If the names of my designs sound a bit strange, it's because some are named after family and friends, others using words from the beautiful language of my ancestors—the Taino "Indians" of my native Borikén (renamed Puerto Rico by the Spanish conquerors), and still others because of characteristics possesed by the puzzles themselves: i.e. rojo is Spanish for red.

3-Piece Interlocking
Triad

This is a variation of the classic 3-piece puzzle. In this design, like in the classic one, the last piece has to be rotated into place; but, unlike the old puzzle, this one's internal void is undetectable.

5-Piece Interlocking
Pentad I had to think a bit to come up with this one. Surprisingly it turned out to be quite simple.

6-Piece Interlocking
Akani

Akani is in reality a very difficult and confusing six-piece burr encapsulated in a shell of six additional sticks attached to the extremities of its pieces. While many puzzles' degree of difficulty pertain only to the assembly process, this puzzle is almost as hard to disassemble as it is to reassemble.

Apache

Apache has a unique solution that requires five moves to remove the first piece and two additional moves to remove the second piece. Apache was computer generated.

Cheyenne

Cheyenne has a unique solution that requires only three moves to take it apart—just try putting it back together without the solution sheet in front of you! Cheyenne was computer generated.

Ciales

The pieces of Ciales actually interlock even if the puzzle's exterior appearance gives the impression that they are held together by magnets.

Cidra Cidra is a board burr. I haven't designed too many of those.
Cuyo Cuyo is one of my easier puzzles.
Mohawk

Mohawk has a unique solution that requires two moves to remove the first piece and two additional moves to remove the second piece. Mohawk was computer generated.

Morovis
Navajo

Navajo requires only two moves to remove the first piece. But, five additional moves are required to remove the second piece. Navajo was computer generated.

Opia Three boards and three square sticks make up Opia.
Orocovis Orocovis is different from any other six-piece puzzle you may have ever seen.
Sanaco

Sanaco means foolish in the language of my ancestors. It is easy to understand why I chose to name this puzzle as I did and why it may never be produced comercially.

7-Piece Interlocking
Camila

8-Piece Interlocking
Yari

Yari is unusual in that it has a hole in the very middle of its body. It looks like Maruca missing a piece, but it's quite different.

9-Piece Interlocking
Bohio

This puzzle's exterior looks exactly like the classic "Japanese Pagoda", but the three large central pieces and two of the smaller pieces are completely different from the old puzzle; and, unlike the old design, in Bohio the last piece does not have to be rotated into place.

Dajao

Dajao's exterior looks exactly like TOM, a puzzle designed by Jan Naert; but the similarity ends as soon as the first piece is removed from the puzzle. Dajao's pieces are completely dissimilar to TOM's pieces.

Maruca
T-Time
Turey
Vanessa Six thick boards and three thin boards make up this beautiful puzzle.
Yissel

Yissel consists of three thick central pieces made of a dark wood, each sandwiched between two narrower pieces made of a lighter wood.

10-Piece Interlocking
Blanco

Blanco consists of ten dissimilar pieces notched in ways so peculiar that the puzzle seems fragile—just an illusion.

Rojo

11-Piece Interlocking
Maja

12-Piece Interlocking
Comerío This puzzle was my entry in IPP 25. Comerío is my hometown.
Totem
Zinato

13-Piece Interlocking
Hura Hura means "strong wind" in the language of my ancestors.
Krystal Krystal is almost as beautiful as its namesake, my lovely granddaughter.

14-Piece Interlocking
Arabesque Arabesque is one of a pair of puzzles that I entered in the 2003 IPP Puzzle Design Competition.

15-Piece Interlocking
Bajari Bajari is made by Davans Puzzle Company. Davans renamed the puzzle "Supremo".
Guayama Guayama is a city in Borikén known as the "The City of Warlocks".
Ponce Ponce is a city in the southern shore of Borikén known as "The Pearl of the South".

16-Piece Interlocking
Yauco

17-Piece Interlocking
Cazike

21-Piece Interlocking
Caguas The best baseball in the world is played in the city of Caguas. Vivan los Criollos!

6-Piece Caged
Docena

The word "docena" is Spanish for dozen. That is exactly how many moves it takes to remove the first piece of this difficult puzzle.

Disentanglement
Chainamajig
Curvilinear

This deceiving little gem is as difficult as any puzzle gets before becoming impossible.

Maelstrom
Perplex As the name suggests, Perplex can be very perplexing.
To Love
Voluta

Voluta uses the same principle as the classic "Ball and Ring" puzzle, but it is much more difficult to solve. One of the reasons for this is that the piece that has to be removed does not fit through the round hole which takes the place of the slot in the "Ball and Ring" puzzle.

Ynoa

Ynoa would be an easy puzzle if the cord was just a bit longer. Its solution seems to be clear and easy enough, but it inexplicably escapes even the most seasoned puzzlers.

Put Together
Batey A batey was the arena where the Tainos played their favorite games.
Love/Hate

The objective of this puzzle is to use the pieces to form the word "Hate", then using the same pieces to form the word "Love".

Yuisa

Yuisa, a cazike of the Haimanio Yukayeke in the northern shores of Borikén, was probably the first female ruler in the New World. The puzzle consists of four identical pieces

Secret Opening
Lili Lili was one of my two entries in IPP 23.

Sequential Movement
Puzzle Table This is an improvement on a very old design.
Wood Salad A multitude of different woods are used to make Wood Salad, thus the name.

Miscellaneous Puzzles
Moca

Moca is a difficult 6-piece puzzle which gives the impression of consisting of twelve pieces. Every piece of this puzzle has been notched and glued. I don't know whether this puzzle belongs in the interlocking or the put together categories; so, it gets a category all to itself.

Home