LinkedIn Zip #493 Answer & Analysis

The start of the route is strongly guided by the numbered cells in the middle-right area. Since 1, 2, and 3 must be visited in order, the opening path is forced upward through that column before it can turn toward the upper half of the board.

Once the path reaches the upper side, it must continue across the top edge and then down the right side. That perimeter movement prevents the upper cells from being cut off and keeps the route continuous.

After reaching the far corner, the path has to travel left across the bottom and then climb back into the center. This is what makes room for the later numbered cells and avoids isolating the lower half of the grid.

The wall pattern in the middle-left section removes several easy shortcuts, so the route must bend through the left-middle corridor and then come back upward through the numbered cells 6 and 7. That keeps the path legal while still covering the whole board.

The last unused cells are gathered in the lower-left corner. The route finishes by sweeping across the bottom-left strip, climbing one short column, and ending on 8 so every cell is covered exactly once.