Barzoi - Alfons Eyckmans by Eric Fuller

This puzzle is of course is another terrific design by Alfons, it was expertly crafted by Eric Fuller using Macacauba for the outer burr pieces and Ash for the inner burr pieces.

Although it’s not a very high level, confusion sets in from the get go!  The piece movements are so random that you’re likely to just start moving pieces with abandon and continually finding yourself back to the start.

I noticed that Alfons came up with this design in 2015 along with another similar design called ‘Beagle’, leading me to believe that both are named after dog breeds.

Here’s Eric’s description:

“Another great one from Belgian burr builder Alfons Eyckmans, Barzoi is a very unique design. A twelve piece burr with interaction between the inner and outer components almost as if it behaves like a nested burr. Six outer pieces overlap six inner pieces with an offset on each axis to make this puzzle stand out when assembled.

The solution is only a moderate level 13.2.1.1.1.2. Don't let that fool you, this puzzle is difficult! With a few different multi-piece movements, disassembly alone is a great challenge. Fit was modified from the prototype copy to achieve smooth movements when multiple pieces interact, signed and dated.”