# Matchstick Puzzle 4971 [closed]

Rewriting the puzzle in text:

Move exactly 2 matchsticks to make this equality true:

4 + 9 - 7 = 1

Important Points:

• By the word 'move', I would also like to allow the possibility of 'remove', to allow for additional creative solutions.
• You can use both operations, move and remove, in your solution, but the total number of matchsticks which you move or remove should be 2 only.
• That is, you can do one of the following alternatives:
• 2 move operations
• 2 remove operations
• 1 move and 1 remove operation (in any order)
• The equality must not be converted into inequalities. Please don't modify the equality symbol.
• Please do not introduce more matchsticks into the puzzle.
• I don't have a full list of solutions.
• Where did you find the image? Jul 23 at 17:56
• I clicked a picture at home. Jul 23 at 17:57
• Although the question has been marked as closed, Viewers are encouraged to think of more solutions. Happy Puzzling! Jul 26 at 5:51
• That is the reason it was closed - there appear to be an unlimited number of solutions, which is not how puzzles here are supposed to work Jul 26 at 19:02

OP explicitly forbids tinkering with the given equals sign, but

Therefore, moving two:

-4 + 5 = 1 = 1

Similarly, removing one and moving (or rather just very slightly nudging) one:

-1 + 9 - 7 = 1

And a third one (move two):

11 + 3 - 7 = 7

• Haha, that's pretty clever :D Jul 24 at 3:36

By removing matchsticks:

Pick up the horizontal matchsticks at the top and bottom of the 9, leaving 4+4-7=1.

Here's another solution, by moving two times.

• Note that this also works the other way round (i.e. you can swap the first two numbers). Jul 23 at 20:57

1 + 9 - 9 = 1 (move two left-most from 4 to make 1, add two to 7 to make 9)

Another solution that moves two matchsticks:

-4 + 6 - 1 = 1 (Convert the 9 to 6, and use the top of the 7 to make a negative sign)

9 - 9 + 1 = 1 (move the vertical matchstick from + onto 4 to make a 9 and then move top horizontal matchstick from 7 to change the second - into a +)