Brainteaser about five sisters leaves people divided as some can’t believe answer

People have been left scratching their heads over a puzzling brainteaser about five sisters – and it has sparked a heated debate among those who have been trying to solve it

It’s important to keep your mind active throughout the day – and one way to achieve this is by challenging yourself to a tricky brainteaser.

However, a puzzle about five sisters has sparked a debate online as social media users argue over the correct answer, with many admitting they don’t know where to start in solving it.

It asks people to use their critical-thinking skills to work out what all five sisters are doing with the limited information provided.

It reads: “There are five sisters in a room. Ann is watching the TV, Margret is playing chess, Marie is cooking and Kate is doing the laundry. What is the fifth sister doing?”

Suggesting one possible answer, one Quora user said: “I’m going to venture to say the fifth sister, which is not named, is playing chess with Margaret, as it usually takes two people to play a game of chess.”

Another user added: “Assuming that the fifth sister is not watching TV, helping Marie with cooking, helping Kate do the laundry, or not engaged in any other activity, one would conclude that the fifth sister is playing chess with Margaret.

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“Again, herein, lies the assumption that Margaret is playing chess with another human, and not with a computer-based program.”

However, someone else believes this is all a trick, adding: “We don’t know. In times past, it might have been reasonable to claim that she is also playing chess, because you can’t play chess alone.

“However, Margret could be playing chess against a chess playing machine, or online against an opponent not in the room.

“In fact, even in times past, people often played a peculiar game called ‘chess by mail’ in which they would send physical letters with their next chess move.

“As mail could take days, even weeks, to arrive, this was a very slow way to play a game, but it certainly did allow plenty of time to contemplate your move.

“And, of course, it’s always possible to play chess against yourself, that is, taking both sides of the board in turn. Or, chess puzzles exist, in which a published position is presented and you are asked to ‘find mate in two’ etc.

“In the end Margret playing chess doesn’t really demand that the fifth sister is also playing chess, at all. As a riddle, it’s a pretty poor one, always has been but is much worse now. Perhaps if it was ‘Margret is playing ping pong’.”

While a final user joked: “She’s yelling at Ann to stop watching TV because it’s her turn in the chess game against Margret, and if they don’t finish before Marie finishes cooking dinner then her game against Kate won’t begin until after another load of laundry.”