Each of the eight letters in the word SPLINTER is to be placed once in every row, column and irregular shape. When the puzzle is finished, the letters in the shaded squares, when rearranged, will spell out the surname of a very famous person.

I will be calling the columns A-H (left to right) and the rows 1-8 (top to bottom).

I will be calling the irregular shapes S-Z in the following manner:
Shape S is in the top left corner (with I and E given in it)
Shape T is in the top right corner (with P given in it)
Shape U is the cross shape against the left side of the grid (with T and S given in it)
Shape V is the C shape just under Shape S (with I and N given in it)
Shape W is the cross shape against the right side of the grid (with T, R and L given in it)
Shape X is in the bottom left corner (with S given in it)
Shape Y is in the bottom right corner (with R and N given in it)
Shape Z is the reversed-C shape just above Shape Y (with L given in it)

Shape U: Column B already has an I. So C5 is I.
Column B: Shape U already has a T. So B8 is T.
Shape W: Column G already has an N. So F4 is N.

Column G: Shape W already has an R. So G1 is R.
Shape S: Rows 1 and 4 already have an R. So A2 is R.
Shape V: Rows 2 and 4 already have an R. So C3 is R.

Shape S: Row 1 already has a P. So A4 is P.
Row 1: Shape S already has an E. So H1 is E.

Shape T: Row 3 and column F already have an N. So H2 is N.
Shape X: Rows 6 and 7 already have an L. So A8 is L.
Shape Y: Rows 6, 7 and 8 already have an L. So H5 is L.
Shape Y: Rows 6 and 8 already have an S. So H7 is S.
Shape Y: Row 8 already has a T. So H6 is T.

Column A: Shape Z already has an S. So A1 is S.
Column H: Shape T already has a P. So H8 is P.
Column H: To be completed, H3 is I.

Shape T: Row 3 already has a T. So F2 is T.
Shape X: Columns A and C have an R. So D6 is R.
Row 3: Shape T already has a P. So B3 is P.

Shape Z: Rows 5 and 6, and column F already have a T. So E7 is T.
D1: Row 1 already has SP_I__ER in row 1 and column D already has __L_N___. So D4 is T.
Shape V: Columns D and E, and row 2 already have a T. So C4 is T.
Row 4: Column B and shape V already have an I. So G4 is I.

Column A: Only A6 and A7 are empty, so they must contain I and N. Notice that they are also in shape X.
Shape X: Since we know that A6 and A7 are I and N, that leaves C6 and C7 are P and E. Notice that they are also in column C.
Column C: Since we know that C6 and C7 are P and E, that leaves C1 and C2 are L and N. Shape V already has an N. So C1 is N and C2 is L.
Row 1: To complete it, E1 is L.
Shape T: Column E already has an L. So F3 is L. And to complete it, E3 is S.
Row 4: Columns B and E already have an S. So D4 is S.
Row 4: Shape V already has an L. So B4 is L. And to complete it, E4 is E.

Shape V: To complete it, D2 is P.
Row 2: Column B already has an S. So G2 is S. And to complete it, B2 is E.

Shape Z: Columns D and E, and rows 6 and 7 already have an S. So F5 is S.
Shape Z: Columns D and E, and row 6 already have an R. So F7 is R.
Column B: Row 7 already has an R. So B5 is R. And to complete it, B7 is N.
Column A: Row 7 already has an N. So A6 is N. And to complete it, A7 is I.
Column E: Row 6 already has an N. So E5 is N. And to complete it, E6 is P.

Row 5: Column D already has a P. So G5 is P. And to complete it, D5 is E.
Column D: To complete it, D8 is I.
Row 8: To complete it, F8 is E.
Column F: To complete it, F6 is I.
Row 6: To complete it, C6 is E.
Column C: To complete it, C7 is P.
Row 7: To complete it (and the grid as a whole), G7 is E.

Posted by nikki on 2008-01-18 10:56:25