CM13

Name
CM13

Designer
Andreas Rover. For those of you who do not know, Andreas is the developer of BurrTools, the wonderful saviour programme that allows users to solve mechanical puzzles, mainly those consisting of square, prism or sphere shaped units, including high level burrs.

Manufacturer
Andreas Rover. Currently still available via his website for 15 Euros. Check it to understand a bit more about the CM13 and how it came into being. There are also a number of his other designs featured, some of which are still available for sale.

Type & Classification
Interlocking; Take-Apart.

Dimensions
11cm (length) x 10.5cm (Width) x 1.5cm (Thickness)

Materials & Construction
Rosewood is the material for my copy. Andreas also made the CM13 in Walnut. Construction fit and finish is very good. The individual pieces are themselves constructed out of smaller units glued and nailed together to form the necessary shapes for the CM13. All the pieces are laser cut to exact tolerances but movement is generally smooth.

IPP
CM13 was Andreas' Exchange Puzzle at IPP28 at Prague in 2008.

Overview
This is my second puzzle from Andreas after the Choreographed Motion reviewed a while back. 

The object of the puzzle is to take apart the CM13 and then to reassemble it. According to Andreas, this is the world's first multi-level coordinated motion puzzle! There are 4 steps to go through before the pieces separate.  All the 4 steps are coordinate motion moves which require you to manipulate all the individual pieces more or less together at the same time. No force is required. Took me about 15 minutes or so to take it apart and put it back together.

Difficulty Level
Pretty easy. The very first move will take a bit of effort but once you see the puzzle coming apart slowly, you will automatically understand how the puzzle works. Along the way, you will also know once a step is completed. The final step before the puzzle comes apart totally is also slightly tricky. Not sure if its just me or intended this way tho'. Compared to the Choreographed Motion, the CM13 is much easier.

Summary
An interesting interlocking puzzle that requires coordinated moves all the way; and there are not too many of these types of puzzles around. For 15 euros and the quality, well worth the money too.