GCHQ Christmas challenge: Can you solve the puzzle?

Latin dance styles, Indian ghee, and U.S. troops are among the hints for this year's puzzling Christmas challenge organized by the national intelligence agency.

Every year, GCHQ presents a puzzle as part of a Christmas card, which is sent out by Director Anne Keast-Butler.

This year's puzzle invites everyone to decipher the names of famous sites in the UK, putting to the test abilities such as codebreaking, mathematics, and creative problem-solving.

The tasks that may seem simple are actually quite challenging and call for creativity and determination, according to GCHQ.

The 2024 card offers more depth for those looking to push their limits, featuring extra elements concealed within the code.

The head of puzzles at GCHQ, referred to simply as "Colin," called this year's challenges "delightfully tricky."

During an interview with BBC Breakfast on Wednesday, he mentioned that one-third of secondary schools nationwide had already accessed them.

The initial and simplest challenge consists of five pictures that symbolize a specific place. Participants are tasked with figuring out what the location is.

One of the more challenging puzzles challenges aspiring spies to figure out how far the puzzle creators deviated from writing the numbers one through twenty.

Ms. Keast-Butler, the director of GCHQ, stated, "This challenge is meant to be solved by a diverse group of thinkers, making it ideal for teams of classmates, family members, or friends to work on together."

"Regardless of whether you think analytically, are more creative, or have an interest in engineering, there’s something available for everyone."

At the same time, "Colin," who was unable to appear on camera, explained to the BBC that the challenge was designed "partly for enjoyment" but also because the type of critical thinking needed to tackle it mirrors the work carried out at GCHQ in "protecting the country."

"We need a variety of perspectives and methods to tackle the challenges we face in the real world. That's why we promote diverse thinking and support neurodiversity," he explained.

When asked if he would suggest a career at GCHQ for students who can solve puzzles with ease, the agency's leading puzzle expert stated that this kind of "intelligence" is precisely what the organization seeks.

He mentioned that now that secondary schools are downloading the tests, "many students will come across them and hopefully feel motivated."

You can find the complete challenge either below or on the GCHQ website.