How to Solve a 15 Puzzle

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In this article, you will learn how to solve a 15 puzzle. Once you memorize the rules, your solving record can be reduced to a few minutes.

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Solving the First Row

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    Place 1 and 2 on their original places.
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  3. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/9\/93\/111-15.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/9\/93\/111-15.jpg\/340px-111-15.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":465,"bigWidth":340,"bigHeight":344,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Solving the Second Row

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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Solving the Third and Fourth Rows

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      Move 13 temporarily if you have to.
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      Move 14 temporarily if you have to.
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      If they don't go to their original places, do method 3 again by mixing only the last two rows.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    I can solve 1 through 12, but when I go on to the last row, 13 is at the end, and 14 and 15 are at the front. What am I doing wrong?
    Stephen Han
    Community Answer
    In that case, you have to do part three all over again. If you follow the steps, 13 has to be at the bottom of 9, and 14 has to be at the bottom of 10.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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    Not Helpful 7 Helpful 13
  • Question
    How do I change only two tiles?
    Community Answer
    A single swap is known to be impossible. In this type of puzzle, exactly half of the positions are obtainable, those that require an EVEN number of swaps from the starting position.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 1 Helpful 17
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