Junior : On the Banks of Hari

ON THE BANKS OF HARI

After a day fi lled with adventures in Tehran, you now reach the bank of Hari river. There you find a box that contains the key to the boat which can help you cross the river quickly. The box can be opened only if the correct password is entered. On the top part of the box there is a number carved.

“101111830140311”

The box you have got can be opened by deciphering the code number given on the top of the box which would provide you the password. The password consists only English alphabets (capital). Each alphabet is coded by a three digit number in which the ones-place is given by the number of curved lines in that alphabet and the tens- place is given by the number of straight lines in the alphabet. To find the hundredths-place digit first place all the alphabets with the same last two digits together in their alphabetical order and interchange the fi rst half with the second half. Now number them 1 onwards and thus the corresponding number will take the hundredths-place.

Example: Let these letters (of some unknown alphabet) be the ones having one curved line and one

straight line in ascending order then they will be coded as-

(Consider “B” to have 2 curves and 1 straight line whereas “U” to have only a curved line. Also consider these letter as shown here: 

Question 16:

What is the correct password?

(A)SQYWD (B)SPIWD (C)SQIMJ (D)UPYMJ

As soon as you cross the river, you find a Kabuliwala. You ask him for help to reach Kabul as soon as possible. He says that he will show you the way to Kabul if you help him with the answer of a question. First he explains you the game of CROSS- ZERO.

“This game is played on a matrix of 3x3. In this game, the players try to get three circles or three crosses in a row (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal). A player always tries to win, i.e., if a player can place his own symbol (X or O) in a row that already contains two of his own symbols, he will do so. A player always tries to avoid that his opponent wins, i.e., if a player can place his own symbol (X or O) in a row that already contains two of the symbols of his opponent, he will do so.”

The question he asks is that Khaled and Shahzia play a game of Cross-Zero. Khaled plays with crosses (X) and Shahzia plays with circles (O); however we don’t know who started the game. The players are intelligent enough and maintain the rules. After six turns into the game the matrix looks like-

Question 17:

So who will win the game?

(a)Any one can win depending on the initial move

(b)Khaled

(c)Shahzia

(d)The game will result in a draw.