Move one match: XI = III + III
Published , last checked . Re-solved cold against the published wording before it went live: how puzzles and answers are checked.
A matchstick Roman-numeral equation with one legal move. From the free puzzle set on Think Fanny. Next try Three switches, one bulb.
The puzzle
You have this Roman-numeral matchstick equation:
XI = III + III
Move exactly one matchstick so the equation becomes true. You may not change the operators into words or add matches from outside the puzzle.
Answer
Move one match from the left X to make VI = III + III.
The X is two crossed matches. Move the upper-right match of the X down to the left side to form a V, leaving VI = III + III, which is true.
This answer was re-solved from a cold start before the page went live. If you can break it, tell us and we will fix it.
The numerals behind the matches
The whole legal move depends on how Roman numerals are written. Worth two minutes if V and X still feel arbitrary:
If one of these contradicts the answer above, we would rather hear it than not. See how puzzles and answers are checked.