LinkedIn Patches #128 Answer & Analysis

The 2-cell patch is forced into the upper-left corner because that is the only place it can fit cleanly without breaking the edge pattern. With that fixed, the 4-cell patch naturally fills the rest of the top row, giving the puzzle a strong starting anchor.

The 5-cell patch has to run straight down the left edge, because that is the only way to fit five connected cells without blocking the top row. Right beside it, the 3-cell patch in the upper center forms a short horizontal strip that bridges the left edge and the right-side region.

The 6-cell patch is forced into the upper-right rectangle because that is the only open region large enough to hold six connected cells without colliding with the center. Once that is placed, the 2-cell yellow patch fits directly beneath the upper-center strip and stays compact.

The 3-cell patch in the middle can only work as a vertical strip, because the surrounding patches block horizontal growth. That makes the center of the board a clean divider between the upper and lower sections.

After the center divider is fixed, the lower-left open area becomes a perfect 3-by-2 block for the 6-cell patch. This placement avoids leaving any isolated cells and keeps the board connected in one clean shape.