Ring Ring Matryoshka
Ring Ring Matryoshka is a variation of the classic Ring Ring puzzle, first introduced by Pavel Yarkin in September 2025 as part of the Ring-Ring Rally contest.
This variant emerged from the realization that rings naturally impose a hierarchy of depth—that is, the minimum number of “doors” (segment crossings) needed to reach a given clue from the outside. Exploring this structural limitation led to a puzzle where rings nest inside one another, echoing the structure of a traditional Russian matryoshka doll.
In fact, the variant was originally called Nested Ring Ring, but was later renamed to emphasize its Russian origin.
The additional restriction on depth creates a noticeably different solving experience: deductions often revolve around understanding which rings can enclose others and how far inward a clue must lie. In spirit, the variant echoes some of the logic from Inturnal, but remains a pure extension of standard Ring Ring principles, with a fresh strategic flavor.
This variant emerged from the realization that rings naturally impose a hierarchy of depth—that is, the minimum number of “doors” (segment crossings) needed to reach a given clue from the outside. Exploring this structural limitation led to a puzzle where rings nest inside one another, echoing the structure of a traditional Russian matryoshka doll.
In fact, the variant was originally called Nested Ring Ring, but was later renamed to emphasize its Russian origin.
The additional restriction on depth creates a noticeably different solving experience: deductions often revolve around understanding which rings can enclose others and how far inward a clue must lie. In spirit, the variant echoes some of the logic from Inturnal, but remains a pure extension of standard Ring Ring principles, with a fresh strategic flavor.
Rules
Draw few rectangular loops through the centers of unshaded cell so that every unshaded cell is used. The sides of different rectangles may intersect each other, but not turn at their intersections or otherwise overlap. Numbers in the grid show the number of rectangles going around the number.
Click to see the answer.