Three people, Ann, Ben and Jen want to cross a river from left bank to right bank. Another three people, Tim, Jim and Kim want to cross the same river from right bank to left bank.
However, there is no boat and only one stone bridge consisting of just seven big stones (not tied to each other), each of which can hold only 1 person at a time. All these people have a limited jumping capacity, so that they can only jump to the stone immediately next to them if it is empty.
Now, all of these people are quite arrogant and so will never turn back once they have begun their journey. That is, they can only move forward in the direction of their destination. They are also quite selfish and will not help anybody travelling in the same direction as themselves.
But they are also practical and know that they will not be able to cross without helping each other. Each of them is willing to help a person coming from opposite direction so that they can get a path for their own journey ahead. With this help, a person can jump two stones at a time, such that if, say, Ann and Tim are occupying two adjacent stones and the stone next to Tim on the other side is empty, then Tim will help Ann in directly jumping to that stone, and vice versa.
Now initially the six people are lined up on the seven stones from left to right as follows:
Ann Ben Jen empty Tim Jim Kim
Your job is to find how they will cross over the stones such that they are finally lined up as follows:
Tim Jim Kim empty Ann Ben Jen
Now, find out the shortest step-wise procedure, assuming that Tim moves first.
June 17th, 2012 | Category: 
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I got it in 21 moves:
Firt Move: Ann Ben Jen Tim empty Jim Kim
Second: Ann Ben empty Tim Jen Jim Kim
Third: Ann Ben Tim empty Jen Jim Kim
Fourth: Ann Ben Tim Jim Jen empty Kim
Fifth: Ann Ben Tim Jim empty Jen Kim
Sixth: Ann Ben Tim empty Jim Jen Kim
Seventh: Ann empty Tim Ben Jim Jen Kim
Eighth: Ann Tim empty Ben Jim Jen Kim
Ninth: Ann Tim Jim Ben empty Jen Kim
Tenth: Ann Tim Jim empty Ben Jen Kim
Eleventh: Ann Tim empty Jim Ben Jen Kim
Twelfth: empty Tim Ann Jim Ben Jen Kim
Thirteenth: Tim empty Ann Jim Ben Jen Kim
Fourteenth: Tim Jim Ann empty Ben Jen Kim
Fifteenth: Tim Jim Ann Ben empty Jen Kim
Sixteenth: Tim Jim Ann Ben Kim Jen empty
Seventeenth: Tim Jim Ann Ben Kim empty Jen
Eighteenth: Tim Jim Ann empty Kim Ben Jen
Nineteenth: Tim Jim Ann Kim empty Ben Jen
Twentieth: Tim Jim empty Kim Ann Ben Jen
Twenty First:Tim Jim Kim empty Ann Ben Jen
I got mine in 15 moves :)
01: Ann Ben Jen Tim emp Jim Kim
02: Ann Ben emp Tim Jen Jim Kim
03: Ann emp Ben Tim Jen Jim Kim
04: Ann Tim Ben emp Jen Jim Kim
05: Ann Tim Ben Jim Jen emp Kim
06: Ann Tim Ben Jim Jen Kim emp
07: Ann Tim Ben Jim emp Kim Jen
08: Ann Tim emp Jim Ben Kim Jen
09: emp Tim Ann Jim Ben Kim Jen
10: Tim emp Ann Jim Ben Kim Jen
11: Tim Jim Ann emp Ben Kim Jen
12: Tim Jim Ann Kim Ben emp Jen
13: Tim Jim Ann Kim emp Ben Jen
14: Tim Jim emp Kim Ann Ben Jen
15: Tim Jim Kim emp Ann Ben Jen
I got mixed up on this one because of the names haha. Good riddle though! If you dont mind, let me share this tricky fishing and boat riddle to see if anyone guesses it: Pete And Repeat