RULE REMINDER: Rapid fire multiple submissions put an unreasonable load on the servers and make it difficult for others to submit. Anyone who makes an unreasonable number of submissions will be open to disqualification. In the first instance this will mean that anyone who submits more than 20 times in 10 minutes will be disqualified.
With this challenge the competition starts in earnest. At the end of Challenge 4 we will publish a new overall leaderboard for each part which will accumulate your scores for the part A challenges to give the part A overall leaderboard and … well you get the idea.
As with the practice challenges speed does not matter for the part A challenges, only accuracy, while for part B you will get a score based on your accuracy AND your speed. The deadlines for the speed points are published alongside each challenge B.
For now we will continue to give instant feedback, so you will be able to see if you have completed the challenge or need to try again, but later in the competition we will delay feedback to reward those who manage to get it right first time. That won’t stop you from trying to find your own mistakes and you can always resubmit until you get it right (or until the end of the round at least) and doing that can never reduce your marks.
Good luck, Harry
Now that we are starting the competition rounds, we thought you might like a reminder about the rules. Don’t forget you are allowed to use any and all of the tools on our BOSS cipher tools page, or to use spreadsheets and text editors to process the cipher text. We don’t recommend using a word processor like Word or Pages as they sometimes add formatting that shouldn’t, but can, mess up your solution. Using a fixed width font like Courier for text display can help you spot patterns, and you can always try learning a little bit of coding to help you break the challenges. Use of online cipher and code breaking tools is against the rules, and so is using AI. In the end using them won’t help you as we will be asking winners to explain how they broke the challenges and will be looking for ingenuity and insight, which you won’t develop if you use online help.
The Chimera returns
KY MECQ KKE HEQLBCQMT, DT DS VEQY ULGDLM NR YNU TN BCVE KCME KE CMKDQE C WNQG NR CQT WBDIB ICLLNT HE KDLE. D BCVE LNW SEEL YNUQ IBDKEQC TWDIE, CLM TBE QEOETDTDNL BCS KCME KE KNQE METEQKDLEM TBCT YNU SBNUJM ADVE SEQDNUS INLSDMEQCTDNL TN KY QEPUEST RNQ C VEQSDNL ICST DL SDJVEQ. DR TBE MDRRDIUJTY DS TBE EXOELSE, OJECSE MN LNT TBDLG NR DT. DR DT DS YNUQ TDKE, D RECQ D ICL NRREQ LN QEKEMY HEYNLM OCTDELIE, C VDQTUE DL WBDIB D CK LNT OCQTDIUJCQJY CIINKOJDSBEM. TBE SEINLM SDABTDLA WCS ULEXOEITEM. D ICJJEM YESTEQMCY UONL C AQEEG KEQIBCLT LCKEM VCQMCGDS, WDTB WBNK D BCVE HEEL MDSIUSSDLA CL CQQCLAEKELT TBCT KCY BEJO TN MDSONSE NR SNKE NR TBE SDJVEQ INDLS WBDIB BCVE HEEL EXEQIDSDLA YNUQ IUQDNSDTY. BE BCS CL DKOQESSDVE SBDOODLA HUSDLESS CLM BCS HEEL ELACAEM HY CTBELS NL C KDSSDNL TN SETTJE IEQTCDL NUTSTCLMDLA PUESTDNLS INLIEQLDLA AQEEIE\’S OCQTDIDOCTDNL DL TBE JCTDL KNLETCQY ULDNL. BDS QNNKS WEQE INKRNQTCHJE CLM RUQLDSBEM WDTB QCTBEQ KNQE KCALDRDIELIE TBCL TCSTE, HUT CKNLA C OQNMDADNUS INJJEITDNL NR TBDLAS OUQONQTDLA TN HE CLIDELT D SODEM C OBNTNAQCOB DL C QCTBEQ NSTELTCTDNUS SDJVEQ RQCKE SBNWDLA VCQMCGDS CLM TWN AELTJEKEL WBNK BE DLTQNMUIEM CS QCJJDS, BDS CAELT DL TBE DSJCLMS, CLM RNUQLDEQ, WBN CTTELMS TN BDS RQELIB HCLGDLA LEEMS. TBE QNNK DL TBE DKCAE WCS VCAUEJY RCKDJDCQ TN KE, TBNUAB D MDM LNT DKKEMDCTEJY QEINALDSE DT, CLM D WNUJM OQNHCHJY LNT BCVE QEKCQGEM UONL DT BCM D LNT MDSIEQLEM YNUQ IBDKEQC HEBDLM TBE TBQEE AELTJEKEL, QEVECJDLA TBCT TBE OBNTNAQCOB BCM HEEL TCGEL DL HEQTDE’S STUMY. VCQMCGDS MDM LNT KELTDNL TN KE TBCT HEQTDE BCM QEIEDVEM BDK, LNQ MDM D CSG. DLMEEM, D SBNUJM BCVE TBNUABT TBE ELPUDQY DKOEQTDLELT, HUT D CMKDT TN HEDLA QECSSUQEM TBCT KY LEW AQEEG RQDELM CLM D BCM CL CIPUCDLTCLIE DL INKKNL. D BCM NR INUQSE CJQECMY EXCKDLEM BDS IQEMELTDCJS, HUT DL RDLCLIE, CS DL MDOJNKCIY, INLRDMELIE DS EVEQYTBDLA. D KELTDNL TBE TBDLA OCQTJY HEICUSE D WCLTEM TN QELEW KY QEPUEST INLIEQLDLA TBE SDJVEQ IBDKEQC, HUT CJSN HEICUSE D SBNUJM HE DLTEQESTEM TN GLNW WBCT YNU KCGE NR VCQMCGDS. BCVE YNU KET BDK? BDS OJCLS EXTELM QCTBEQ HEYNLM TBE TQCLSONQT NR INDLS CLM BE HEJDEVES HQDTCDL KCY BCVE DLTEQESTS DL TBE ECSTEQL KEMDTEQQCLECL WBDIB TBE RQELIB WNUJM MN WEJJ LNT TN MDSQEACQM. C TCITRUJ WCY NR SOECGDLA, D TBNUABT, CJTBNUAB OEQBCOS TNN TCITRUJ. KY MEOCQTUQE RNQ EAYOT BCS HEEL MEJCYEM HY CRRCDQS DL JNLMNL CLM OCQDS. D ICLLNT YET SCY WBEL D SBCJJ AET CWCY. DL TBE KECLTDKE VCQMCGDS BCS CSGEM KE TN OQNVDME IQEMDT RNQ IEQTCDL OUQIBCSES NR INDLCAE, CLM D KUST KCGE UO KY KDLM OQESELTJY. TBEQE DS AELUDLE SEIUQDTY HEBDLM TBE OQNONSCJ, HUT D CK LNT CIIUSTNKEM TN CJJNWDLA CL ULRCKDJDCQ KCL KUIB JCTDTUME WDTB KY KNLEY. D BCVE LNT RNQANTTEL YNUQ DLVDTCTDNL TN TBE TBECTQE. DT WNUJM HE OJECSCLT TN SOECG NR SNKETBDLA NTBEQ TBCL QCTES CLM ANVEQLKELTS RNQ CL EVELDLA, TBNUAB D SUSOEIT YNU WNUJM SNNL CSG KE CHNUT TBE QCTES CACDL. YNUQS VEQY SDLIEQEJY, EQLEST ICSSEJ O.S. OQCY TEJJ KE TBCT YNU BCVE LNT CJTNAETBEQ QEFEITEM TBE SDJVEQ ICSTDLA.
This is where you can submit your solution. If you make a mistake but can’t see any feedback on where you have gone wrong there are two possibilities. One is that you have missed something from the end of your solution so our checker has nothing to underline. The other is that you have made a few too many mistakes and the checker has decided you need to work on your solution a bit more before it can help!
Top Secret: For your eyes only
My dear Mme Bernhardt, It is very unkind of you to have made me admire a work of art which cannot be mine. I have now seen your Chimera twice, and the repetition has made me more determined that you should give serious consideration to my request for a version cast in silver. If the difficulty is the expense, please do not think of it. If it is your time, I fear I can offer no remedy beyond patience, a virtue in which I am not particularly accomplished. The second sighting was unexpected. I called yesterday upon a Greek merchant named Vardakis, with whom I have been discussing an arrangement that may help to dispose of some of the silver coins which have been exercising your curiosity. He has an impressive shipping business and has been engaged by Athens on a mission to settle certain outstanding questions concerning Greece’s participation in the Latin Monetary Union. His rooms were comfortable and furnished with rather more magnificence than taste, but among a prodigious collection of things purporting to be ancient I spied a photograph in a rather ostentatious silver frame showing Vardakis and two gentlemen whom he introduced as Rallis, his agent in the islands, and Fournier, who attends to his French banking needs. The room in the image was vaguely familiar to me, though I did not immediately recognise it, and I would probably not have remarked upon it had I not discerned your Chimera behind the three gentlemen, revealing that the photograph had been taken in Bertie’s study. Vardakis did not mention to me that Bertie had received him, nor did I ask. Indeed, I should have thought the enquiry impertinent, but I admit to being reassured that my new Greek friend and I had an acquaintance in common. I had of course already examined his credentials, but in finance, as in diplomacy, confidence is everything. I mention the thing partly because I wanted to renew my request concerning the silver Chimera, but also because I should be interested to know what you make of Vardakis. Have you met him? His plans extend rather beyond the transport of coins and he believes Britain may have interests in the eastern Mediterranean which the French would do well not to disregard. A tactful way of speaking, I thought, although perhaps too tactful. My departure for Egypt has been delayed by affairs in London and Paris. I cannot yet say when I shall get away. In the meantime Vardakis has asked me to provide credit for certain purchases of coinage, and I must make up my mind presently. There is genuine security behind the proposal, but I am not accustomed to allowing an unfamiliar man much latitude with my money. I have not forgotten your invitation to the theatre. It would be pleasant to speak of something other than rates and governments for an evening, though I suspect you would soon ask me about the rates again. Yours very sincerely, Ernest Cassel P.S. Pray tell me that you have not altogether rejected the silver casting.Cottonwood
EMAYD ERLMR IIAOT IMTWR TIONG NTKHA FYOOU URRYO OERFF NTDSI PEHCI NEGRI LTEHE RTFTE DOIUN ENBTH DOIAR ONUGH HSEEW HREET SMIIS ANMGC MEARA DNBHA SETEN NAGYI CTOHE NNTTE RSEWE TMIOS RNMFO VAETI IAFND TIHND AETMR EHNER RCAOU GGYIN AOYUM EHGAV SUEES NDOBY AWTTH SIPSU EEDCT ESTOM GHOIN IFSTH UNRAT GEHMI VTEHA UORCC TRHED SESLO OOOFF ETFAG ARMOM OONTI TPUIC SRAEI TNREX LEYME ISOER AUTSM PTAER CRUTI LLYAR NWTHE UHBES TJIEC ISAAV NTFIO IINLM QGURE SICRE FAURE ALNPL GNTIN OHOEC APTER OIFON OPTIL DSGAN NRDOU WCSRE AACND SCTES ROCAI TRWAF HHMIC OATYN DRIEA ELAYB LVAAI ABGLE WAEIN EARTH DCION NTSIO TAHND PEEEX ONFSE AANRR GGFIN HUERT IRGFL CHATS KNEMA LRAEP GCLIN FOOST GOETA FDIIF TCAUL ONMDS MEETI PSOIM BSLSI CEHMU HOEFT EMRAT FIOAL IRSTH UDMOC AERNT SYOWA IBNTA NEDDU IERRC SCTUM EASNC TTCHA OATNN IELAS RYEBE ACTRE NEDDA MMPYE ELROY ESTAR EHFER VOERE EREYK RNETO ECROV AIMTI EHFOP HUALT ETMTH EESNR SPION WBILE ELWLB IINLL RGETO NTTUR OHOEF ETFAG FOERA CEAIT RNESU ELOYB UFSNO TEHTO TEHMO IESRW DEIAN PSEUS HCATT ETITH TREIN ONNTI AWLAS SWTAY MOADE ANYDP TMFEN TOSRI URRET ENITH ARNPL YSSMA LIYMP EHBAV UEPEN BSYET CTAHE ERSEL SSSNE HOEFT AINRM HAETT DSITU EORTH REEFE TNOCE ADGAM QEUDE EINPM TTHIN TETLE OEERD NSCCO MEERN OOUFC SRISE WNECE NCOAN CTEBE IRNTA TTTHA IHLEF SMEIT ALSFH AEPSC AERDH VMENE ERLTH IETSS KHWIN SETMU CPERO NETDO SHSEA TUIMP HOANT CTAIT INLST RLEBE ECROV FEYDI ROEUA LSLTI LWIIL ONAGT NCOTO EUHRB IAWLF DOLUL YIOKE FUOTO WLTLO EHAEL BDRTO LOYOK DNSAN HEEEW RTYHE AONUC DFTIN IHSEM GSCIN RAAME HMEAN EAAPP ORBST REBOU HEOST FPDEO OIVSC NEGRI IWSHO PROES BNLSI DEWAN EHTER OHOEF ETMAG TINGH EOIWB RAEPP TCEIA TTTHA WHIIS NLVLI EOALV SCION ADBER OLUEJ YRANE ANTDN LULRA EYMMY YPELO IRLSW ELTME RYROU AANIL HDEOT ARSRE BOLNA PEEEX SNYSE AOYUM EMWAK EHVAT NEQRE IUEIR USTYO KHNIN SESCE BAURY OTUIW SLKDA TYOOU RECXE DIISE ESTCR SIHON DOYUL UOCUS DCIEE ANCTR TIHNG SESMI PIENG NRPSO SLEEA DSAEN ETGEL TROAM FMFYO BIECE EFTOR NAGKI FAUNY ERRTH IAOCT ONUIW RLEDP TFHER NAYTA ONTEG IIOAT ONRSF RTEHE NTOUR RFPOU ERROP ETCYB UOCND TTHED GRHOU OMUEY IRNSS ECLER EYNBR ADRAH RTDFO
If you can’t submit a solution there are several things that could have gone wrong:
1. You might not have completed your registration. If you requested to join a team then you need to get that request approved by the captain, or if for some reason you didn’t complete the process of setting up a team then you will need to do that before you can submit. Log out of your account and log in again. You will be asked to complete your registration if that is the case.
2. You are not the team captain. Only captains can submit solutions for their teams. If you are not the captain and your captain can’t submit the solution then you need to get them to delegate the captaincy to you or another member of the team so you are able to submit on the team’s behalf.
3. You have already successfully completed this challenge and got a score of 100%. You don’t need to do it again!
If you can’t submit and don’t think any of the above apply to you then please email us at [email protected] to ask for help.
Top Secret: For your eyes only
My dear Mr Eliot, I am writing to thank you for your efforts in deciphering the letter found in the boarding house where the missing cameraman had been staying. The contents were most informative, and I find them rather encouraging. You may have guessed by now that I suspected something of this nature might have occurred. The loss of footage from a motion picture is an extremely serious matter, particularly when the subject is aviation. Filming requires careful planning, the cooperation of pilots and ground crews, and access to aircraft which may not readily be available again. Weather conditions and the expense of arranging further flights can make replacing lost footage difficult and sometimes impossible. Much of the material for this documentary was obtained under circumstances that cannot easily be recreated, and my employers are therefore very keen to recover it. I am hopeful that the men responsible will be willing to return the footage for a fee. It can surely be of no use to them otherwise, and I suspect that their intention was always to demand payment for its return. Their plans may simply have been upset by the carelessness of their man at the studio. The reference to damaged equipment in the letter does concern me, of course, since we cannot be certain that the film itself has escaped harm. Nevertheless, I think we must proceed on the assumption that it can still be recovered. If you are still willing to act on our behalf, I would like you to follow the lead to Brooklyn and see whether you can find the missing cameraman. He appears to be our best hope of discovering who is responsible and where the footage might now be. I appreciate that this will involve a considerable journey, and naturally my employers will meet your rail and other reasonable expenses. You may make whatever enquiries you think necessary, but I would ask you to exercise discretion. Should you succeed in tracing the missing person, please send a telegram to my office before taking any further action. I would prefer that any negotiations for the return of our property be conducted through me. Yours sincerely, Brenda HartfordThis challenge closed on 11/11/2026. Please click the Official Decrypt button above to see the correct answers.
RULE REMINDER: Rapid fire multiple submissions put an unreasonable load on the servers and make it difficult for others to submit. Anyone who makes an unreasonable number of submissions will be open to disqualification. In the first instance this will mean that anyone who submits more than 20 times in 10 minutes will be disqualified.