Double Row Seating Arrangement

In a double row puzzle, people are split into two parallel rows facing each other. For example, Row 1 faces north and Row 2 faces south, so a person in Row 1 faces the person directly opposite in Row 2.

Key terms:

• Facing: the person directly across in the other row.
• Left/Right: from each person's own perspective (a person facing north has their left on the west side; a person facing south has their left on the east side — they are mirror-image orientations).

1. Draw two horizontal rows with the same number of seats. Label positions 1, 2, 3 … left to right for Row 1; the person in Row 2 position 1 faces Row 1 position 1.
2. Note the facing direction of each row to get left/right correct.
3. Place people with absolute clues ("A is at the left end of Row 1").
4. Use facing clues ("B faces C" → B and C are in the same column, different rows).
5. Use neighbour clues within a row ("D is immediately right of E").
6. Eliminate and fill remaining seats.

Example 1: Row 1 (faces south): P, Q, R. Row 2 (faces north): X, Y, Z. Clues:

• P faces Y.
• Q is to the immediate right of P (in Row 1).
• Z is not at either end.

Step 1: P faces Y → P and Y are in the same column. Put P at position 1 (Row 1), Y at position 1 (Row 2). Step 2: Q is immediately right of P (Row 1 facing south, so right = position 2) → Q at position 2, R at position 3. Step 3: Z not at either end → Z at position 2 (Row 2). X at position 3. Result: Row 1: P — Q — R Row 2: Y — Z — X (facing Row 1)

Example 2: Row 1 (faces north): A, B, C, D. Row 2 (faces south): W, X, Y, Z. Clues:

• A faces Z.
• C is at the right end of Row 1.
• W faces B.
• X is immediately right of W (in Row 2, facing south — right is toward the west, i.e., lower position number).

Step 1: A faces Z → same column. C at right end of Row 1 → position 4. A faces Z means A's column = Z's column. Step 2: W faces B → same column. X immediately right of W (Row 2 faces south, right = decreasing position) → X is one position lower than W. Work through: if W = position 3, X = position 2; B = position 3 Row 1. A at one of {1,2,4}; C = 4. Try A=1 → Z=1; remaining Row 1: B=3 matches W=3; D=2. Row 2: W=3, X=2, Y=4, Z=1. Result: Row 1: A-B-D-C | Row 2: Z-X-W-Y

• Left/right flip between rows — people in Row 2 face the opposite direction, so their "right" is the mirror of Row 1's "right." Sketch the compass directions to avoid this.
• "Faces" ≠ "is next to" — facing links people across rows; "next to" links people within the same row.
• Assuming both rows are arranged left-to-right the same way — always label your diagram with directions before placing anyone.

1. Row 1 (faces south): E, F, G. Row 2 (faces north): J, K, L. E faces K. F is right of E. Which column is G in?
2. In a double row of 4, A faces X, B is immediately left of A (Row 1 faces north). Y is immediately right of X (Row 2 faces south). What position is B in?

(Answers: 1 → G in column 3; 2 → A in col 2, B in col 1 [left of A, Row 1 faces north so left = lower column]; X in col 2, Y in col 1)