Today's NYT Capture Solver Answers & Hints for Dec 21
NYT Capture Sun Dec 21 solution!
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Today's Hints & Answers
Standard difficulty solution for December 21, 2025 Capture
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How to Play NYT Capture
Today’s NYT Capture challenge requires you to methodically remove every piece from the board until only the King remains. Each move must be a capture, and every piece (including your own) has a strict capture limit.
Getting Started with Today’s Capture Puzzle
Open today’s NYT Capture puzzle and you’ll see a small chess-like board populated with green pieces, including a King. Unlike traditional chess, you control only one side, and your objective is to capture your own pieces until just the King remains.
Each puzzle is a self-contained level, and progress depends entirely on making the correct capture sequence.
Core Rules of NYT Capture
- Every move must be a capture
- Pieces of the same color capture each other
- You must capture your own pieces
- The King must be the final piece remaining
- The King must make the last capture
- Each piece can capture a maximum of two times
Once a piece reaches its capture limit, it becomes inactive and cannot move again.
Understanding Capture Limits and Move Counters
Each piece has a visible capture counter:
- 2 moves left: Piece can still capture twice
- 1 move left: One final capture available
- 0 moves left: Piece is locked and unusable
Managing these limits is the heart of the puzzle. A single wasted capture can make the level impossible to complete.
Movement and Capture Mechanics
- Pieces capture using standard chess movement rules for their type
- There is no non-capture movement, every action removes a piece
- Captured pieces are removed permanently from the board
- Pieces do not promote or change roles
The board steadily shrinks as options narrow, turning each level into a pure logic elimination puzzle.
Strategic Solving Techniques
- Work backward from the King: Plan so the King has a legal final capture
- Preserve King mobility: Avoid blocking the King’s access too early
- Spend expendable pieces first: Use pieces with awkward positions early
- Track capture counts carefully: A piece with 0 moves left is dead weight
- Avoid isolation: Don’t leave a piece with no capturable neighbors
NYT Capture is less about speed and more about perfect sequencing.
Difficulty Progression in NYT Capture
- Early levels: Fewer pieces, obvious capture chains
- Mid levels: Capture limits become restrictive, forcing planning
- Advanced levels: Multiple dead-end paths with only one valid solution
Later levels often require thinking 5–10 moves ahead.
Winning Conditions
You successfully complete today’s NYT Capture puzzle when:
- All pieces except the King have been captured
- The King performs the final capture
- No piece exceeds its capture limit
If even one piece remains or the King cannot move last, the puzzle fails.
NYT Capture FAQ
What is NYT Capture?
NYT Capture is a logic-based elimination puzzle from The New York Times where you capture your own pieces under strict move limits until only the King remains.
Why do I have to capture my own pieces?
That’s the core mechanic. Capture is about controlled self-elimination, not competition against an opponent.
Why does the King have to capture last?
The King being the final capturing piece is the puzzle’s primary constraint. Many solutions fail because the King becomes trapped too early.
What happens if a piece has 0 moves left?
That piece is locked in place and cannot capture again. If it isn’t captured later, the level becomes unsolvable.
Why can't I move a piece to an empty spot?
In Capture, every move must be a capture. You cannot move pieces to empty squares simply to reposition them; you must take another piece with every action.
What do the dots or numbers on the pieces mean?
These represent the piece's remaining moves. A piece starts with a limit of 2 moves. Once it captures a piece, the count goes down. When it reaches 0, that piece can no longer move and must be captured by someone else to be cleared.
Is Capture related to chess?
It borrows movement rules from chess but is fundamentally a logic puzzle, not a strategy or competitive game. While it uses a grid and "capturing," the logic is more similar to Solitaire jumping games (like Peg Solitaire) but with added constraints like color matching and move limits.
Why do some levels feel impossible?
Most Capture levels have only one valid solution path. A single incorrect early capture can doom the entire board.
Where can I play NYT Capture?
Currently, NYT Capture is available as a limited beta, primarily accessible to users in Canada. It can be accessed at the NYT Games beta URL, though access may be restricted by region which can be bypassed by using a VPN.