LinkedIn Zip #489 Answer & Analysis

The puzzle starts at 1 in the upper-right area, so the first job is to follow the forced corridor leftward and then down toward 2. Because the top-row cells have walls beneath several of them, the route cannot freely drop straight down too early. That makes the early section a controlled sweep through the top-left opening before reaching the next number.

After 2, the route naturally expands across the top row and then down the far right edge. This is important because it uses open space before the center becomes crowded. The path must keep moving through adjacent cells only, so the long horizontal run prevents dead ends and still leaves room to return to the middle later.

Once the path reaches the middle-right area, it has to pass through 4 and 5 in order without cutting off the lower half of the grid. The walls under several middle cells make the route favor a horizontal line across the center before stepping down into the next numbered region.

The lower section is solved by a long loop across the bottom and back up the left side. This is where the full-grid coverage matters most: every move has to avoid trapping the remaining unvisited cells. The route passes through 6, 7, and 8 while still leaving a clean exit back into the center.

The final section is the central weave that brings the path through 9 and then finishes at 10. The key is not to rush straight there: the route must first absorb the remaining middle cells so the board is fully covered. When the path reaches the last numbered area, it ends cleanly without revisiting any cell.