LinkedIn Patches #135 is a 8×8 Patches board with 10 clues (10 specify area, shapes: 1 square, 2 tall, 3 wide, 4 flexible). The solution tiles all 64 cells with non-overlapping rectangles — one per clue. Recommended order: clue 1 (2×2) → clue 2 (1×6) → clue 3 (2×3) → clue 4 (3×3) → clue 5 (1×3) → clue 6 (2×4) → clue 7 (6×2) → clue 8 (2×1) → clue 9 (2×3) → clue 10 (4×2). Each rectangle must contain exactly one clue cell and match area and shape constraints when given.
Board spotlight: Most clues specify a strict shape icon (square, tall, or wide) — shape constraints often pin down dimensions before you can draw anything. With 10 of 10 clues showing a numbered area, dimension math often pins down rectangle size before you choose a position on the grid.
General Patches strategy on 8×8: rectangles cannot overlap, every cell must belong to exactly one patch, and each patch must contain precisely one clue at its anchor cell. When a clue shows area 12 and a tall icon, only a few height×width pairs are legal — list them before drawing. After each placement, mentally partition the leftover white space: if any region cannot host its remaining clues, back up and try the next candidate.
Patch 1 (clue 1 at Row 1, column 2): 2×2 at Row 1, column 1. The clue shows area 4, so this patch must cover exactly 4 cells (2×2 = 4). The shape icon requires a square. After placing this 4-cell rectangle, 60 cells remain for 9 clues. Each leftover region must still tile without overlap.
Patch 2 (clue 2 at Row 1, column 6): 1×6 at Row 1, column 3. The clue shows area 6, so this patch must cover exactly 6 cells (1×6 = 6). After placing this 6-cell rectangle, 54 cells remain for 8 clues. Each leftover region must still tile without overlap.
Patch 3 (clue 3 at Row 2, column 3): 2×3 at Row 2, column 3. The clue shows area 6, so this patch must cover exactly 6 cells (2×3 = 6). The shape icon requires a wide rectangle (wider than tall). After placing this 6-cell rectangle, 48 cells remain for 7 clues. Each leftover region must still tile without overlap.
Patch 4 (clue 4 at Row 2, column 7): 3×3 at Row 2, column 6. The clue shows area 9, so this patch must cover exactly 9 cells (3×3 = 9). After placing this 9-cell rectangle, 39 cells remain for 6 clues. Each leftover region must still tile without overlap.
Patch 5 (clue 5 at Row 4, column 5): 1×3 at Row 4, column 3. The clue shows area 3, so this patch must cover exactly 3 cells (1×3 = 3). The shape icon requires a wide rectangle (wider than tall). After placing this 3-cell rectangle, 36 cells remain for 5 clues. Each leftover region must still tile without overlap.
Patch 6 (clue 6 at Row 5, column 4): 2×4 at Row 5, column 3. The clue shows area 8, so this patch must cover exactly 8 cells (2×4 = 8). The shape icon requires a wide rectangle (wider than tall). After placing this 8-cell rectangle, 28 cells remain for 4 clues. Each leftover region must still tile without overlap.
Patch 7 (clue 7 at Row 7, column 2): 6×2 at Row 3, column 1. The clue shows area 12, so this patch must cover exactly 12 cells (6×2 = 12). After placing this 12-cell rectangle, 16 cells remain for 3 clues. Each leftover region must still tile without overlap.
Patch 8 (clue 8 at Row 7, column 6): 2×1 at Row 7, column 6. The clue shows area 2, so this patch must cover exactly 2 cells (2×1 = 2). The shape icon requires a tall rectangle (taller than wide). After placing this 2-cell rectangle, 14 cells remain for 2 clues. Each leftover region must still tile without overlap.
Patch 9 (clue 9 at Row 8, column 3): 2×3 at Row 7, column 3. The clue shows area 6, so this patch must cover exactly 6 cells (2×3 = 6). After placing this 6-cell rectangle, 8 cells remain for 1 clue. Each leftover region must still tile without overlap.
Patch 10 (clue 10 at Row 8, column 7): 4×2 at Row 5, column 7. The clue shows area 8, so this patch must cover exactly 8 cells (4×2 = 8). The shape icon requires a tall rectangle (taller than wide). This 8-cell patch completes the grid — all 64 cells are now assigned to exactly one clue.
Final verification: 10 rectangles tile the 8×8 grid (64 cells): clue 1 → 2×2, clue 2 → 1×6, clue 3 → 2×3, clue 4 → 3×3, clue 5 → 1×3, clue 6 → 2×4, clue 7 → 6×2, clue 8 → 2×1, clue 9 → 2×3, clue 10 → 4×2. No overlap, every clue covered exactly once. Pattern tag: shape-locked board. Most clues specify a strict shape icon (square, tall, or wide) — shape constraints often pin down dimensions before you can draw anything.