and 8? Vivian, Dorcas, Annis, Frederica, Cecil and Gilchrist hold rows 2 to 7, so rows 1 and 8 belong to Bramwell and Erasmus. Bramwell was in a corner of his area. In row 8 the free columns are 2, 3, 6 and 7; column 2 is Erasmus's, and none of R8C3, R8C6 and R8C7 is a corner: the Corridor continues on both sides of R8C3 (the coat rack's square belongs to it), the Public Gallery on both sides of R8C6 and R8C7. So Bramwell is in row 1 and Erasmus in row 8: Erasmus is at R8C2. The Judge's Chambers must hold one more person besides Vivian – the murderer. Of its free squares, R3C1 is in Vivian's column, R1C2 and R3C2 in Erasmus's; only R1C3 is left, in row 1, Bramwell's row – and it is a corner, with the edge of the board above it and the Dais to its right. So the only person who can be alone with Vivian in the Judge's Chambers is Bramwell: Bramwell is at R1C3."},{"place":["C","D"],"text":"Only columns 6 and 7 are still free, for Cecil and Dorcas. Cecil is in row 6 and was not beside a bench, but R6C7 is beside the bench at R5C7: Cecil is at R6C6. Dorcas takes row 3 and column 7: Dorcas is at R3C7, in a chair in the Jury Box. Everyone is placed."},{"final":true,"text":"Case closed: Vivian was alone in the Judge's Chambers with the counsel for the defence. Bramwell is the murderer!"}],"solver":{"rules":[],"occupiable":["bench","chair"]},"verification":{"tool":"tools/murdoku_solver.py","unique":true,"guessFree":true,"checked":"2026-10-05"}}