LSAT 71, Game 4 Setup, Paintings

This is an explanation of the fourth logic game from Section II of LSAT preptest 71, the December 2013 LSAT.

A museum curator will arrange seven paintings. The paintings are a Morisot, a Pissarro, a Renoir, a Sisley, a Turner, a Vuillard, and a Whistler (M, P, R, S, T, V, W). The paintings will be arranged in a horizontal row, starting from the museum entrance.

Game Setup

This is a linear game. I normally find linear games very easy, but this one was difficult. I even made a mistake on question 21, because I read the local rule wrong.

The setup diagram is pretty standard however. There are seven spaces, which we can draw horizontally. Since the Vuillard can only be third or fourth, I draw two diagrams. This only takes a few extra seconds, and it helps with visualization.

This dual setup isn’t especially useful on this game, but on about 50% of games, dual diagrams produce incredible deductions. So I draw them out of habit, in case they produce something. Even if they don’t, it only takes a moment, and I can visualize better by looking at them.

Next I drew rules 1-3, which are pretty standard.

Rule 1 says that the Turner is before the Whistler:

Rule 2 says that the Renoir is before the Morisot, with one painting in between:

Rule 3 says that the Pissarro and the Sisley are beside each other:

There are no major additional deductions from the setup. However, you should take some time to think about how the rules work together.

There are seven variables. The most restricted set of variables is R_M. Exactly one painting is in between them. Who can it be?

Not Pissarro or Sisley, because they are a block of two paintings. So only the Turner, the Whistler and the Vuillard can go in between the Renoir and the Morisot.

Games often present limited options, and it’s important for you to think about the most restricted points in advance. The fact that only Turner, the Whistler and the Vuillard can go between R_M is very important.

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