60-second revision
- Facing north: right is east. Facing south: right is west — the page view flips.
- Around a table facing the centre, left is clockwise and right is anticlockwise.
- Facing outward reverses it: right is clockwise.
- In a circle of n people, the person opposite is n ÷ 2 seats away (n even).
- 'Only k people sit between' in a circle can be counted either way round; check both arcs.
- In parallel rows each person faces the one directly opposite; one row's left is the other row's right.
- Start with a definite clue, branch only when forced, and test every clue on the final arrangement.
Linear rows
Draw a line of seats and number them from the west (left of the page) to the east. If everyone faces north, the page and the people agree: their right is your right. If everyone faces south, their right is towards the west — the left of the page. Convert every clue to page directions before placing anyone.
| Facing | 'Right of X' on the page | 'Left of X' on the page |
|---|---|---|
| North | towards east (page right) | towards west (page left) |
| South | towards west (page left) | towards east (page right) |
'Second to the right' means two seats away, with one person in between. 'Immediate right' means the very next seat. 'Somewhere to the right' only fixes the side.
Circular tables
Draw a circle, mark the seats and use the rule below. Fix the first person anywhere (the circle has no starting point), then place others relative to that person.
| Facing | Right (as seen from above) | Left (as seen from above) |
|---|---|---|
| Centre | anticlockwise | clockwise |
| Outside | clockwise | anticlockwise |
Worked example: six people sit around a table facing the centre. M is second to the left of K, and N sits opposite K. Put K at seat 0 and number clockwise. M is seat 2 (left is clockwise) and N is seat 3. If R sits to the immediate right of M, R is seat 1 (right is anticlockwise). Seats 4 and 5 stay open until a later clue fixes them. Had a clue pointed R to seat 2, the clash with M would have ruled that case out — that is exactly how case elimination works.
Mixed facing
Some puzzles say that some people face the centre (or north) and others face outside (or south). Then left and right must be worked out separately for each person, using that person's own facing. Mark each seat with an arrow as soon as the facing is known, and treat an unknown facing as two cases.
Parallel rows
Two rows face each other: usually Row 1 faces south and Row 2 faces north. A person faces the one directly opposite. Because the rows face opposite ways, 'right' in Row 1 is towards the west and 'right' in Row 2 is towards the east. Number both rows from the same end (west) and convert each clue to page directions.
Method that always works
- Read all clues once and pick the most definite one (someone at an end, someone in the middle, someone's exact position).
- Place people chained to that clue (second to the right of, opposite, immediate neighbour of).
- When a clue allows two places, draw both cases side by side.
- Use negative clues (is not a neighbour of, does not sit at an end) to kill cases.
- When one arrangement remains, re-check every clue on it before answering.
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