Could you be the next 007? Take GCHQ’s annual Christmas brainteaser and test your spy skills

Britain’s spy agency GCHQ has released its annual Christmas puzzle challenge, designed to test the skills of would-be intelligence officers.

The festive brainteaser features seven fiendishly difficult puzzles that will put codebreaking, mathematical and analytical abilities to the test.

In an unusual twist for a Christmas card, this year’s challenge includes hidden ‘Easter egg’ clues for those seeking an extra challenge.

The deceptively tricky tasks require ingenuity and perseverance, according to GCHQ, with puzzles ranging from simple to complex.

The challenge aims to inspire young people to consider careers in cybersecurity and intelligence. The challenge centres around GCHQ’s sites across the UK, including Manchester, London, Scarborough, Bude and Cheltenham.

Each of the seven puzzles will lead participants to a UK landmark, with clues involving Latin dancing, Indian butter and American soldiers.

The names of these landmarks, combined with the card’s front cover, will reveal what people across all GCHQ locations will be this Christmas.

For those seeking an additional challenge, three hidden puzzles – or Easter eggs – can be found on the front cover of the card.

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Anne Keast-Butler, GCHQ’s first female director, emphasised the enduring importance of puzzle-solving skills at the agency.

“Puzzles have always been at the heart of GCHQ, and the skills needed to solve them are just as relevant in 2024 as they were over 100 years ago,” she said.

As a mathematician herself, Keast-Butler expressed particular enthusiasm for STEM subjects. The puzzles are primarily aimed at teenagers but are open to everyone.

“I hope the card will inspire young people to explore these STEM subjects and to consider what a career in cybersecurity and intelligence might have to offer,” she added.

GCHQ’s Chief Puzzler, known only as “Colin”, described this year’s tests as “fiendishly enjoyable”.

“We want teams working together to tackle the Challenge, which requires a range of skills and creative ways of thinking,” Colin said.

He emphasised that participants don’t need to be geniuses to solve the puzzles.

“You do not have to be top of the class to solve them – you just have to be able to work in a team and embrace the mix of minds and approaches teamwork brings,” he explained.

Last year’s GCHQ Christmas puzzle proved immensely popular, with 138,000 downloads in schools and homes worldwide.

The 2024 challenge marks the fourth iteration of the agency’s Christmas puzzle series, which has been running since 2015.