LinkedIn Zip #426 Answer & Analysis

Begin with the lower-middle anchor: 1 is at R6C3 and 2 is directly below it at R7C3. Because those cells are vertically adjacent, that connection is forced and gives the puzzle a fixed starting spine.

From 2, the route has to continue through the lower half so it can reach 3 at R7C6 and then work back through 4 at R6C2, 5 at R6C7, and 6 at R7C7. This is the part where you must avoid boxing in the center of the board.

The next critical band is around row 3. Number 7 at R3C2 and number 8 at R3C6 force the route to stretch across the center, and 9 at R3C7 keeps the path pinned to the right edge before it climbs upward.

Once you reach 9 at R3C7, the path must move up to 10 at R2C6, then continue left through 11 at R2C3 and finish that clue chain at 12 at R2C2. This is the final numbered corridor, and it closes the upper-left section cleanly.

Use the solved-board path order to confirm that the route is one uninterrupted snake across the grid. The visible endBoardData shows a long sweep across the top row, down the left edge, and back through the middle, which is exactly the kind of coverage a valid LinkedIn Zip solution needs.